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Government in medieval monarchies generally comprised the king's companions, later becoming the royal household, from which the officers of state arose, initially having household and government duties. Later some of these officers became two: one serving state and one serving household. They were superseded by new officers, or were absorbed by existing officers. Many of the officers became hereditary and thus removed from practical operation of either the state or the household.[1]
Especially in the Norman kingdoms these offices will have common characteristics. In the United Kingdom, the Great Officers of State are traditional ministers of The Crown who either inherit their positions or are appointed to exercise certain largely ceremonial functions or to operate as members of the government.[2] Separate Great Officers of State exist for England and for Scotland, as well as formerly for Ireland. It was the same in the Kingdoms of Sicily and Naples. Many of the Great Officers became largely ceremonial because historically they were so influential that their powers had to be resumed by the Crown or dissipated.
Initially, after the Norman Conquest, England adopted the officers from the Normandy Ducal court (which was modelled after the French court) with a steward, chamberlain and constable. Originally having both household and governmental duties, some of these officers later split into two counterparts in Great Officer of the State and officer of the royal household, while other offices were superseded by new offices or absorbed by existing offices. This was due to many of the offices becoming hereditary because of feudalistic practices, and thus removed from the practical operation of either the state or the Royal Household.[3] The Great Officers then gradually expanded to cover multiple duties, and have now become largely ceremonial.
The Viscount Hailsham, robed as the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. He was the Lord High Steward at the last trial of a peer in the House of Lords.
Page from an armorial showing the arms of Emperor Frederick III, c. 1415 – c. 1493Page from an armorial showing arms of Kaiser Maximilian I, c. 1508 – c. 1519German Kurrent script, in which the armorial sources are written
Princes elector held a "High Office of the Empire" (Reichserzämter) analogous to a modern Cabinet office and were members of the ceremonial Imperial Household. The three spiritual electors were Arch-Chancellors (German: Erzkanzler, Latin: Archicancellarius): the Archbishop of Mainz was Arch-Chancellor of Germany, the Archbishop of Cologne was Arch-Chancellor of Italy, and the Archbishop of Trier was Arch-Chancellor of Burgundy. The six remaining were secular electors, who were granted augmentations to their arms reflecting their position in the Household. These augments were displayed either as an inset badge, as in the case of the Arch Steward, Treasurer, and Chamberlain—or dexter, as in the case of the Arch Marshal and Arch Bannerbearer. Or, as in the case of the Arch Cupbearer, the augment was integrated into the escutcheon, held in the royal Bohemian lion's right paw.
In the Kingdom of Hungary the Great Officers of State were non-hereditary court officials originally appointed by the king, later some of them were elected by the Diet. They were also called the barons of the kingdom (Hungarian: országbárók, országnagyok) and lords banneret because they were obliged to lead their own Banderium (military unit) under their own banner in times of war. The offices gradually got separated from the role they originally fulfilled and their deputies took over the responsibilities.
The office of Lord High Steward of Ireland is a hereditary position of Great Officer of State in the United Kingdom. Currently held by the Earl of Shrewsbury, it is sometimes referred to as the Hereditary Great Seneschal.[12] While most of Ireland achieved independence in 1922, the title retains its original naming and scope rather than adjusting to reflect Northern Ireland as the sole portion of the province of Ulster remaining within the United Kingdom.
The title of Lord High Steward of Ireland was first bestowed in 1446 upon the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury by way of letters patent from King Henry VI. He was named Earl of Waterford and granted the hereditary office of Lord High Steward, to be passed down through the male heirs of his line.[13] The lineage has remained unbroken, and the current holder of the position is the 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury, tracing his right to the office directly back to that original royal charter over 570 years ago.
The term "officer of state" is sometimes used loosely of any great office under the Crown. As in England, many offices are hereditary. A number of historical offices ended at, or soon after, the Treaty of Union 1707. There are also a number of Officers of the Crown and Great Officers of the Royal Household. These Officers of State were also called "Officers of the Crown" despite there being a separate group of officers so named that are not officers of state[14] and, unlike the officers of state, did not sit or vote in meetings.[14]
As of 2023, the Scottish Great Officers of State are as follows:
Merged into the office of Lord Secretary of Scotland.
