The accession council is a reminder of where power really lies

As the privy council grew, it was supplanted as the main decision-making body of government by a sub-committee of the council called the cabinet, writes John Rentoul

The privy council was originally the monarch’s closest advisers, those trusted to give confidential (private) advice (AP)

The accession council that proclaimed Charles king is a good example of the trend in constitutional history for powerful bodies to expand and, as they expand, to lose their power, and to be supplanted by smaller bodies which then start the cycle again.

The privy council was originally the monarch’s closest advisers, those trusted to give confidential (private) advice. Its members, acting with the sovereign’s authority, often wielded great power. As its numbers grew, though, it was supplanted as the main decision-making body of government by a sub-committee of the council called the cabinet.

As membership of the privy council is conferred for life, it now has 500 members and has become too large for all its members to attend events such as the proclamation of a new monarch. Although more important privy counsellors were invited automatically, the rest had to put their names into a ballot to attend the ceremony.