Privy Council
Preserved but no longer current.
The council chosen by the sovereign originally to administer public affairs, but now never summoned to assemble as a whole except to proclaim the successor to the Crown on the death of the Sovereign.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Privy Council” mean?
The council chosen by the sovereign originally to administer public affairs, but now never summoned to assemble as a whole except to proclaim the successor to the Crown on the death of the Sovereign.
Is “Privy Council” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.