Sicily
History
In the Kingdom of Sicily, which existed from 1130 to 1816, the Great Officers were officials of the Crown who inherited an office or were appointed to perform some mainly ceremonial functions or to act as members of the government. In particular, it was a Norman king, Roger II, who once he became King of Sicily and conquered the territories of Southern Italy was concerned with organizing the Kingdom politically. For this reason, in 1140, King Roger convened a Parliament in Palermo where the seven most important offices of the Kingdom of Sicily were established, to which the title of archons was given.[19][20][21]
The system has notable similarities with the English one, being both derived from Norman rulers, in which four of them had a certain correspondence with the officers of the court of the Franks, where there was a senescalk, a marchäl, a kämmerer, a kanzlèr; later reverted with the Great Officers of the Kingdom of France.[22]
With the pragmatic of November 6, 1569, on the reforms of the Courts, three Great Offices of the Kingdom are made the prerogative of the judiciary: the Great Chancellor by President of the Tribunal of the Sacred Royal Conscience; the Great Justiciar, whose functions had already been absorbed by President of the Tribunal of the Royal grand Court; and the Great Chamberlain by the President of the Tribunal of Royal Patrimony.[23]
Officers of State
The Great Officers of State of the former Kingdom of Sicily, consisting of Sicily and Malta, were:
The Gran Conestabile was the commander of the army, in charge of judging the cases of military relevance, he was the highest[25] officer of the Kingdom
The Grande Ammiraglio dit amiratus amiratorum was the commander of the Navy of the Kingdom of Sicily. For a short time the title of granted with that of Count of Malta. This office was by far the most influential as the Sicilian navy was among the most powerful Christian fleets during the Middle Ages in the Mediterranean
The Gran Cancelliere kept and affixed the Seal of the Kingdom of Sicily. His functions could be compared to those of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. During the Hauteville’s dynasty most of the chancellors were ecclesiastics. From 1569 until 1816 the office was held ex officio by the President of the Tribunal of the Sacred Royal Conscience, the high-instance court
The Gran Giustiziere was the most senior judge and the head of the judiciary. Peter II made the office hereditary first to the Count of Mistretta and second to the Count of Agosta until the reform of 1569. From that date until 1816 the office was held ex officio by the President of the Tribunal of the Royal grand Court, the civil court
The Gran Camerario had the role of treasurer, in fact he watched over the administration of public expenditure. The office soon became hereditary as prerogative of the Count of Geraci. From 1569 until 1816 the office was held ex officio by the President of the Tribunal of Royal Patrimony
The Gran Protonotaro was the notary of the Crown and secretary of the Sacred Royal Council and of the Parliament, the prothonotary had extensive functions in administrative matters and was the head of all notaries of the Kingdom. He had also particular skills in matters of feudal ceremony and investitures. The office was also a registering body for royal acts similar to the chancery
- Prince Francesco Statella, marquess of Spaccaforno
The Gran Siniscalco supervised the Royal Palace, providing the King and the court with provisions, supervising the royal forests, and hunting reserves. He was the Judge of the Royal House and its subordinate officers. In 1296 the office soon became hereditary as prerogative of the Count of Modica and it was later inherited by Marquess of Spaccaforno
The Great Officers of the Realm (Swedish: de högre riksämbetsmännen) were the five leading members of the Swedish Privy Council from the later parts of the 16th century to around 1680. With the constitution of 1634, the five officers became heads of five different branches of government (Swedish: kollegium). The same constitution also declared that the great officers were to act as regents during the minorities of kings or regnal queens. All great officers of the realm were abolished by king Charles XI of Sweden. The Lord High Steward and the Lord High Chancellor offices were revived in the late 18th century, but were soon removed again.[26]
Notes
^ abThese roles are now permanently vacant, except for brief appointments during coronations, where they perform certain functions in the ceremony.
^Under a 1912 agreement, the office, or the right to appoint a person to exercise it, rotates among the heirs of the 1st Earl of Ancaster, the 4th Marquess of Cholmondeley, and the 1st Earl Carrington, changing at the start of each reign, with the Cholmondeleys serving every other reign, and the heirs of Ancaster and Carrington once every four reigns each.[9]
^The office was known as Lord Admiral of England until 1638,[10] when 'High' was added.
^The office is currently held by the Sovereign himself.
^The office of Lord Advocate is referred to as His Majesty's Lord Advocate in formal correspondence, though 'Lord' is dropped in some cases, such as case citations (for example, in [2020] UKSC 10, the office is referred to as His Majesty's Advocate, without 'Lord').[18]
^Archives, The National. "Great Offices of State". www.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 20 December 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
^"Consolidated Fund Act 1816, section 2". www.legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021. [...] whenever there shall not be any such [Lord High Treasurer of the United Kingdom], it shall and may be lawful for his Majesty by letters patent under the great seal of Great Britain to appoint commissioners for executing the offices of treasurer of the Exchequer of Great Britain and lord high treasurer of Ireland; and such commissioners shall be called commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; and the said commissioners shall have all such powers and authorities in and through the whole of the said United Kingdom with respect to the collection, issuing, and application of the whole revenues of the United Kingdom [...]
^In an inscription on a leaden coffin for the remains of Gilbert, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury (died May 1616), in the Mausoleum of the Earls of Shrewsbury in the Chancel of St. Peter’s Church at Sheffield, the said Gilbert is further described as High Seneschal of Ireland
^ ab
Chamberlayne, Edward; Chamberlayne, John (1718). Magnae Britanniae notitia, or, The present state of Great-Britain: with divers remarks upon the ancient state thereof. Printed for T. Godwin. p. 396.
^ ab
Chamberlayne, Edward; Chamberlayne, John (1718). Magnae Britanniae notitia, or, The present state of Great-Britain: with divers remarks upon the ancient state thereof. Printed for T. Godwin. p. 396.
^"Public Offices (Scotland) Act 1817, section 5". www.legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021. The duties of keeper of the signet in Scotland shall be discharged by the lord register [...]
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