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The Witan (lit. wise men), informally known as the Witan Council, is the cabinet and senior advisory body to the sovereign of the Balancín Kingdoms. Its members, known individually as Witan or, informally, counsellors, are mainly senior politicians or clergymen who are current members of the Balancín Parliament. The Witan is formed by the monarch through the appointment of two senior figures: the Lords Temporal and Spiritual. Collaboratively, the Lords Temporal and Spiritual appoint the other Witan counsellors to fill the offices on the Witan. Meetings of the council are known as Witenagemot, and are identified by calendar month. In times when the monarch is away from court, the Witan can act with the monarch's authority.
The Witan formally advises the sovereign on the exercise of the royal prerogative and his other executive powers and responsibilities. The King issues executive instruments, known as royal proclamations, that are issued to the Witan for execution. The Witan also holds the delegated authority to issue royal proclamations through the use of the King's Seal. The body advises the sovereign on the issuing of royal charters, which are often far reaching constitutional matters, as well as in proposing legislation and interacting with Parliament.
The Witan also holds responsibility over the succession, replacing function of the Accession Council.
History
King Maximilian II left the Balancín Kingdoms in April to fight in the Doggerlands Crusade of 3024. Initially departing to command Balancín forces at the tail end of the Wiltshire Civil War (3023-3024), the King remained away from the Balancín Kingdoms for much of the duration of the campaign in Zaandam and Senones. Upon his victory on X June 3024, Maximilian returned to Balancía and was crowned Emperor of the Romans by Pontifex Konstantin IX. During his absence, the Balancín Kingdoms was governed by a regency, which was unofficially known as the Alba-Orozco regency, owing to the leadership of the Lord Temporal, the Duke of Alba, and the Lord Spiritual, Archbishop Abraám Orozco. The Regency Act of 3024 granted the powers of the monarchy to the Witan, a council of ministers that carried out the functions of government. The Witan became such a successful form of government that King Maximilian decided to retain it even after his return, to serve as a cabinet while he became Holy Roman Emperor.
Since the start of Maximilian's imperial reign, the Witan has mostly run the Balancín Kingdoms with mild executive oversight from the Sovereign, as Maximilian's focus has been on the functions of the Holy Roman Empire and his domains in Wiltshire and Zaandam.
Witan composition
The current Witan is the Alba-Orozco Witan, named after the Lords Temporal and Spiritual (The Duke of Alba and Archbishop Orozco). Appointments were made to the Witan in April 3024. The Witan were re-elected at the 3024 Balancín general election, where the Rooks secured a majority of seats in the Cortes Generales.
| Temporal Witan | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Office | Incumbent | Seat in Parliament | Political affiliation |
| Lord Temporal
Lord Keeper of the King's Seal |
 Lord Jon Alba, Duke of Alba |
King's Court | Rooks |
| Lord Treasurer of the Balancín Kingdoms |  Lord Felix Amerigo, Duke of Valls |
King's Court | |
| Lord High Chancellor of the Balancín Kingdoms
Lord Proctor of the King's Justice |
Lord Michel Calvo, Earl of Jara |
King's Court | |
| Lord Chancellor of the Crown Estate |  Henry Martell MP |
General Court (MP for Mountbatten) | |
| Lord Constable and Earl Marshal |  Sir Jex Carlos MP |
General Court (MP for the Crownlands) | |
| Lord Proctor of the King's Peace |  Admiral Rees Roscoe MP |
General Court (MP for the Newton) | |
| Spiritual Witan | |||
| Office | Incumbent | Seat in Parliament | Political affiliation |
| Lord Spiritual
Archbishop of St. Alfonso's |
Archbishop Abraám Orozco | King's Court | Bishops |
| Bishop Proctor of Evangelisation | Auxiliary Bishop Sal Durazo | King's Court | |
| Bishop Proctor of Charity | Auxiliary Bishop Rocky Hoffman | King's Court | |
| Bishop Proctor of Education and Learning | Monsignor Otes Roy | King's Court | |
| Bishop Proctor of Health | Auxiliary Bishop Óscar Pavon | King's Court | |
| Bishop Proctor of the Venerable | Monsignor Ma Xiaodan | King's Court | |
| Bishop Proctor of Laity, Family, and Life | Bishop Bénédict Bellerose | King's Court | |
| Bishop Proctor of Culture | Auxiliary Bishop Ilario Moretti | King's Court | |
Offices and responsibilities
Aside from the Lords Temporal and Spiritual, there are fourteen offices on the Witan. Historically, the Lords Temporal and Spiritual have taken offices for themselves, depending on their area of interest or style of leadership. The offices are:
- Lord Keeper of the King's Seal
- The Lord Keeper of the King's Seal, known informally as the Lord Keeper, is the most senior Witan counsellor because of their holding of the King's Seal, which is the only means of exerting the royal prerogative aside from instructions from the sovereign himself. Only through the Lord Keeper can the Witan exercise the royal prerogative in its own right, making it a natural leadership position on the council. Typically, the Lord Temporal takes this office.
- Lord Treasurer of the Balancín Kingdoms
- The Lord Treasurer is responsible for the finances of the Kingdom and, in particular, responsible for the fiscal relationship between the Witan and Parliament. The Lord Treasurer is a office outlined in the 3023 Royal Charter, making it another key office of state. Notably, the Lord Treasurer is only responsible for the Treasury of the Balancín Kingdoms and not the Crown's own personal finances, which is managed by the Lord Chancellor of the Crown Estates.
