Privy Council ministry facts for kids

The Privy Council ministry was a short-lived change in the way the English government worked. It happened in April 1679. The idea was to put the main government group, called the ministry, under the control of the Privy Council. This was a group of trusted advisors to the King. This change came about because of many important events happening at that time.

How the New Government Was Formed

Before this new ministry, people in England had been unhappy with the government for many years. The King, King Charles II, had been ruling almost like a dictator, keeping many things secret. This caused a lot of arguments between him and Parliament.

In early 1679, a very respected diplomat named Sir William Temple was called back to England. He quickly became the King's closest advisor. Around the same time, new elections for the House of Commons (part of Parliament) resulted in many members who were against the current government. The King's chief minister, the Earl of Danby, was forced to leave his job.

Sir William Temple then led the effort to create this new government. His goal was to bring together the different groups that were arguing and make them work together.

Temple believed that the King should not have total power, but he also worried about Parliament becoming too powerful. He wanted to create a government that people would support, but one that wouldn't try to tell the King what to do.

He suggested that the King should no longer get advice from just one person or a small group. Instead, he proposed a reformed Privy Council that would advise the King as a whole. This new council would have thirty members, instead of the usual fifty.

• Fifteen members would be high-ranking officials in the government, the Church, or the courts.
• The other fifteen would be independent members, chosen from different groups in Parliament. They were also chosen for their wealth, as Temple believed wealth brought power.

The King was supposed to listen carefully to the council's opinions, and the council would be free to discuss and vote on all matters. King Charles II agreed and dismissed his old council. People were happy to hear this news, especially since the new government would include members of the "country party" (who often opposed the King) and the King's popular son, Monmouth.

However, King Charles II started to dislike Temple's plan when Temple insisted that Viscount Halifax be included, as the King didn't like him personally. The King agreed but then insisted that the Earl of Shaftesbury, who was the government's strongest critic, also be included. This decision caused problems for Temple's council from the start, making sure there would be disagreements.

The Council's First Meeting and Its End

The new council met for the first time on April 21. Within just a few hours, a small group of nine members, who often disagreed, started to take charge of everything. Sir William Temple was very upset by this. He almost left the council but then agreed to form a smaller group of four (with Halifax, Essex, and Sunderland) to advise the King in secret.

This smaller group of four worked well together, but the full council was very divided. The Earl of Shaftesbury, who had been a critic, now led the opposition from within the government itself! He had the support of most members in the House of Commons.

When Parliament tried to pass the Exclusion Bill (a law that would stop the King's Catholic brother from becoming King), King Charles II stopped Parliament from meeting and then completely dissolved it, without the council's approval.

Sir William Temple stopped taking an active part in the government. This left Halifax, Essex, and Sunderland to lead the country as a group of three, sometimes called a Triumvirate. A thirty-first member was also added to the council.

When the King became ill, and his brother returned from the Dutch Republic, people in the country became worried. Temple told the Triumvirate about his concerns, but they no longer took him seriously.

New elections for Parliament again resulted in a majority of members who opposed the King. The King stopped this new Parliament from meeting before it even started, again ignoring the council's advice. The Earl of Shaftesbury was removed from his position, and other important critics of the government resigned.

Sir William Temple's experiment with this new council ended in November, when Laurence Hyde, a strong supporter of the King, gained more power.

The Ministry Members

Here are some of the important people who were part of this Privy Council ministry: