Cabal ministry facts for kids

The Cabal ministry was a special group of important advisors to Charles II of England, who was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1668 to about 1674.

The word "Cabal" has two meanings here. First, it describes a secret group of people working together. For the first time in English history, power in the King's council was shared by a group of men, not just one powerful "favourite" advisor. Second, "Cabal" is an acronym. This means it's formed from the first letters of the names of the five main advisors in this group: Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley, and Lauderdale.

These five men were part of a special committee that handled foreign affairs. They used their positions to guide the government's plans both inside England and with other countries. Some people thought having an organized group in power, instead of one person, was a threat to the King's authority. Others felt it weakened the power of the main council or Parliament. The Cabal was also seen as secretive. People thought they had worked together to cause the downfall of a previous advisor, Clarendon. Even though they were called a "Cabal," these five men often disagreed strongly with each other.

• Members of the Cabal ministry
• 

  Lord Clifford (1630–1673)

• 

  Earl of Arlington (1618–1685)

• 

  Duke of Buckingham (1628–1687)

• 

  Lord Ashley (1621–1683)

• 

  Duke of Lauderdale (1616–1682)

How the Cabal Formed

After the previous government led by Clarendon ended in 1667, the King's government was taken over by a new group of energetic young ministers. This group became known as the "Cabal."

A very important member of the Cabal was George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. He was the Master of the Horse, which meant he managed the King's travel. Buckingham and King Charles II had known each other since they were children. They were very close friends, and Buckingham was clearly the King's favourite. This made him central to the Cabal's power.

The King's chief financial officer, Lord Wriothesley, had died. So, in 1667, the Treasury (the government's money department) was put under a group of people. Sir Thomas Clifford and Anthony Ashley Cooper took control of it. With help from others, Clifford and Ashley greatly improved the King's finances, making them much stronger.

Foreign affairs (dealing with other countries) were mainly handled by Henry Bennet, Earl of Arlington. He was the Secretary of the South. Sometimes, George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, also helped with foreign policy.

John Maitland, Earl of Lauderdale, who was the Secretary of State for Scotland, had already become very powerful in Scotland by 1663. By 1669, he became the King's main representative in Scotland, giving him almost complete control over the country.

Sir Orlando Bridgeman, a lawyer who became the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal in 1667, was not part of the inner Cabal group. However, he worked well with them.

Challenges and Decline

Even though the Cabal members were energetic, they were often disliked and argued a lot among themselves. People saw them as a secret and untrustworthy group. Their disagreements sometimes became public. Some historians believe the King actually encouraged their quarrels, thinking it made them easier to control. The Cabal members never fully trusted the King, fearing he might dismiss them suddenly, just as he had dismissed Clarendon.

One important official, Sir William Coventry, resigned after a disagreement with the Duke of Buckingham. He then led a group of Members of Parliament (MPs) who strongly opposed the Cabal's plans. Because of these poor relations with Parliament, King Charles II often paused Parliament's meetings for long periods. This allowed the Cabal to run the country on their own.

However, the King needed money, especially after a financial crisis in 1672 and the start of the Third Anglo-Dutch War. So, in 1673, Charles had to call Parliament back. The MPs were ready to challenge the Cabal.

The Cabal's End

The Cabal started to break apart in 1672. There were disagreements about the King's new law called the Royal Declaration of Indulgence, how to pay for the war, and England's relationship with France. Buckingham and Arlington also had a growing rivalry over foreign policy. The public saw the Cabal as unfair and only interested in their own gain.

Towards the end of 1672, Ashley, who was now the Earl of Shaftesbury, became the Lord Chancellor. He started pushing for more government reforms and even sided with the opposition against his own colleagues and the King. Clifford, another Cabal member, resigned because of the arguments. He was also a Roman Catholic, and a new law called the Test Act of 1673 meant Catholics could not hold public office.

Shaftesbury was replaced in 1673 by Viscount Osborne, who later became the Earl of Danby. Danby quickly took charge over the remaining Cabal members. Buckingham's arguments with Arlington led him to reveal secret details about the Treaty of Dover, and he lost the King's favour in 1674. Arlington stayed in his role until September of that year. Lauderdale kept his power in Scotland and became an opponent of Shaftesbury. Shaftesbury then started to speak out against King Charles and his brother, James. He later helped form a political group that would become known as the Whigs.

Later, a British historian named Lord Macaulay called the Cabal "the first germ of the present system of government by a Cabinet." This means it was an early example of how governments today often work with a group of ministers (a cabinet) making decisions together.

Ministry Members

These five members formed the "Cabal" (Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley, Lauderdale) and held most of the power in the government.

Other members of the government held less power than the Cabal.