Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, has been made a member of the Privy Council. Annette will join, amongst others, senior politicians who are (or have been) members of either the House of Commons or the House of Lords.
Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, has a range of roles. For example, advising the monarch on the exercise of her Royal Prerogative and issuing the orders-in-council and orders of council behind many Government regulations.
Annette said: “It is a great honour to have been named as a Privy Counsellor and I hope that it is a reflection on my service and hard work as a Member of Parliament these past thirteen years.”
“I want to thank everyone that has supported me over the years and helped make this great privilege a possibility.”
The Privy Council has its origins in the earliest days of the monarchy as an advisory body to the King or Queen on affairs of state, and has the curious custom of conducting its meetings standing up, a tradition dating back to the reign of Queen Victoria in the nineteenth century.
The date for Annette to be sworn in at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace is yet to be announced.
You can find out more about the role of the Privy Council on its website at http://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/
