Counsellor of State

Counsellor Of State

In the United Kingdom, Counsellors of State are senior members of the British royal family to whom the Monarch, currently Elizabeth II, delegates certain state functions and powers when she is in another Commonwealth realm, abroad or unavailable for other reasons (such as short-term incapacity or sickness). Any two Counsellors of State may preside over Privy Council meetings, sign state documents or receive the credentials of new ambassadors to the United Kingdom.

While the establishment of a Regency carries with it the suspension of the monarch from the personal discharge of the royal functions, when Counsellors of State are appointed, both the Sovereign and the Counsellors can—the Counsellors within the limits of their delegation of authority—discharge the royal functions; so the monarch can give instructions to the Counsellors of State, or even personally discharge a certain royal prerogative, when the Counsellors are in place. The Counsellors of State and Regents always act in the name and on behalf of the Sovereign.