Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council

Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. The Privy Council was formerly a powerful institution, but its substantial decisions are now controlled by one of its committees, the Cabinet. The Council also performs judicial functions, which are for the most part delegated to the Judicial Committee.

The Sovereign, when acting on the Council's advice, is known as the King-in-Council or Queen-in-Council. The members of the Council are collectively known as The Lords of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council (sometimes The Lords and others of...). The chief officer of the body is the Lord President of the Council, who is the sixth highest Great Officer of State, a member of the Cabinet, and normally, the Leader of either the House of Lords or the House of Commons. Another important official is the Clerk, whose signature is appended to all orders made in the Council.

Both "Privy Counsellor" and "Privy Councillor" may be correctly used to refer to a member of the Council. The former, however, is preferred by the Privy Council Office, emphasising English usage of the term "Counsellor" as "one who gives counsel", as opposed to "one who is a member of a council". A Privy Counsellor is said to be 'sworn of' the Council when he/she first joins it.

Members of the British House of Commons who are also Privy Counsellors are traditionally addressed as "Right Honourable" when referred to in the chamber. Other members of the House are simply addressed as "Honourable". Examples of such address include "my Right Honourable friend", for a member of one's own party, "the Right Honourable gentleman" (or "lady") for members of other parties, and "the Right Honourable member for ..." adding the name of a constituency. The title is usually also used when formally referring to the member in the media, such as when announcing a speech to the nation by the Prime Minister, or when an individual takes part in a public event as a representative of the Government.