Letters Patent: Great Officers of State

[The Marquess of Mountcastle]

INSTRUMENT RECONSTITUTING THE GREAT OFFICERS OF STATE OF HANOVER AND CONSTITUTING THE GREAT OFFICERS OF STATE OF SCONELAND

JAMES THE SECOND by the Grace of God of Hanover, Sconeland, and Cambria King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, to all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting:

Whereas on Twenty-first May Two Thousand and Eight the Great Officers of State of Our Kingdom of Hanover were by an Act of Our Parliament (called the "Ministers of the Crown Act 2008") constituted along with various other ministers and secretaries of state:

Whereas We for divers good causes and considerations Us thereunto moving are graciously pleased to reconstitute Our Great Officers of State of Our Kingdom of Hanover according to their traditional names, duties, and order of precedence:

Whereas We furthermore in consideration of Section IX of the Charter of Sconeland granted by Us on Twenty-fifth May, Two Thousand and Ten, the said section providing for the constituting of the Great Officers of State of Our said Kingdom of Sconeland by instrument under the Great Seal, do desire that such Great Officers shall by this instrument now be constituted:

Therefore Know Ye that We of Our especial grace and favour and mere motion do by these Presents ordain, declare, and direct that the aforesaid Ministers of the Crown Act 2008 be by this instrument now abrogated, repealed, and nullified, and that Our Great Officers of State of Our Kingdom of Hanover be reconstituted with regard to their names, their principal duties, and order of precedence as follows:

1. The Lord High Steward shall be appointed as We or Our Heirs and Successors shall think fit upon the accession to the Throne of the Sovereign for the purpose of presiding over and generally directing the ceremonies surrounding the coronation of the Sovereign. The Lord High Steward shall furthermore be appointed from time to time to preside at trials of Peers of the Realm, but at all other times the Lord High Stewardship shall be held in abeyance by Us, Our Heirs and Successors.

2. The Lord High Chancellor of Hanover and Sconeland shall be the custodian of the Great Seals of Our Kingdoms of Hanover and Sconeland; shall have the general superintendence over the Chancery of Our Kingdoms of Hanover and Sconeland; and shall preside over Our High Court of Chancery for as often as the same shall sit. He shall act as prolocutor within the House of Peers for as often as the Peers of the Realm shall sit together in their own chamber apart from the Commons; but for as often as the Peers and Commons shall sit together within a single chamber, he shall be the Speaker of the whole of Our Parliament. When no Parliament sits, he shall be our principal minister. He shall advise Us on all appointments to judicial office; shall preside over all trials in Our High Court of Parliament; and shall generally advise Us on all matters relevant to Our judiciary. He shall be visitor, in right of Us, of all hospitals and colleges of Our foundation. He shall be the ordinary guardian of all wards in Chancery, and the general guardian of all infants, idiots and chronic lunatics; and shall have the general superintendence of all charitable uses.

3. The Lord High Treasurer shall be the head of Our Treasury and shall enjoy general superintendence over Our Exchequer.

4. The Lord President of the Council shall preside over Our Most Honourable Privy Council, and if a Peer, shall serve as Leader of the House of Peers for as often as the Peers shall sit in Parliament apart from the Commons.

5. The Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal shall have custody over Our Privy Seal and, if a Commoner, shall serve as Leader of the House of Commons for as often as the Commons shall sit in Parliament apart from the Peers. He shall serve as Leader of Parliament when the Peers and Commons shall sit together in the same chamber.

6. The Lord Great Chamberlain shall have charge over Our Palace of Wealdstonbury, and over the House of Peers; he shall be the custodian of Our Sword of State. He shall be visitor in right of Us of all universities not of Our foundation.

7. The Lord High Constable shall be appointed on the occasion of the Coronation of the Sovereign and at all other times the said office shall be held in abeyance by Us, Our Heirs and Successors.

8. The Earl Marshal shall be the Head of the College of Arms of Our Kingdom of Hanover and shall preside over the Court of Chivalry. He shall have power to order, judge, and determine all matters touching arms, ensigns of nobility, honour, and chivalry; to make laws, ordinances, and statutes for the good government of the Officers of Arms; to nominate Officers to fill vacancies in the College of Arms; to punish and correct Officers of Arms for misbehaviour in the execution of their places.

9. The Lord High Admiral shall have the command over and general superintendence of Our Royal Navy.

And We do furthermore ordain, declare, and direct that there be constituted the Great Officers of State of Our Kingdom of Sconeland which are herewith constituted and given precedence as follows:

1. The Lord High Constable of Sconeland shall have general superintendence over the officers and divisions of Our Royal Army within Our Kingdom of Sconeland. He shall have immediate superintendence over Our Royal Lifeguards within Sconeland; and shall judge all cases of rioting, disorder, bloodshed and murder when such crimes shall occur within four miles of Our person.

2. The Lord Justice General shall be Our principal justice within Our Kingdom of Sconeland and shall have general superintendence over the Sconnish judiciary; but he shall be subject to the supervision and direction of Our Lord High Chancellor of Hanover and Sconeland. He shall be given the presidency of the highest court peculiar to jurisdiction over Our said Kingdom of Sconeland such as may be erected by subsequent statute.

3. The Great Marischal of Sconeland shall be the keeper and guardian of the Honours of Sconeland.

4. The Lord Hart King of Arms shall be the Head of the College of Arms of Our Kingdom of Sconeland and shall preside over the Court of the Lord Hart. He shall have power to order, judge, and determine all matters touching arms, ensigns of nobility, honour, and chivalry; to make laws, ordinances, and statutes for the good government of the Officers of Arms; to nominate Officers to fill vacancies in the College of Arms; to punish and correct Officers of Arms for misbehaviour in the execution of their places.

And for the greater validity and testimony thereof, we do command that there be affixed hereto the Great Seals of Our Kingdoms of Hanover and of Sconeland:

And We desire that these Presents be effective now and in the future; that what is decreed by these Presents be scrupulously observed by those whom they concern and that these Presents attain the purpose for which they are issued:

And that the efficacy of these Presents may not be obstructed by contrary prescriptions of any kind, We herewith abrogate all such prescriptions:

Therefore, if anyone, no matter what his authority, shall either knowingly or unknowingly act contrary to what We have by these Presents ordained and decreed, We command that such acts be considered entirely null and void. Moreover, no one may lawfully efface or destroy these documents of Our will; indeed, to copies of these Presents and extracts therefrom, which bear the seal of an Officer of the Crown and the signature of a public notary, there is to be accorded the very same credence that would be given to these Presents themselves if they were exhibited:

And should anyone contemn or in any manner whatsoever detract from these Presents, let him know that he thereby subjects himself to the penalties established by law for those who do not fulfill the commands of the Sovereign.

IN WITNESS whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent.

WITNESS Ourself at Wealdstonbury this Thirtieth Day of June in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Ten, the Second Year of Our Reign.

James R.

BY WARRANT UNDER THE KING'S SIGN MANUAL

MOUNTCASTLE

[The Marquess of Mountcastle]

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ON THE GREAT OFFICERS OF STATE


1. I do not see the office of Justiciar listed in the above instrument. Does this mean the office is now abolished?

It does mean that, yes. From this moment onward, the Lord Chancellor will serve as His Majesty's principal minister whenever Parliament is dissolved until another shall be summoned.

When Parliament is next summoned, it is assumed that His Majesty will put the Office of Lord High Treasurer into commission, and appoint a First Lord of the Treasury, who will effectively become the King's principal minister (the Prime Minister).

The individual selected to form a government in His Majesty's name will be the man or woman whom His Majesty is persuaded can best hold the confidence of Parliament. This will normally be determined by his or her party obtaining a majority of seats in Parliament by means of a general election.

2. Does this mean that HRH the Duke of Gottingen is no longer head of the government?

Yes. HRH the Duke of Gottingen indicated some months ago that time constraints prevented him from any longer taking an active role in government. His Royal Highness has been gracious enough, however, to remain in the office of Justiciar. Now, with the office of Justiciar abolished, His Royal Highness is completely free of any and all official responsibilities. The Duke of Gottingen enjoys the profoundest gratitude of the Crown for his patriotic service to the Realm.

3. It seems that the roles and responsibilities of some of the Great Officers are spelled out more completely than others.

Yes. This is because some of the Great Officers--the Lord High Chancellor for example--have significant constitutional and/or administrative roles, whereas others of the Great Officers--the Lord High Constable of Hanover, for example--are purely traditional and ceremonial in character. The responsibilities of some Officers, such as the Lord High Treasurer, have been left intentionally vague with the idea that their roles will be "fleshed-out" by subsequent statute at a later date.

4. I see that the Great Marischal of Sconeland is responsible for the guardianship of the "Honours of Sconeland." What does that mean?

By the "Honours of Sconeland" we mean the Crown Jewels or Royal Regalia of Sconeland. The Great Marischal is, then, charged with the responsibility of keeping in his safe custody the crown and other elements of the Sconnish regalia.

5. What about all those other ministers and secretaries and officers apart from the Great Officers of State listed in the 2008 Ministers of the Crown Act?

This instrument repeals that Act, but His Majesty may grant any of those offices in the future if he so chooses. It is generally felt that those ministries needn't be formally constituted, but can come into being merely by an individual's appointment to any of them. That appointment may even be in the form of a verbal summons from the monarch.

6. As the Lord Chancellor will now be serving as the principal minister of the Crown when no Parliament is sitting, does that mean that the Prime Minister and the Government will have to resign every time Parliament is prorogued?

I think the best way to interpret that is to assume that the Government will have to resign at the final dissolution of Parliament, but not necessarily at the prorogation of a session of Parliament when that same Parliament is to sit, again. But one can certainly come away with the idea that there will never be an incumbent Prime Minister during a general election.

If you have any questions concerning this instrument of the Crown, please post them on this thread and they will be cheerfully answered.

[The Marquess of Mountcastle]

REFERENCE ITEM: Ministers of the Crown Act 2008 (repealed)


THE NINTH STATUTE OF
KING ALEXANDER THE FIRST
CHAPTER I

The Ministers of the Crown Act 2008

1. His Majesty's Government shall comprise all ministers of the King of Hanover, whether within Hanover or elsewhere in his Realm, except the several offices of the Royal Household, which shall not be subject to the provisions of this Act.

2. The Register of Ministerial Offices, which is set out in the Schedule to this Act, shall list all offices and positions existing in the Government, together with the salaries, duties, and qualifications thereof, and all other information that is needful.

3. The King may, by means of an Order given in his Privy Council, amend and modify the Schedule to this Act in such manner as he thinks fit, provided always that no such amendment shall have effect unless countersigned by his chief minister.

Schedule: Register of Ministerial Offices

Prime Minister

1. The Justiciar shall be the chief minister of the Crown; shall advise the King on the appointment of all other ministers, and on the general administration of the Kingdom; and shall exercise the duties of any ministerial office that should fall vacant.

Great Officers of State

2. The Lord High Steward shall direct the affairs of the Royal Court and the Royal Household, and the ceremonies pertaining thereto; shall regulate the usage of heraldic symbols and ensigns within the Kingdom; and shall preside at meetings of the Great Council.

3. The Lord High Chancellor shall administer the educational system of the Kingdom; and shall serve as the King's Visitor and overseer of all royally-established Universities and centres of learning.

4. The Lord High Treasurer shall administer the various properties held by the Crown and the Kingdom, including the national discussion forum and the national website.

5. The Lord President of the Council shall communicate the various Orders made in the Privy Council to the public; shall act as a spokesman for the said Council; and shall execute such other duties as the King may think fit.

6. The Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal shall execute such duties as the King may think fit.

7. The Lord High Constable shall maintain peace and order in the King's realms and territories; and shall oversee all officers and institutions pertaining to the prevention of crimes and the correction of offenders.

The Foreign Office

8. The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs shall direct the negotiation of treaties and other international agreements; and shall advise the King on the appointment of Ambassadors to foreign states, and all other matters connected to the Kingdom's reputation in the world at large, and her relations with foreign powers.

The Home Office

9. The Secretary of State for Home Affairs shall administer the Home Office; shall advise the King on the appointment of the Ministers therein; and shall execute the duties of any ministerial position in the Home Office that should be vacant.

10. The Minister of Culture shall promote the growth and maintenance of the fine arts and all aspects of culture in Hanover; and shall administer all royally-established museums, galleries, theatres, and concert halls.

11. The Minister of Immigration shall direct the immigration and naturalization of new Hanoverian citizens; shall give aide to new citizens as they require; and shall administer a national register of citizens together with the Minister of Statistics.

12. The Minister of Labour shall maintain a list of available positions within His Majesty's Government and the Royal Household; and shall facilitate the employment of Hanoverian citizens in both public and private organizations.


13. The Minister of Statistics shall maintain the official statistics and registers of the Kingdom; and shall produce such statistical reports as the King and other officers may, from time to time, require.

Other Ministers

14. The Auditor of the Imprests shall execute such duties as the King may think fit.

15. The King's Remembrancer shall execute such duties as the King may think fit.

15. The Master of the Horse shall execute such duties as the King may think fit.

16. The Master-General of the Ordnance shall execute such duties as the King may think fit.

IP Address: Logged