Council of the Realm facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Council of the Realm

Consejo del Reino
Coat of Arms
Formation	1947 (1947)
Dissolved	1978 (1978)
Legal status	Constitutional Body
Headquarters	Madrid
Caudillo	Francisco Franco
King	Juan Carlos I

The Council of the Realm (which means Consejo del Reino in Spanish) was an important group in Francoist Spain. This was the period when Francisco Franco ruled Spain. The Council was created in 1947 by a special law about who would lead the country.

This Council was a top advisory group. It helped the Head of State (Franco) make big decisions. It was part of the system Franco set up to organize his government. A similar group with the same name existed in a plan for a constitution back in 1929.

Who Was in the Council of the Realm?

The Council had two main types of members: permanent members and elected members.

Permanent Members

These members were always part of the Council because of their important jobs:

• The most senior active officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
• The Chief of the Defence High Command, which is like the main military planning group.
• The highest-ranking and most senior Roman Catholic leader who was also a member of the Cortes Españolas (the Spanish parliament at the time).
• The President of the Spanish Council of State, a top government advisory body.
• The President of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, which is the highest court in Spain.
• The President of the Institute of Spain [es], a group of important cultural and scientific academies.

Elected Members

These members were chosen by different groups of representatives (called procurators) in the Cortes Españolas:

• Two members from the Local Administration Group (people who worked in local government).
• Two members from the National Councilors Group.
• Two members from the Family Representation Group.
• Two members from the Trade Union Organization Group (groups representing workers).
• One member from the University Rectors Group (leaders of universities).
• One member from the Professional Association Group (groups for different jobs like doctors or lawyers).

The person who led the Council of the Realm was also the President of the Cortes Españolas. The Head of State chose this president from a list of three names given by the Council itself.

What Did the Council Do?

The main job of the Council of the Realm was to give the Head of State a list of three names. From this list, the Head of State would choose the President of the Government.

The Head of State also needed the Council's approval for many other important actions. For example, they needed the Council to:

• End or extend the terms of the Cortes Españolas (the parliament).
• Fire the President of the Government.
• Make many other key decisions for the country.

Presidents of the Council

Here are the people who served as President of the Council of the Realm:

• 1947–1965: Esteban de Bilbao Eguía
• 1965–1969: Antonio Iturmendi Bañales
• 1969–1975: Alejandro Rodríguez de Valcárcel
  • Vice President: Joaquín Bau Nolla. He was also a councilor because he was President of the Council of State since 1965.
• 1975–1977: Torcuato Fernández-Miranda
• 1977–1978: Antonio Hernández Gil [es] (who was president of the democratic Cortes during Spain's move to democracy).

How the Council Changed Over Time

While Francisco Franco was alive, the Council of the Realm mostly followed his wishes. It was more of a formal group, as Franco made all the real decisions himself.

After Franco passed away, Juan Carlos I became King. The Council of the Realm played a role in helping to appoint Adolfo Suárez as the new President of the Government. However, some members of the Council were very against the changes that led to Spain becoming a democracy in 1977.

The new democratic parliament decided that the Council of the Realm would be closed down. This happened after the Spanish Constitution of 1978 was put into effect.

See also

• In Spanish: Consejo del Reino para niños