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{{short description|Constitutional monarch in an executive capacity}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}

The '''King-in-Council''' or the '''Queen-in-Council''', depending on the [[gender]] of the reigning monarch, is a constitutional term in a number of states. In a general sense, it refers to the monarch exercising [[executive authority]], usually in the form of approving orders, on the [[Advice (constitutional law)|advice]] of the country's [[privy council]] or [[Executive council (Commonwealth countries)|executive council]].

In countries where the reigning monarch is represented by a [[viceroy]], derivative terms are used instead, such as '''Governor in Council''' or '''Lieutenant Governor in Council'''.

== Norway ==
In Norway, the King in Council ({{langx|no|Kongen i statsråd}}) refers to the meetings of the king and the [[Council of State (Norway)|Council of State]] (the Cabinet), wherein matters of importance and major decisions are made. The council meets at the [[Royal Palace, Oslo|Royal Palace]], normally every Friday. These meetings are chaired by [[Monarchy of Norway|the monarch]] or, if he is ill or abroad, [[Succession to the Norwegian throne|crown prince]] (the monarch's heir). In Norway's constitution, ''King in Council'' refers to the formal [[Government of Norway]], whereas merely ''King'' means the appointed [[Ministry (government department)|ministry]] that the law refers to may alone act with complete authority on the matter assigned in the particular law.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://grunnloven.lovdata.no/ |title=Norges Grunnlov |author=<!--Not stated--> |website= |publisher=Lovdata |access-date=29 November 2023}}</ref>

A decision that is taken in the State Council under the sovereign's leadership is considered to be a royal decree. If the crown prince chairs, they are crown prince resolutions. When neither the monarch nor the crown prince chairs, resolutions adopted are called government resolutions.

== Sweden ==
{{main|King in Council (Sweden)}}
[[File:Gamla Stan, Södermalm, Stockholm, Sweden - panoramio (217).jpg|thumb|The Council Chamber ({{lang|sv|Konseljsalen}}) at [[Stockholm Palace]] in Sweden]]
In Sweden, the King in Council ({{Langx|sv|Konungen i Statsrådet}}), more commonly known as ''The Royal Majesty'' ({{Langx|sv|Kunglig Majestät}} or the short forms ''{{lang|sv|Kungl. Maj:t}}'' or ''{{lang|sv|K.M:t}}'') was a concept of constitutional importance until 1974.

''The Royal Majesty'' was the commonly used term to refer to the supreme executive authority under the [[1809 Instrument of Government]], under which [[Monarchy of Sweden|the monarch]] made all decisions of state in the presence of his Cabinet ministers. The [[Basic Laws of Sweden#Instrument of Government|1974 Instrument of Government]] removed the monarch from all exercise of formal political powers, which were passed to the newly created [[Government of Sweden|government]] ({{Langx|sv|Regeringen}}), chaired and led in all aspects by the [[Prime Minister of Sweden|prime minister]]. The monarch continues to head the Cabinet councils (the sovereign plus the members of the government) and the Council on Foreign Affairs, recognizing new cabinets (in the Council of State).

== Commonwealth realms ==
{{main|King's Privy Council for Canada|Privy Council of the United Kingdom}}
{{see also|Executive Council (Commonwealth countries)}}

''The King-in-Council'' is the technical term of [[constitutional law]] for the exercise of [[Executive (government)|executive authority]] in a [[Commonwealth realm]], denoting the [[Commonwealth realm#Monarch's role in the realms|monarch]] acting by and with the [[Advice (constitutional law)|advice and consent]] of his or her privy council (in the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Canada]]'s federal jurisdiction) or [[Executive Council (Commonwealth countries)|executive council]] (in most other Commonwealth realms and the [[States and territories of Australia|Australian states]] and [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Canadian provinces]]). In those realms and dependencies where the sovereign's powers and functions are delegated to a [[Governor-General|governor-general]], [[Lieutenant-Governor|lieutenant governor]], or [[governor]], the term ''Governor-General-in-Council'', ''Lieutenant Governor-in-Council'', or ''Governor-in-Council'' may be used instead of ''King-in-Council'', all of these terms describing the same technical process within constitutional law. ''The government of <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[jurisdiction]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>'' is commonly used as a synonym for any of the aforementioned terms, though the phrase may mean more than one thing in certain areas.

