By Royal Appointment: Tales from the Privy Council - the Unknown Arm of Government

by David Rogers

The Privy Council is a centuries-old institution - yet, for an entity with such extensive influence over Britain's history, we know relatively little about it. What exactly does it do? To whom is it accountable? Just how much power does it hold over us? Some say it has no power at all, although you might not agree if you'd been sentenced to death in a former British overseas territory that still used the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as its court of appeal; or if you were a lecturer having a row with your college, where the University Chancellor was a member of the royal family. Or, indeed, if you were a Prime Minister trying to establish a Royal Charter to control the press. Traditionally an advisory body to the sovereign, the Privy Council's chequered past is full of scandals and secrecy, plots and counterplots - and while it may no longer have the authority to command a beheading, its reach continues to extend into both parliamentary and public life. In By Royal Appointment, David Rogers examines it all, taking us on a fascinating, anecdote-filled odyssey through the history of one of England's oldest and most secretive government bodies.

Genres: British Literature, Politics

344 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 21, 2015

Reviews

[Keith Johnstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book that goes some way towards explaining the somewhat mythical Privy Council. It is often hard to distinguish between the role of the Council compared to Cabinet, Government or the Crown and I'm not sure this book quite achieves it. The last chapter is particularly interesting as it delves a bit more into the day to day working of the Council. I'm not sure I am or would be as passionate about this arm of govt as the author but it is interesting none the less.

[Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good read, explaining a fascinating aspect of British executive (and judicial) governance. If I had to criticize it: a bit heavy on anecdotes and trivia, so that analysis was often missing and it didn't quite read like a history. But lots of effort and detail from the author.

[Nigel Fletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good account of the history and idiosyncrasies of this most ancient and little-understood British institution, packed with amusing anecdotes and nuggets of historical trivia which are a joy for constitutional geeks such as I (admittedly a small demographic). Let down by a number of frustrating inaccuracies that caused me to call into question the rigour of the rest of the text, it has a somewhat wandering structure in places. Nevertheless, a welcome and enjoyable consideration of this neglected subject, which with more robust editing would have been excellent.