Thecuria regis ([ˈkuː.ri.aˈreː.gis]),Latin for "theroyal council" or "king's court", was any of various councils of advisers and administrators in medieval Europe who served kings, includingkings of France, Normankings of England andSicily,kings of Poland and thekings of Scotland and NormanLords of Ireland.
After theNorman Conquest of 1066, the central governing body of theKingdom of England was called thecuria regis (orcuria domini regis, 'court of the Lord King').[1] Before the Conquest, theAnglo-Saxons called this body thewitan, and English writers continued to use this term as well. It corresponded to theplacitum generale of theFrankish kingdoms, and this name was also applied to the Englishcuria regis.[2] It was similar to, but not the same as, thecuria ducis which served theDukes of Normandy.[3] Members, particularly the king's householdknights, were also known as thecuriales regis.[4]
Thecuria regis conducted the business of state whether legislative, judicial, or diplomatic.[5] Its membership was thetenants-in-chief (i.e. thebaronage, includingbishops andabbots) along with thegreat officers of state and of theroyal household, such as thechancellor,constable,treasurer orchamberlain,marshal, andsteward.[6] Occasionally, these would be summoned by the king to meet as amagnum concilium (Latin for "great council").[5]
In between great councils, thecuria regis remained in session; though, its membership was much smaller. The smaller curia was composed of royal officers andbarons attending the monarch.[5] English kings haditinerant courts during this period, and the small curia followed the king in all his travels. As they traveled the kingdom, the king and curia often heard suitors in person.[7] The powers and functions of the great council and the small curia were identical since they were considered the same institution meeting under different circumstances.[5]
During the 13th century, the great council and the small curia separated into two distinct bodies. The great council evolved intoParliament and the small curia evolved into thePrivy Council.[8] The smallcuria regis then is "the very distant ancestor of the modern executive, theCabinet acting for the authority of the crown." Early government departments also developed out of the small curia regis, such as thechancery, thetreasury, and theexchequer.[9]
| Preceded by | Curia regis 1066–c.1215 | Succeeded by |
Much ofIreland was conquered by the Anglo-Norman kings of England in the late 12th century, and the King was madeLord of Ireland. In 1171,Henry II held acuria regis inWaterford, declaring that English law would run in his Irish domains, an aspiration that was not fully realised.[10]
In Ireland, theCourt of the Justiciar in Ireland corresponded with thecuria regis in England; theChief Justiciar presided over it as the king's representative.[11][12][13] The Irish curia regis evolved into thePrivy Council of Ireland.[14]
In Francethe King's Court, called theCuria Regis in Latin, functioned as an advisory body under the earlyCapetian kings. It was composed of a number of the king's trusted advisers but only a few travelled with the king at any time. By the later twelfth century it had become a judicial body with a few branching off to remain the king's council.[15]
By the fourteenth century the termcuria regis was no longer used.[15] However, it was a predecessor to later sovereign assemblies: theParlement, which was a judiciary body, the Chamber of Accounts, which was a financial body, and theKing's Council.[16]
TheRoyal Council of Poland [pl] in early medieval times was composed exclusively by King's will. Over time, in addition to King's appointments, certain higher dignitaries were assumed to belong to the Council owing to their functions. The following dignitaries were permanent members of the Council in theCrown of the Kingdom of Poland:
By the end of the 15th century the Royal Council was transformed into theSenate of Poland.
The earliest form of the Royal Council in Spain was created in 1385 byKing John after the disaster at theBattle of Aljubarrota.It was reestablished underQueen Isabella I in 1480 as the chief body dealing with administrative and judicial matters of the realm. The Council was dissolved in 1834 by Isabel II.
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