Curia regis facts for kids

Curia regis (pronounced: KOO-ree-ah RAY-jis) is a Latin term. It means "royal council" or "king's court." In medieval Europe, this was the name for groups of advisors and administrators. They helped kings rule their kingdoms. You could find these councils in places like France, England, Sicily, Poland, and Scotland.

The King's Council in England

After the Norman Conquest in 1066, the main governing group in England was called the Curia regis. Before this, the Anglo-Saxons had a similar group called the witan. English writers sometimes still used the term "witan."

What the Curia Regis Did

The Curia regis handled all the important business of the kingdom. This included making laws, judging legal cases, and dealing with other countries.

Who Was Part of the Council?

The council included important people like:

• The king's main landholders (called tenants-in-chief). These were powerful barons, bishops, and abbots.
• The king's top officials. These were people like the chancellor, constable, treasurer, and marshal.

Sometimes, the king would call all these important people together. This big meeting was called a magnum concilium, which means "great council" in Latin.

The Smaller, Traveling Council

Even when the great council wasn't meeting, the Curia regis was still working. This smaller group had fewer members. It was made up of royal officers and barons who were with the king. Kings in this time often traveled around their kingdom. This smaller council traveled with them. As they moved, the king and his council would often listen to people's problems in person. Both the great council and the small council had the same powers. They were seen as the same group, just meeting in different ways.

How the Council Changed Over Time

During the 1200s, the great council and the small Curia regis started to become separate groups.

• The great council eventually became the Parliament. This is where laws are made.
• The small Curia regis developed into the Privy Council. This group advises the monarch.

So, the small Curia regis is like a very old ancestor of today's Cabinet. The Cabinet is the main group that helps the government run the country. Other government departments also grew out of the small Curia regis. These include the chancery (for records and legal documents), the treasury (for money), and the exchequer (for royal finances).

The King's Council in France

In France, the King's Court was also called the Curia Regis in Latin. It was an advisory group for the early Capetian kings. This group included several of the king's trusted advisors. However, only a few of them traveled with the king at any given time. By the late 1100s, it became more focused on legal matters. Some members then branched off to remain as the king's main advisors.

By the 1300s, the term Curia regis was no longer used in France. But it was the start of later important groups:

• The Parlement, which handled legal cases.
• The Chamber of Accounts, which managed money.
• The King's Council, which advised the king.

The Royal Council in Poland

In early medieval Poland, the Royal Council was first chosen entirely by the king. Over time, certain high-ranking officials automatically became members because of their jobs. In the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, the following officials were always part of the Council:

• The Great Chancellor of the Crown
• The Vice-Chancellors of the Crown
• The Great Marshal of the Crown
• The Great Treasurer of the Crown
• Important local officials
• Certain church leaders

By the end of the 1400s, the Royal Council in Poland changed. It became the Senate of Poland.

The Royal Council in Spain (Castile)

The first version of the Royal Council in Spain was created in 1385. This happened after King John faced a big defeat at the Battle of Aljubarrota.

It was set up again in 1480 by Queen Isabella I. It became the main group for dealing with the kingdom's administration and legal issues. The Council was eventually closed down in 1834 by Isabel II.

See also

• Court of King's Bench (England)