The Royal Council

• Eltham Ordinances

  • Wolsey attempted to reduce the size of the council with the Eltham ordinances in 1526- reduce the size of the council to 20 rather than 40
• Elizabeths Councils


  • Small team of councillors - only had 19 and sometimes attended meetings with only 8/9
  • Careful selection; did not appoint her closest friend Dudley for 4 years so other counsellors didn’t feel jealous.
  • Divide and Rule; deliberately chose councillors with different political viewpoints to aid decision making
  • Punishments and Rewards; Executed the Duke of Norfolk and Earl of Essex after they rebelled, bestowed patronage on some.
• Edward


  • Number of councillors under Edward grew as Edward was a child
  • Duke of Somerset ruled through royal household/privy chamber
  • Somerset's brother, Micheal Stanhope was chief gentleman and groom of the stool and controlled the dry stamp.
  • Different to Elizabeth
• Henry VIII‘s councillors


  • replaced old councillors such as Richard fox with those who supported foreign war like Thomas Wolsey
  • Appoints Wolsey as lord Chancellor in 1515
  • Formalised privy council after the 1536 pilgrimage of grace - king had to call most trusted advisors in a state of emergency
  • After the fall of Wolsey and Cromwell, the Priovy council became a chief minister within itself and power was split equally.
• The royal council under Henry VII

  • Between 1485 and 1509, over 200 men attended Council meetings
  • included men 22 men who'd served Edward IV and 20 who’d served Richard III; including Yorkist predecessors
  • focused on experienced individuals to help him secure the throne as usurper
  • Great councils were used to consult Henry and his nobility on issues to do with war and tax; 5 held between 1485 and 1502
• Changes in the council after 1540

  • After the fall of cromwell, council was restructured
  • Privy Council turned itself into a “chief minister”, so collectively responsible for the work performed by Wolsey and Cromwell.
  • No individual was able to weirdly the amount of power that Wolsey and Cromwell had yielded on their own.
  • Continued under Edward and Mary until William Cecil practically did this as secretary.
• The membership of the Council after 1540

  Council of Henry VII -> 227 members

  Council of Henry VIII -> 120 under Wolsey -> 1536-37 = 19

  Council of Edward VI -> 31 members

  Council of Mary I -> 50 members

  Council of Elizabeth -> 11 Members
• Why did the membership of the Council Increase under Edward VI?

  • fulfilled by men loyal to Somerset,
  • eg: Micheal Stanhope was made chief gentleman of the Privy Chamber -> Somerset’s brother in law
  • Groom of the stool and controlled the dry stamp.
• How did the Earl of Warwick reveal the significance of the Royal Council?

  • In 1549, Rebellion broke out in the west country and East Anglia, Earl of Wawick led the attack on Somerset which brought him down.
  • Northumberland replaced Somerset as Edward’s protector,
  • Power still remained within the monarchy, as Warwick could manipulate the council but also the king, key supporters controlled access to Edward
• The work of the council post 1540

  • could issue collective proclamations and orders in the monarchs name and did not have to wait for instructions from the monarch
  • Had its own clerk to record meetings
  • Had its own seal, which didn’t override the dry stamp
  • Served the state as opposed to the monarch
  • Council would travel with Elizabeth during Progresses
  • met three to fourt times a week between 1520-60 and then everyday minimum by the 1590s