Gwynedd (fictional) - Government

Government

The Kingdom of Gwynedd is a feudal monarchy, similar in structure to the kingdoms of medieval Europe. The head of state is a hereditary monarch which descends through the senior male line of the royal family. (The throne may only pass to a woman if the direct male line becomes extinct, at which point the senior female descendant inherits the crown.) Much of Gwynedd is divided into several duchies, each of which is further divided into a numerous earldoms, baronies, and counties. The titles of the nobility are also based on hereditary inheritance, but the monarch reserves the authority to change the standard rights of inheritance under certain circumstances (such as attainting the family of a convicted traitor). Additionally, the monarch has the power to create new nobles and new titles when necessary. The monarch has nearly-absolute authority in all secular matters throughout the realm, and each noble wields significant power within their own lands. While the nobles have the authority and responsibility to deal with matters such as taxation, law enforcement, and civil disputes, there are also many commoners who hold lower-ranking official positions such as clerks, guards, tax collectors, and legal advocates.

The governing body of the realm is the Royal Council, alternately known as the Privy Council or High Council. The Council advises the monarch (or the designated Regent) on various matters of state, assisting the monarch in establishing new laws and carrying out the monarch's decisions. The monarch may appoint anybody to the Council, but positions are usually reserved for senior nobles, churchmen, and the monarch's closest advisors. The monarch (or Regent) always sits upon the Council, and positions are customarily reserved for the Archbishop of Valoret, the Archbishop of Rhemuth, and the legally-designated Regents of Gwynedd.

In military matters, each member of the peerage maintains their own levies to protect and defend their lands. Most nobles retain a military rank (ranging from a simple knight to a general), but the monarch retains supreme authority over all garrisons and soldiers in the kingdom. In addition, a standing royal army under the direct command of the crown is garrisoned around the capital city of Rhemuth. The senior military officer of the kingdom is the Earl Marshall, whose authority in military matters is superseded only by the monarch.