Council of Eliria

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The Council of Eliria, is a formal body of advisors to the Prince of Elwynn, which advises the Prince concerning the exercise of His powers. In the range of its functions the council is usually more important than the Senate with regard to the running of the Elwynnese Union.

History

From 1542 onwards Elwynn's legislature was known as Elwynns Riksdag, a name given to it by Duke Ardashir II Moqtada al-Osmani, until Duke Iskander Mirkdale decreed in the year 1546 that "The council known as Elwynns Riksdag shall henceforth be known as the Council at Eliria". In the year 1549, however, the White Orchid Throne began to refer in its Ducal Decrees to the aforesaid legislature as Council of Eliria. The council remained known by that name throughout the remainder of Elwynn's pre-independence period; even during the days of the House System (1562-1567) when it served as the legislature of House Kalirion, the noble House controlling various territories that had appertained to the Duchy of Elwynn.

Subsequent to Elwynn's independence from Shireroth in 1567 the Council of Eliria changed in nature, becoming the executive council of Elwynn's head of state. The name of the Council of Eliria changed as well, but only after the union with Hurmu when the aforesaid executive council became known as the Roth Zera - which means Council of Three in the Elw language - a name which it retained until the year 1591 when a Constitution called the Charter of Elwynn came into force and the executive council became again known as the Council of Eliria. The main reason of changing the council's name was that the numbers of its membership over time structurally exceeded three and the name of Roth Zera had become a bit of a misnomer. Shortly before his resignation in 1597 Prince Elijah Ayreon re-established the Roth Zera as a kind of presidium of the Council of Eliria to serve as an emergency war cabinet stand-in. The aforesaid Roth Zera did not last beyond the tenure of Prince Elijah.

When Elwynn joined Shireroth again in the year 1600 the name Council of Eliria was kept. It remained the council's name to this very day, with a brief interlude during the age of the communist regime when its name was changed to Presidium of the Standing Committee of the Supreme Council of the People's Democratic Republic of Elwynn. Upon the Ayreon-Kalirion Restoration in 1618, the Council of Eliria gained its present status of advisory council to the monarch.

Membership and Attendees

The Council of Eliria is nowadays composed of those Royal Governors of the Royal Precincts of the Elwynnese Union who have been admitted to the aforesaid council by the King of Elwynn. It is said that the White Orchid Goddess attends the council regularly as well in Her capacity of Matron and Sacred Queen of the Flower of the North. The King of Elwynn presides over the Council of Eliria, but is not a member of the same.

There are also a number of persons who ex officio attend the meetings of the Council of Eliria, while not being members of the aforesaid royal council. They are: the Secretary of the King's Court, the Défenseur Royal des Droits du Peuple d'Elwynnie, the Clerk of the King's Council, the Surintendant des Finances d'Elwynnie, the Chancellor of the Court, the Garde des Sceaux d'Elwynnie, the Steward of Elwynn, the Skathâlder, the Registraire Général d'Elwynnie, the Seneschal, the Stallari of Elwynns Konungurs Hirð, and the Yfirfroyalansgythia. The Secretary of the King's Court serves as clerk to the Council; this role is not to be confused with of the office of the Clerk of the King's Council, who is the Head of His Riverine Majesty's Generality, the civil service of the Elwynnese Union.

When meeting in the Palace of Krull the Lords and Ladies of Secret Council and the attendees are seated in order of precedence in the Volcano Chamber around a magnificent Ibelinois conference table, which has been used by the ancient Kings of Ibelin and given to Queen Isolde of Baudrix as a wooing gift by King Chilperic of Ibelin during his failed courtship of the Queen Isolde; the table is a gift from the Storjarla Æsileif, who obtained it from a louche art and antiques dealer during her stint as a smuggler in the collapsing Bosworthian Duchy of Gascony, to her nephew Prince Noah in the year 1623 upon the occasion of His ascension to the White Orchid Throne.

Likewise, in the event that the Royal Councillors and the ex officio attenders convene in the White Orchid Chamber of the Avaldsborg, zie sit in accordance with the order of precedence around an opulent Valtian dinner table which was given to the Prince Jonathan in the year 1619 as a gift of gratitude by the Sameinaða Erlendur Kaupsýsla Einokun Félagið to thank His Serenity for the return of their assets in Elwynn which had been confiscated during the era of the Coordinated State.

Present Members

Former Members of the Council of Eliria

Meetings

His Riverine Majesty's Council may meet wherever where the King of Elwynn is in residence, with the Volcano Chamber of the Palace of Krull being ever since the tenure of the Storjarl Hallbjörn Haraldsson as Steward of Elwynn (1623-1632) the usual meeting place of the Council of Eliria. It is, however, not uncommon for the King's Council to from time to time convene in the White Orchid Chamber of the Avaldsborg in the Royal City of Avaldsnes since the aforesaid city has become - due to many members of the Royal Family of Elwynn, especially the King of Elwynn, spending considerable time there - somewhat of an unofficial capital of the Coast to Coast Kingdom.

The Council of Eliria is convened by the King whenever He pleases. Meetings of the King's Council are, also held in the event that a Lord or Lady of Secret Council wishes to, in accordance with venerable tradition as well as custom and practice, raise a matter there. The Council's deliberations are held in camera.

