Privy council facts for kids

A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, 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

Government	Privy Council
Belgium	Crown Council of Belgium
Bhutan	Privy Council of Bhutan
Brunei	Privy Council of Brunei
Cambodia	Supreme Privy Advisory Council
Canada	King's Privy Council for Canada
Denmark	Danish Council of State
Jamaica	Privy Council of Jamaica
Monaco	Crown Council of Monaco
Netherlands	Dutch Council of State
Norway	Norwegian Council of State
Romania	Crown Council of Romania
Spain	Spanish Council of State
Thailand	Privy Council of Thailand
Tonga	Privy Council of Tonga
United Kingdom	His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council

Former or dormant privy councils

Monarchy	Privy Council	Notes
Austrian Empire/Austria-Hungary	Geheimrat
Bermuda	Privy Council of Bermuda	Split in 1888
Empire of 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
Konbaung dynasty (Burma)	Byedaik	Abolished 1885
Qing dynasty (China)	Grand Council	Abolished 1898
Kingdom of England	Privy Council of England	Replaced by the Privy Council of Great Britain on 1 May 1708
Ethiopian Empire	Crown Council of Ethiopia	Abolished 1974, revived in pretence 1987
Kingdom of France	Conseil du Roi	Abolished 1791 and replaced by the Conseil d'État
German Empire	Geheimrat	Abolished 1918 and replaced with the State Council 1919–1933, and the Federal Council from 1949
Kingdom of 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
Electorate of Hanover	Privy Council of Hanover	Abolished 1866
Kingdom of Hawaiʻi	Privy Council of the Hawaiian Kingdom	Abolished after the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi was overthrown 1893
Kingdom of Ireland	Privy Council of Ireland	Retained following the coming into effect of the Act of Union 1800, but became dormant from 1922
Empire of Japan	Privy Council of Japan	Abolished 1947
Kingdom of Laos	King's Council	Abolished 1975
Kingdom of Nepal	Rajsabha	Monarchy abolished on 28 May 2008
Nguyễn dynasty (Vietnam)	Viện cơ mật	Abolished in 1945 with the abolition of the monarchy
Northern Ireland	Privy Council of Northern Ireland	Made dormant 1972
Kingdom of Portugal	His Most Faithful Majesty's Council	Monarchy abolished in 1910
Russian Empire	Supreme Privy Council	Abolished 1730
Electorate of Saxony	Privy Council of Saxony	Established in 1697 to administer jurisdiction over Lutheran institutions on behalf of the Elector who had converted to Catholicism
Kingdom of Scotland	Privy Council of Scotland	Abolished on 1 May 1708, replaced by the Privy Council of Great Britain
Sweden	Privy Council of Sweden	Abolished 1789
Kingdom of Yugoslavia	Privy Council of Yugoslavia	Abolished 1945, revived in pretence 1990 and replaced by the Privy Council of Serbia in 2006
Sultanate of Sulu	Ruma Bichara (State Council)	Abolished after Spanish colonialization of the Philippines, replaced by the Cabinet of the Philippines later during the creation of the Malolos Congress, Malolos Constitution and the Revolutionary Government of the Philippines in 1896.

See also

In Spanish: Consejo privado para niños

• Privy Council of the Habsburg Netherlands
• Council of State
• Crown Council
• Executive Council (Commonwealth countries)
• Privy Council ministry
• State Council