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 state affairs.
Privy councils
Functioning privy councils
- Â Belgium: Crown Council of Belgium
- Â Bhutan: Privy Council of Bhutan
- Â Brunei: Privy Council of Brunei
- Â Canada: Queen's Privy Council for Canada
- Â Denmark: Danish Council of State
- Â Jamaica: Privy Council of Jamaica
- Â Norway: Norwegian Council of State
- Â Netherlands: Dutch Council of State
- Â Thailand: Privy Council of Thailand
- Â Tonga: Privy Council of Tonga
- Â Uganda: Privy Councillor of the Royal Household of the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom
- Herold Privy Councillor of the Royal Office of Orders, Honours and Awards Affairs of the Royal Household of the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom
- Â United Kingdom: Her Majestyâs Most Honourable Privy Council
- Cabinet Committee of the Privy Council; the Cabinet of the United Kingdom
- Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
- Privy Council Office
- Â New Zealand: Executive Council of New Zealand
- Cabinet Committee of the Executive Council; the New Zealand Cabinet
Non-functioning privy council
- Â Northern Ireland: Privy Council of Northern Ireland: Created 1922, has not met since 1973
Former privy councils
- Â Australia: Privy Council (formally the highest court of appeal for Australia, abolished in 1986)
- Â Brazil: His Imperial Majesty's Council (honorific title, some members were part of the Council of Ministers or the Council of State, abolished by a coup in 1889)
- Â Burma: Byedaik (abolished 1885)
- Â China: Grand Council (abolished 1898)
- Â England: Privy Council of England (in 1707 merged into the Privy Council of Great Britain)
- Â Ethiopia: Crown Council of Ethiopia (abolished 1974, revived in pretence 1987)
- Â France: Conseil du Roi (abolished 1799 and replaced by the Conseil d'Ãtat)
- Â Germany: Geheimrat (abolished 1918 and replaced with the State Council 1919-1933, and the Federal Council from 1949)
- Â Greece: Council of State, initially established as a Privy council by King Otto in 1835 (abolished in 1865, re-established in 1929 as the senior administrative court of Greece.
- Hanover: Privy Council of Hanover (abolished 1866)
- Â Kingdom of Hawaii: (Kingdom of Hawaii overthrown 1893)
- Â Kingdom of Ireland (and later United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland): Privy Council of Ireland (retained following the coming into effect of the Act of Union 1800, but dormant from 1922)
- Â Northern Ireland: Privy Council of Northern Ireland (made dormant 1972)
- Â Portugal: His Most Faithful Majesty's Council (monarchy abolished in 1910)
- Â Japan: Privy Council of Japan (abolished 1947)
- Â Russia: Supreme Privy Council (abolished 1730)
- Â Scotland: Privy Council of Scotland (abolished on 1 May 1708, replaced by the Privy Council of Great Britain)
- Â Thailand: Supreme Council of State of Siam (abolished 1932)
- Â Sweden: Privy Council of Sweden (abolished 1789)
See also
- Council of State
- Crown Council
- Executive Council (Commonwealth countries)
- State Council