Editing Cheshire (section)

===Principality: Merging of Palatine and Earldom===
[[File:Cestriae (Cheshire) Comitatus (Romanis Legionibus et Colonys olim infignis) vera et abfoluta effigies. Chriftophorus Saxton defcripfit. Francifcus Scatterus fculpfit Anno Dno 1577. RMG L8558-001.jpg|thumb|Map of Cheshire by Christopher Saxton from 1577.]]
In 1397 the county had lands in the [[march of Wales]] added to its territory, and was promoted to the rank of principality. This was because of the support the men of the county had given to King Richard II, in particular by his standing armed force of about 500 men called the "Cheshire Guard". As a result, the King's title was changed to "King of England and France, Lord of Ireland, and Prince of Chester". No other English county has been honoured in this way, although it lost the distinction on Richard's fall in 1399.<ref>Davies, R. R. 'Richard II and the Principality of Chester' in ''The Reign of Richard II: Essays in Honour of May McKisack'', ed. [[F. R. H. Du Boulay]] and Caroline Baron (1971)</ref>