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The Court of St. Alfonso's, informally known as the King's Court, is the official royal court of the sovereign of the Balancín Kingdoms. Since the signing of the Royal Charter of 3023, the court has also served as the upper house of the Balancín Parliament, representing the church and the nobility. The court as a formal body was not established until the 29th century, during the reign of King Anthony Edmund II. Informally, it existed well before that, back through to the reign of Philip the Great. Members of the court, known (informally) as courtiers, or (formally, since the Royal Charter), as Peers, serve as principle advisors to the monarch. Throughout history, Noble Councils have originated from the court, including the incumbent Noble Council of the Duke of Alba.
Under the Balancín Kingdoms, membership of the court can be achieved in three ways, and is held for life:
- Holding the noble rank of Duke, Duchess, or Lord Director, or through being the heir to a dukal title;
- Holding the clerical rank of Monsignor or higher, or through specific pontifical dispensation;
- Being appointed to the court through honours by the King of the Balancín Kingdoms.
Name
The Court of St. Alfonso's derives its names from St. Alfonso's Basilica, which serves as the legal capital of the Balancín Kingdoms. The name had existed prior to the establishment of the Balancín Kingdoms, however, and was used to differentiate the official court from other, less official courts which existed during the eras of the Kingdom of the Rock. Such courts, including those which were held at Talaga Castle by King Charles II, or even those at the Iberian Palace, were considered "less" official as they typically were the courts of individual monarchs or individual houses, and not the realm as a whole.
The current monarch, King Maximilian II, holds court at the Iberian Palace in his capacity as Lord of the Iberian Palace, which is technically a less official court than the court of St. Alfonso's and is often open only to courtiers sympathetic to royal policy at any given time.
Despite its name, the court does not meet at St. Alfonso's Basilica. Instead, it meets in the Lower Hall of the Palace of Belemadena, the official home of Parliament. On formal occasions, such as the Accession Council, they take their place at the Iberian Palace, though this is not a formal requirement.