The Small Council

The small council is a body which advises the King of the Seven Kingdoms and institutes policy at his command. It is the inner (thus "small") council of the King, effectively forming the government cabinet of the Seven Kingdoms. Members are appointed to their position by the King or the Hand of the King; theoretically they can be dismissed at will by the King, however in practice this might lead to undesirable political fallout.

The king serves as the head of the council and takes note of its recommendations, but only the king can make the council's decisions into law. The Hand of the King is the leading advisor on the council and serves as the king's proxy when he is not present, in which case the Hand chairs the meeting. If the king is a minor, then by default the appointed Regent will act in place of the king on the council.

 

The Small Council meets at the capital city of King's Landing in the Red Keep, in the same building as the Iron Throne courtroom.

Members of the Small Council are appointed and dismissed by the King, in theory as the King wills. In practice, of course, appointments or dismissals may have undesired political consequences which the King must consider.

 

The Small Council usually consists of seven non-hereditary positions (possibly to reflect the traditions of the Faith of the Seven). Long vacancies sometimes occur for one of these positions, i.e. during time of war, though this is considered undesirable.

 

• Hand of the King: chairs the Small Council, serves as the King's proxy during his absences.

• Master of Coin: the realm's chief treasurer and bookkeeper.

• Master of Whisperers: the realm's chief intelligence advisor and spymaster, supervising covert activities and information gathering, both at home and abroad.

• Master of Laws: the realm's chief legal advisor, who also manages the Red Keep's dungeons, and supervises law enforcement.

• Master of Ships: the realm's chief naval officer, supervising the Royal Fleet and coordinating the realm's maritime defenses.

• Lord Commander of the Kingsguard: the realm's chief military advisor, particularly in regards to land-based warfare. While the King personally appoints knights to the Kingsguard at his whim, once chosen they are lifetime appointments, which cannot legally be removed. In theory, however, a King may demote the Lord Commander back to being a regular member, and elevate one of the other six Kingsguard to Lord Commander (though it is unknown if this has ever happened).

• Grand Maester: the maester assigned to the Red Keep, and thus to the realm. Like all maester assignments, the Grand Maester is appointed by the Conclave of Archmaesters at the Citadel, not the King. While controversial, the King and the Hand of the King have the authority to exclude the Grand Maester from the Small Council, and even imprison him, but cannot replace him as Grand Maester. This makes the Grand Maester unique as the only member of the council not specifically chosen by the King.