A crown colony is also known as a royal colony and as a British Overseas Territory.
A crown colony , also known in the 17th century as royal colony and since 2002 known as a British Overseas Territory , was a type of colonial administration of the overseas territories of the British Empire . Under the name of `` royal colony '' , the first of what would later become known as Crown colonies was the English Colony of Virginia in the present-day United States , after the Crown , in 1624 , revoked the royal charter it had granted to the Virginia Company , taking over direct administration . From 2002 , all remaining British colonies , whether Crown Colonies or self-governed , have been known as British Overseas Territories .