The privy council

• There were minor Changes to the privy council in 1536 sometimes perceived as Cromwells attempt to modernise and reform the tudor monarchy
• After Cromwells death in 1540 there was a collective agreement that no man should become as important as wolsey and Cromwell did. This led to reform in the privy council
• The reforms put the council in a collective in charge of the king and the secretary role wasn't filled until William Cecil under Elizabeth
• From 1540 membership of the privy council was reduced to the kings most trusted advisors
• The amount of members in the privy council after 1540 remained at around 19 but in Mary's reign it reached50
• Under Edward the number of members was also high due to a large number of advisors being needed due to his young age
• Chaos ensured in 1549 after the protectorof Edward VI, Edward Seymour Duke of Somerset was subject to a couple detat by the Earl of Warwick. After this Warwick assumed Seymours role
• One key change which lasted from Mary's reign was that the council became a body which served the state of England and they were no longer private servants to the monarch
• The council received its own seal however it did not override the dry stamp
• By the 1590s the council was so important in the administration of england it met every day and sometimes twice
• The role of the council evoled over the tudor period and numbers became smaller