Privy Council of Great Nortend

His Majesty's Privy Council
Part of a series on the Government of Great Nortend
The Crown	Alexander II
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The Privy Council (Privatum Consilium) is one of the two formal bodies or committees of advisors to the Sovereign of Great Nortend, the other being Parliament. The Privy Council with the Parliament form the body known as the Commune Consilium, or Common Council, which is the full King’s Council, or Curia Regis.

Counsellours of State, being members of the Privy Council, are appointed by the Sovereign in camera under the Great Seal. Such an appointment accords the title of „Right Honourable”. The process involves the prospective member being summoned to a meeting of the Council followed by his swearing of a specific form of Oath of Allegiance to the Sovereign, and his kissing of the Sovereign’s hands. Counsellours retain their status for life or until the demise of the Crown (demissum regnum) at which time the Privy Council is disbanded. Living former Counsellours may petition to be reappointed by the new Sovereign. In exceptional cases, Counsellours may be expelled from the Privy Council.

Officials

Lord High Chancellour

The Lord High Chancellour, ex officio the Lord Bishop of Chepingstow, is the head of the Privy Council and Keeper of the Privy Seal. He is also the head of the Royal Chancery, or judicial ministry, which is responsible inter alia for engrossing all Orders-in-Council made by the Privy Council. He administers the oath taken by all prospective Counsellours of State.

Clerk Sealer of the Privy Council

The Clerk Sealer of the Privy Council, commonly known as the Clerk Sealer and not to be confused with the Clerk Sealer of the Common Council, is the senior official of the Privy Council as the Lord High Chancellour's deputy, holding responsibility for the formal certification and execution of decisions and executive actions of the Council. He or his delegate must be present at all meetings of the Privy Council, and is required to affix his personal signet as well as the Privy Seal to all Orders-in-Council. He serves as the head of the Lord High Chancellour's Office.

Warden of the Case

The Warden of the Case is an ancient position in the Royal Chancery responsible for keeping the Case of Chancery, a fancy wooden box, which is used to carry warrants, writs, bills, letters patent &c. to the Sovereign or meetings of the Privy Council. Additionally, he has responsibility for the administration of the Privy Council and its sub-committees and boards.

Membership

The Privy Council is composed of the King, the five Officers of State ex officio and other Counsellours of State. The King does not strictly „appoint” persons as Counsellours of State. Rather, a writ is issued under the Privy Seal summoning a prospective Counsellour to attend the King in his Privy Council. The Lord High Chancellour then administers the Oath of the Privy Council, the person holding the Bible in his right hand and saying :—

I A. B. swear that I shall faith and troth bear unto our Sovereign Lord the King as one of his Counsellours of State summoned to His Majesty’s Privy Council; and I swear that I will not know or understand of manner of thing to be done or spoken against His Majesty’s Person Honour Crown or Dignity Royal but that I will let and withstand the same to the uttermost of my Power and reveal it either to His Majesty himself or to another of His Majesty’s Privy Council as shall advertise the same to His Majesty; and I swear that I will keep private and secret all matters committed and revealed unto me that shall be treated of secretly in His Majesty’s Privy Council and shall not reveal unto any Counsellour any manner pertaining unto him until His Majesty shall cause the same to be published; and I swear that I faithfully and truly believe and recognise that His Majesty is the only highest Governour within His Majesty’s Realms and Dominions in things Spiritual as well as Temporal and that the Bishop of Rome and all foreign Princes Prelates States Potentates or Persons have no Rights Jurisdictions Powers Pre-Eminences and Authorities within His Majesty’s Realms and Dominions and ought to have none of the same except as granted and allowed by His Majesty and that I will evermore defend the Rights Jurisdictions Powers Pre-Eminences and Authorities pertaining unto His Majesty against the Bishop of Rome and all foreign Princes Prelates States Potentates or Persons. So help me God.