<gallery class="center" heights="200px" widths="300px">
The Queen of Ceylon with Kotelawala cabinet.jpeg|[[Elizabeth II]], [[Queen of Ceylon]], with [[Kotelawala cabinet|her cabinet]] in Ceylon, 1954
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her Canadian Ministers at Rideau Hall 1 July 1967.jpg|Elizabeth II, [[Monarchy of Canada|Queen of Canada]], with her [[Cabinet of Canada|Cabinet]], a subcommittee of the [[King's Privy Council for Canada|Queen's Privy Council]], in [[Rideau Hall]], 1 July 1967
New Zealand Cabinet, 1981.jpg|Elizabeth II, [[Monarchy of New Zealand|Queen of New Zealand]], with her [[Cabinet of New Zealand|Cabinet]], a subcommittee of the [[Executive Council of New Zealand|Executive Council]], 1981
Second Keating Cabinet 1994.jpg| [[Governor-General of Australia|Governor-General]] [[Bill Hayden]], representing Elizabeth II, [[Monarchy of Australia|Queen of Australia]], with his [[Cabinet of Australia|Cabinet]], a subcommittee of the [[Federal Executive Council (Australia)|Federal Executive Council]], outside [[Government House, Canberra|Government House]], 25 March 1994
The Queen attending Cabinet to mark her Diamond Jubilee.jpg|Elizabeth II, [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Queen of the United Kingdom]], with her [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]], a subcommittee of the [[Privy Council (United Kingdom)|Privy Council]], at [[10 Downing Street]], 18 December 2012
Swearing-In Day Trudeau Cabinet.jpg|[[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]] [[David Johnston (governor general)|David Johnston]], representing Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, with his Cabinet at Rideau Hall, 4 November 2015
</gallery>

An order made by the King-in-Council is known as an ''[[order-in-council]]'' and such actions are subject to [[judicial review]].{{#tag:ref|"The source of the power to make the order-in-council was the royal prerogative. Neither Her Majesty nor the members of the Privy Council present that day (which, coincidentally, included me) considered the merits of the order. The Queen-in-Council acts upon the advice of a minister, in the present case, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. In reality, the order was that of the Secretary of State, although, of course, the Queen formally assented to it."<ref>{{cite BAILII| litigants=R (on the application of Bancoult) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs| pinpoint=5| date=11 May 2006 |court=EWHC |division=Admin|year=2006 |num=1038 |parallelcite=[2006] ACD 81}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha|name=opinion}} Orders-in-council may be used to implement [[secondary legislation]], such as British [[statutory instrument (UK)|statutory instrument]]s. In practice, decisions made by the King-in-Council are almost always the formal approval to decisions made by the [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]], a subcommittee of the privy or executive council that includes the senior [[Minister of the Crown|ministers of the Crown]] and often meets without the monarch or his local representative present.

Former Commonwealth realms and dependencies often retain a similar constitutional concept; for example, ''President-in-Council'' in [[India]]<ref>[http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/debates/vol4p12.htm Constituent Assembly of India debates (IV:12)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029010302/http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/debates/vol4p12.htm |date=29 October 2015 }}. ''[[Parliament of India]]''</ref><ref>Subhash C. Kashyap. [https://web.archive.org/web/20030110163952/http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/2002/07/25/stories/2002072501641000.htm "The President's Powers"]. ''The Hindu''. 25 July 2002</ref> or ''Chief Executive-in-Council'' in [[Hong Kong]].<ref>''Adaption of Laws (Interpretive Provisions) Ordinance'' 1998 (Hong Kong)</ref> Similar concepts can also be found in some non-Commonwealth countries.<ref>Juliet Edeson (1998). "[http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Research_and_Education/pops/~/link.aspx?_id=AF3D784BD9F049F7A5CF720B531FF829&_z=z Powers of Presidents in Republics]", ''Papers on Parliament No. 31'', [[Parliament of Australia]]</ref>

== See also ==
=== Sweden ===
* [[Privy Council of Sweden]]
* [[Council of State (Sweden)]]

=== The Commonwealth ===
* [[King-in-Parliament]]
* [[King's Counsel]]
* [[Law officers of the Crown]]

=== Ireland ===
* [[Council of State (Ireland)]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Canadian monarchy}}
{{Sweden topics}}
{{Constitutions of Sweden|state=collapsed}}
{{Constitution of Europe}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:King-In-Council}}
[[Category:Orders in Council|*]]
[[Category:Australian constitutional law]]
[[Category:Law of Canada]]
[[Category:Constitution of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Constitution of Norway]]
[[Category:Constitution of Sweden]]
[[Category:Monarchy of Canada]]
[[Category:Monarchy of Australia]]
[[Category:Monarchy of New Zealand]]