- Lord High Chancellor of the Balancín Kingdoms
- The Lord High Chancellor is responsible for the functioning of the Balancín Kingdoms's legal and judicial system. The Lord High Chancellor is the highest legal authority, aside from the King, and operates executively the judicial courts of the land. The office is typically held in conjunction with the office of Lord Proctor of the King's Justice, which extends the judicial authority over punishments as well.
- Lord Proctor of the King's Justice
- The Lord Proctor of the King's Justice is responsible for the execution of verdicts of law, known as the King's Justice. This includes the operation of prisons, the carrying out of executions, and the issuing of fines, penalties, and charges for breaches of the King's Peace. The Lord Proctor of the King's Justice reports to the Lord High Chancellor, though the offices are usually held by the same person simultaneously.
- Lord Constable and Earl Marshal
- The Lord High Constable and Earl Marshal, known informally simply as the Lord Constable, is responsible for the policing and national security of the Balancín Kingdoms. With authority over the police, the border, immigration, security intelligence agencies, and security forces, the Lord Constable holds among the most wide ranging powers on the Witan. The Lord Constable reports to the Lord High Chancellor.
- Lord Proctor of the King's Peace
- The Lord Proctor of the King's Peace is responsible for the defence of the realm. As the executive manager of the royal military, the Lord Proctor has the authority to command forces, to arrange defences, and to supersede other executive functions in the aim of defending the Balancín Kingdoms from attack. The Lord Proctor also oversees the Crown Diplomacy Service, which gives it authority over foreign policy as well.
- Lord Chancellor of the Crown Estates
- The Lord Chancellor of the Crown Estates reports directly to the sovereign and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Crown corporation, the Crown's finances, and all the land, buildings, and holdings of the Crown. A truly massive office, the Lord Chancellor of the Crown Estates is akin to a second prime ministerial figure and is another popular option for Lords Temporal to hold to give them maximum power and influence over the state.
- Bishop Proctor of Evangelisation
- The Bishop Proctor of Evangelisation is an office, held by a member of the clergy, who is responsible for the service and regulation of the work of evangelisation so that Christ, the light of the peoples, may be known and witnessed to in word and deed and that His Mystical Body, which is the Church, may be built up. The Bishop Proctor is responsible for the fundamental questions of evangelisation in the Balancín Kingdoms and for the establishment, accompaniment and support of the new particular Churches and parishes.
- Bishop Proctor of Charity
- The Bishop Proctor of Charity is an office, held by a member of the clergy, who is responsible for the oversight and regulation of charitable work in the Balancín Kingdoms. They support the Archbishop in delivering services of charity, as well as operating as the Crown regulator for non-church affiliated charities and third sector organisations. They also oversee the accounting of individuals deemed to be living in poverty and the facilitation of providing adequate charitable support.
- Bishop Proctor of Education and Learning
- The Bishop Proctor of Education and Learning is an office, held by a member of the clergy, who is responsible for the oversight and regulation of education in the Balancín Kingdoms. They support the Archbishop in delivering services of education (a requirement of the royal charter), as well as operating as the Crown regulator for non-church affiliated educational organisations, including the Universities of Pembroke and Southern Bonitana.
- Bishop Proctor of Health
- The Bishop Proctor of Health is an office, held by a member of the clergy, who is responsible for the oversight and regulation of healthcare services and providers in the Balancín Kingdoms. They support the Archbishop in delivering services of healthcare (a requirement of the royal charter), as well as operating as the Crown regulator for non-church affiliated healthcare providers, insurance companies, and medical practitioners, including private employment of medical persons.
- Bishop Proctor of the Venerable
- The Bishop Proctor of the Venerable is an office, held by a member of the clergy, who is responsible for the social security of esteemed individuals, including the elderly, veterans, and community leaders, to ensure that their provision is met and provided for. They are also responsible for the management of the Crown Pensions and Annuity Fund, which provides veterans and the elderly with a stipend for support in life.
- Bishop Proctor of Laity, Family, and Life
- The Bishop Proctor of Laity, Family, and Life is an office, held by a member of the clergy, who is responsible for the enhancement of the faithful, the pastoral care of the young, of the family and its mission according to God's plan, of the elderly, and for the promotion and protection of life. In pursuing its own aim, the Bishop Proctor maintains relations with the particular Churches within the Balancín Kingdoms, with the Bishops' Conferences, and other ecclesial organisms, promoting exchange among them and offering its collaboration so that the values and initiatives connected with these matters may be promoted. The Bishop Proctor expresses the Church's special solicitude for young people, promoting their protagonism in the midst of the world's challenges. It studies and deepens, with the support of experts, the major causes of crises in marriages and families, with particular attention to the experiences of those involved in failed marriages, especially with regard to children, in order to promote a greater awareness of the value of the family and the role of parents in society and in the Church.
- Bishop Proctor of Culture
- The Bishop Proctor of Culture is an office, held by a member of the clergy, who is responsible for the maintenance, promotion, and enhancement of the unique cultural and religious identity of the Balancín Kingdoms, her subjects, and her monarchy. They support the Archbishop in delivering services based in the culture of the realm, as well as being responsible for the organisation of particular cultural occasions. The Bishop Proctor also serves as a regulator for cultural activities, ensuring that they align with the values of the Balancín Kingdoms and the Church.