Minister of the Crown
Encyclopedia
Minister of the Crown is the formal constitutional term used in the Commonwealth realm
s to describe a minister
to the reigning sovereign. The term indicates that the minister serves at His/Her Majesty's pleasure
, and advises
the monarch, or viceroy
, on how to exercise the Crown prerogatives relative to the minister's department or ministry
.
, which directly guides the monarch and/or governor. The Ministry should not be confused with the Cabinet, as ministers of the Crown may exist outside of this committee. The following are the present ministries of some of the Commonwealth realms, which list the incumbent ministers of the Crown.
England
, where monarchs often headed cabinets
, which consisted of ministers who advised the monarch and implemented his decisions. The term minister came into being as the sovereign's advisors ministered, or served, the will of the king. Over time, former ministers and other distinguished persons were retained as peripheral advisors with designated ministers having the direct ear of the king; this led to the creation of the larger Privy Council
, with the Cabinet becoming a committee within the that body, made up of appointed ministers.
For a period between the accession of King James VI
of Scotland
to the throne of England
in 1603 and the unification
of Scotland
and England in 1707, when the two states were in personal union
, one monarch was advised by two separate sets of ministers of the Crown for each country. As the British Empire
expanded, the colonial governments remained subordinate to the imperial government at Westminster, and thus the Crown remained ministered only by the Imperial Privy Council, made up of British Ministers of the Crown. When Canada became a Dominion
in 1867, however, a separate Canadian Privy Council
was established to advise the Governor General
on the exercise of the Crown prerogative, though the viceroy remained an agent of the British government at Whitehall
.
After that date, other colonies of the empire attained Dominion status and similar arrangements were made. Following the passage of the Statute of Westminster
in 1931, however, the empire was divided into autonomous kingdoms under one sovereign, thus returning the monarch to a position similar to that which existed pre-1707, where he or she was ministered by separate cabinets for each respective country. Thus, today no minister of the Crown in any Commonwealth realm
can advise the monarch to exercise any powers pertaining to any of the other countries.
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
s to describe a minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
to the reigning sovereign. The term indicates that the minister serves at His/Her Majesty's pleasure
At Her Majesty's pleasure
At Her Majesty's pleasure is a legal term of art derived from all legitimate authority for government stemming from the Crown. Originating from the United Kingdom, it is now used throughout the Commonwealth realms...
, and advises
Advice (constitutional)
Advice, in constitutional law, is formal, usually binding, instruction given by one constitutional officer of state to another. Especially in parliamentary systems of government, Heads of state often act on the basis of advice issued by prime ministers or other government ministers...
the monarch, or viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
, on how to exercise the Crown prerogatives relative to the minister's department or ministry
Ministry (government department)
A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...
.
Ministries
Though the sovereign and/or viceroy is typically advised by a larger body known as a privy council or executive council, in practice it is a subset of the council, the collective body of ministers of the Crown, called the MinistryMinistry (collective executive)
A ministry refers to a collective body of government ministers headed by a prime minister or premier. Although the term "cabinet" can in some circumstances be a synonym, a ministry can be a broader concept which might include office-holders that do not participate in cabinet meetings...
, which directly guides the monarch and/or governor. The Ministry should not be confused with the Cabinet, as ministers of the Crown may exist outside of this committee. The following are the present ministries of some of the Commonwealth realms, which list the incumbent ministers of the Crown.
- 67th Australian Ministry
Second Gillard MinistryThe Second Gillard Ministry is the 67th Australian ministry. It is led by Julia Gillard of the Australian Labor Party. On 11 September 2010 she announced the makeup of her ministry, following the 2010 Federal election... - 6th Barbadian
BarbadosBarbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
Ministry - 114th British Ministry
Cameron MinistryDavid Cameron is Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, after being invited by Queen Elizabeth II to form a new government after the resignation as Prime Minister of Gordon Brown on 11 May 2010. Leading a coalition government formed by the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats, the coalition... - 28th Canadian Ministry
- 14th New Zealand Ministry
Fifth National Government of New ZealandThe Fifth National Government of New Zealand is the current government of New Zealand. It is led by Prime Minister John Key.After the 2008 general election the National Party and its allies were able to form a government, taking over from Helen Clark's Fifth Labour Government. The National party...
History
The root of the presence of Crown ministers in the Commonwealth realms lies in mediævalMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where monarchs often headed cabinets
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
, which consisted of ministers who advised the monarch and implemented his decisions. The term minister came into being as the sovereign's advisors ministered, or served, the will of the king. Over time, former ministers and other distinguished persons were retained as peripheral advisors with designated ministers having the direct ear of the king; this led to the creation of the larger Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
, with the Cabinet becoming a committee within the that body, made up of appointed ministers.
For a period between the accession of King James VI
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to the throne of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1603 and the unification
Acts of Union 1707
The Acts of Union were two Parliamentary Acts - the Union with Scotland Act passed in 1706 by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act passed in 1707 by the Parliament of Scotland - which put into effect the terms of the Treaty of Union that had been agreed on 22 July 1706,...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and England in 1707, when the two states were in personal union
Personal union
A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
, one monarch was advised by two separate sets of ministers of the Crown for each country. As the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
expanded, the colonial governments remained subordinate to the imperial government at Westminster, and thus the Crown remained ministered only by the Imperial Privy Council, made up of British Ministers of the Crown. When Canada became a Dominion
Dominion
A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities that were nominally under British sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, beginning in the latter part of the 19th century. They have included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland,...
in 1867, however, a separate Canadian Privy Council
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
was established to advise the Governor General
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
on the exercise of the Crown prerogative, though the viceroy remained an agent of the British government at Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
.
After that date, other colonies of the empire attained Dominion status and similar arrangements were made. Following the passage of the Statute of Westminster
Statute of Westminster 1931
The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Passed on 11 December 1931, the Act established legislative equality for the self-governing dominions of the British Empire with the United Kingdom...
in 1931, however, the empire was divided into autonomous kingdoms under one sovereign, thus returning the monarch to a position similar to that which existed pre-1707, where he or she was ministered by separate cabinets for each respective country. Thus, today no minister of the Crown in any Commonwealth realm
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
can advise the monarch to exercise any powers pertaining to any of the other countries.
See also
- Monarchy of Antigua and Barbuda
- Monarchy of Australia
- Monarchy of BarbadosMonarchy of BarbadosThe monarchy of Barbados is a constitutional system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Barbados, forming the core of the country's Westminster style parliamentary democracy...
- Monarchy of Canada
- Monarchy of the Cook Islands
- Monarchy of JamaicaMonarchy of JamaicaThe Monarchy of Jamaica is a constitutional system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Jamaica, forming the core of the country's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy...
- Monarchy of New Zealand
- Monarchy of the Solomon Islands
- Monarchy of the United KingdomMonarchy of the United KingdomThe monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...