Privy Council revokes accession invitations
MPS among official advisers who will miss accession as royal council has grown too large
Hundreds of politicians in the Privy Council have been shut out of the Prince of Wales’s accession ceremony amid complaints that the advisory body is turning into “Disneyland”. A letter was sent to all privy counsellors, who act as the Queen’s official advisers, informing them that the Accession Council, which is convened within 24 hours of the death of a sovereign, has been scaled back so only 200 of the more than 700 members will be able to attend.
HUNDREDS of privy counsellors have been shut out of the Prince of Wales’s accession amid complaints that the ancient advisory body is turning into “Disneyland”.
A row has broken out after a letter was sent to all privy counsellors, who act as the Queen’s official advisers, informing them that attendance at the Accession Council, convened within 24 hours of the death of a sovereign, has been significantly scaled back.
Held at St James’s Palace, the Accession Council traditionally takes place before Parliament meets, and is the first official event the Prince will attend after becoming king.
Following a review, only 200 of more than 700 privy counsellors will be able to attend, with priority given to senior politicians and members of the clergy. Others are asked to enter an annual ballot for one of the remaining seats.
The change has been authorised by Downing Street and Mark Spencer, Leader of the House of Commons, who is also Lord President of the Council.
It follows reports that successive prime ministers have used appointments to the Privy Council as a “shameless form of patronage”, prompting its numbers to more than triple during the Queen’s reign. Current members include Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader, Diane Abbott, the former shadow home secretary, and John Bercow, the former House speaker. Disgraced MPS Keith Vaz and Owen Paterson are also on the list.
In a letter, seen by The Daily Telegraph, Richard Tilbrook, clerk of the Privy Council, wrote: “We have advised the Royal household that – for strong safety and operational reasons – there is no option but to reduce the number of attendees to 200 if we are to deliver the first event of the King’s reign.”
Citing concerns that the number of privy counsellors has swelled from 175 when the Queen took the throne in 1952 to more than 700 today, he added: “St James’s Palace presents a number of significant challenges in terms of capacity, accessibility and crowd flow. [Also,] the pace at which an Accession Council must take place limits the additional security, infrastructure and provision we are able to make on the day.
“Even with a number of mitigations in place, there was a significant risk of overcrowding and lengthy queuing, resulting in safety issues and a compromised experience for attendees, and potentially delaying the start of the Accession Council.
“The revised attendee list will now comprise privy counsellors selected on an ex officio basis, a small number of privy counsellors selected via an annual ballot, and certain other dignitaries.”
Sir Edward Leigh, the Tory MP for Gainsborough, who was appointed to the Privy Council three years ago, said the proposal “risks reducing the Privy Council into a mere Disneyland showpiece rather than a body that is central to the UK’S constitutional functioning”.
In a reply to Mr Tilbrook, seen by this newspaper, he questioned why privy counsellors were not consulted on the plan, which he argued “is a deliberate and unnecessary move that subverts the very nature” of the Privy Council.
Suggesting that the Accession Council could be moved to Westminster Hall or Buckingham Palace, where there is more space, he added: “I must also object to the proposal to have an annual ballot open to all privy counsellors not on the ex officio list. This proposal is illogical. It would mean that a privy counsellor who finds him or herself in Orkney, the West Indies, or Papua New Guinea on the day in question might have a place guaranteed via the ballot but be unable to use it, while a privy counsellor in London would, it would seem from your suggestion, be prevented from doing so.”
Copies of his letter have been sent to the Prime Minister and the Prince of Wales’s principal private secretary.
Founded in 1708, the Privy Council formally advises the Sovereign on the exercise of the Royal Prerogative, and issues executive instruments known as Orders in Council, which among other powers enact Acts of Parliament.
Queen Victoria insisted that there should be no lavish promotions to her Privy Council, and some of Winston Churchill’s nominations were resisted by George VI; but the Queen’s nonpartisanship means the numbers have swelled during her reign.
Critics remarked on the “coincidence” of Sir Edward, a staunch Brexiteer, announcing he would back Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement just two weeks after the former prime minister appointed him to the Privy Council in 2019.