Traditions and Customs and Governing Texts

Subject to the absolute authority of the King of the Flower of the North, as well as the provisions of Royal Law, the Council of Eliria is chiefly governed by the following ancient texts and the customs and traditions derived therefrom:

  • Lady Anne-Marie's Treatise on the Sovereign Household (in particular the provisions on the Crown Council);
  • Traité des Droits du Roi d'Ibelin (especially the stipulations concerning the Conseil du Roi).

His Riverine Majesty is, of course, free to introduce, revive and discontinue any custom and tradition to the King's Council He pleases.

Swearing-In of Royal Councillors

Any newly admitted Lord or Lady of Secret Council spends the night anterior to the day of zir swearing-in ceremony, after having been ritually bathed in Ibelinois chivalric manner, in vigil in Eliria Castle. The next morning zie is ritually dressed in the sumptuous ceremonial robes of office of a Royal Councillor. Zie then is accorded a gun salute prior to being sailed in the Queen of the Sacred River, His Riverine Majesty's Royal Sloop, to the Palace of Krull seated under a canopy of cloth of silver, where zie is welcomed by the Stallari of Elwynns Konungurs Hirð and a Guard of Honour provided by the Fleur de Lys-Longships Guard.

The swearing-in ceremony for newly admitted Royal Councillors itself is held in the Lady Esther Hall, the Throne Room of the Palace of Krull, and typically involves zie kneeling on a stool before the King, swearing the King's Council Oath, and subsequently kissing His Riverine Majesty's hand.

The King's Council Oath is as follows:

I, [name], having been called to the office of Royal Councillor, do hereby solemnly swear to be a true and faithful Servant unto The King's Riverine Majesty as one of His Council of Eliria. I shall not know or understand of any manner of thing to be attempted, done or spoken against His Riverine Majesty's Person, Honour, Crown or Dignity Royal, but I shall lett and withstand the same to the uttermost of my power, and either cause it to be revealed to His Riverine Majesty Himself, or to such of the King's Council as shall advertise His Riverine Majesty of the same. I shall in all things to be moved, treated and debated in the Council of Eliria, faithfully and truly declare my Mind and Opinion, according to my Heart and Conscience; and shall keep secret all matters committed and revealed unto me, or that shall be treated of secretly in His Riverine Majesty’s Council. And if any of the said Treaties or Counsels shall touch any of the Lords or Ladies of Secret Council I shall not reveal it unto him but shall keep the same until such time as, by the consent of His Riverine Majesty or of the Council, Publication shall be made thereof. I shall to my uttermost bear Faith and Allegiance to the King's Riverine Majesty; and shall assist and defend all Jurisdictions, Pre-eminences, and Authorities, granted to His Riverine Majesty and annexed to the White Orchid Throne by or under the Constitution of the Elwynnese Union, or otherwise, against all Outside Princes, Persons, Prelates, States, or Potentates. And generally in all things I shall do as a faithful and true Servant ought to do to His Riverine Majesty. I do also solemnly swear that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. So help me Lady Elwynn!

Functions and Powers

Functions

The Council of Eliria is one of the five principal councils of the King of Elwynn. The other four are the Royal Courts of Justice, the House of Orchids Family Council, the Royal Parliament and the Parlement des Pairs, the assembly of the Pairs of Elwyna. Legally, theoretically as well as in actual practice the King's Council is the first and foremsot of the four principal councils of the monarch of the Flower of the North. The primary function of His Riverine Majesty's Council is rendering advice and counsel unto the King when He attends to the government of the Coast to Coast Kingdom. The King is not bound to heed to the advice and counsel of the King's Council.

It has also become customary for individuals, as Royal Governors - of which the Council of Eliria is composed - have the power to solemnize marriages under Elwynnese Law and also are official certifiers under the self-same Law, to invite the King's Council to bear witness to their Wills and Matrimonial Contracts.

Powers

Chapter V of the Constitution of the Elwynnese Union grants the Council of Eliria its two greatest and foremost powers, to wit:

  1. The power to, by unanimous vote, remove the King of Elwynn from the White Orchid Throne;
  2. The power to decline to grant its consent to any proposed Royal Decree to be issued by the King of the Jewel of the Many Facets to amend the Constitution of the Elwynnese Union, which in consequence of such refusal does not acquire validity and the proposed amendment contained by the aforesaid Royal Decree does therefore not become part of Elwynn's constitution.

As King in Council the Council of Eliria is allowed by custom to, by the authority and the good graces of His Riverine Majesty, issue Royal Decrees on any and all matter it wishes. Likewise, may the King's Council, in accordance with the aforesaid, issue Policy Declarations in Council as well as Statements in Council.

Since 1640 the King has vested His power to appoint Royal Governors and the Judges of the Royal Courts of Justice, to wit: the Court of Star Chamber and the Court of Castle Chamber as well as the subordinate Law Courts existing within the aforesaid Courts of Law in the Council of Eliria. Insomuch as the Constitution of the Elwynnese Union is supreme in authority to any Royal Decree the King can, however, still make unilateral appointments to the aforesaid offices through the exercise of His reserve powers.