Her/His Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council is the English Crown Council. It consisted of nobles, clerics and high officials. Its powers went far beyond those of an advisory body, as it exercised legislative and judicial functions at times. The latter were partially transferred to the Star Chamber from the 15th century onwards.
When Elizabeth I came to the throne, she reduced the membership from 50 to 19 later to 11. Mainly clergy were removed. She preferred to rely on a mixture of high nobility, lower nobility and businessmen. The Queen was responsible for deciding who was admitted to the Privy Council. To be accepted was considered a great honour, which was associated with a certain amount of work; after all, the Privy Council met almost daily.
