Above is the scene where Benjamin Franklin appeared before the Privy Council in 1774.
This is the oath taken on becoming a member of the Privy Council. It has remained essentially unchanged since about 1250.
The vow of secrecy is not usually upheld – but it does apply if sensitive government information is revealed to Privy Councillors on “Privy Council terms”.
You do swear by Almighty God to be a true and faithful Servant unto The Queen’s Majesty as one of Her Majesty’s Privy Council. You will not know or understand of any manner of thing to be attempted, done or spoken against Her Majesty’s Person, Honour, Crown or Dignity Royal, but you will lett and withstand the same to the uttermost of your power, and either cause it to be revealed to Her Majesty Herself, or to such of Her Privy Council as shall advertise Her Majesty of the same. You will in all things to be moved, treated and debated in Council, faithfully and truly declare your Mind and Opinion, according to your Heart and Conscience; and will keep secret all matters committed and revealed unto you, or that shall be treated of secretly in Council. And if any of the said Treaties or Counsels shall touch any of the Counsellors you will not reveal it unto him but will keep the same until such time as, by the consent of Her Majesty or of the Council, Publication shall be made thereof. You will to your uttermost bear Faith and Allegiance to the Queen’s Majesty; and will assist and defend all civil and temporal Jurisdictions, Pre-eminences, and Authorities, granted to Her Majesty and annexed to the Crown by Acts of Parliament, or otherwise, against all Foreign Princes, Persons, Prelates, States, or Potentates. And generally in all things you will do as a faithful and true Servant ought to do to Her Majesty so help you God.
Speaking the Truth unto the Nation
The Privy Counsellor is then privileged to prefix his or her name with Right Honourable. I asked the Privy Council Office on 29th.February 2008 if they could define that prefix. Was it merely to indicate that the person was a Privy Counsellor or did it indicate the standard of behaviour that one could expect of a Privy Counsellor?
Mr. Martin Courbet, replying on behalf of the Privy Council Office said :” ‘ Right Honourable’ is the title for a Privy Counsellor; this Office cannot offer advice on interpretation or meaning as this falls outside our area of bsiness.”. Whereas anyone who has a dictionary will find that “Right” in this context of a medieval title means “Very”. Therefore the title means that the person of a Privy Counsellor must be “Very Honourable” and we know what Honourable means.
It did not surprise me that they were unable to reach that conclusion within the Privy Council Office. On a previous occasion in January 2006 I had enquired of the Queen if she was still as Sovereign then as she undoubtedly was at the conclusion of her Coronation in June 1953? She was unable to confirm that she was still Sovereign and she passed the question to the Department of Constitutional Affairs which passed it for answer to the Privy Council Office. They declared that they could not confirm that she was still Sovereign as it was not a matter of fact but was a matter of Constitutional Law and had to be left to the courts. Yet we all know that she is Sovereign as a matter of fact.
Even the Privy Council is absolved of their allegiances to the Queen under Act of Settlement 1701 due to forfeiture of the Crown.
“And it was thereby further enacted That all and every Person and Persons that then were or afterwards should be reconciled to or shall hold Communion with the See or Church of Rome or should professe the Popish Religion or marry a Papist should be excluded and are by that Act made for ever [incapable] to inherit possess or enjoy the Crown and Government of this Realm and Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging or any part of the same or to have use or exercise any regall Power Authority or Jurisdiction within the same And in all and every such Case and Cases the People of these Realms
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/Will3/12-13/2/section/I
I would recommend them to adhere to it as her forefeiture is a serious issue in Christendom, if anyman does not obey the Laws of the Land they will burn in eternal damnation. (God’s words not mine guys Romans 13 v1-3 NIV)
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2013&version=NIV
It is a shame no one want to go and evanglise the earthly head of the Church as I guess they expect her to know already and do it or they expect that someone else would do it..etc
Love your website.
LOL