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Evolution of Cabinet and Roland Walpole
Evolution of Cabinet and Roland Walpole
Evolution of Cabinet and Roland Walpole
What is Cabinet?
Privy and star are the ancestor
Cabinet system evolved from privy and star
What is privy council?
o Secret/ Private body which assist the crown
o When it was created?
William the conqueror
England was politically unified for the first time in 1066 by the NORMAN
WARRIOR- who are the mixture of FRANKS, NORS VIKINGS, GALLO-
ROMANS, William the conqueror
He built the privy council
It still exists
o It was highly strengthened in Henry VII. Before his reign Privy council used to perform/
cover – legislature, Administration and Justice. But the king divided its duty. And its task
become to render justice to the aristocrats to make them answerable.
o Elizabeth, I had 50 advisors in her Privy council at the beginning and she excluded the
number in 11 and since then the number of the advisors never crossed 15.
o Henry VII made sure to harness its power by dividing it task.
What is Star Chamber?
o The term was first found in the document of 1398.
o It was name after a room in the palace of Westminster.
Westminster is the Houses of parliament (since 1016)
Its style of architecture is Gothics- pointed square.
o It was a secret chamber.
o 1487- It became more important than the privy council.
o Henry VII used it to run the govt. and take important decisions for administration.
o In the age of Stuart’s, it became corrupted, it became trial chamber
o 1640- Charles was forced to call parliament ( for 11 years it didn’t set) and abolished the
star chamber.