Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Counsel to the Crown

Counsel to the Crown

8.6
A senior lawyer appointed to advise the British monarch about law
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : Consejero de la Corona
  • After years of dedicated work, she was appointed as Counsel to the Crown in 2010.

Examples

  • Only the most experienced barristers are considered for Counsel to the Crown positions.

  • The role of Counsel to the Crown carries significant prestige within the legal community.

  • The Counsel to the Crown provided essential legal advice.

  • Many legal experts aspire to become Counsel to the Crown.

  • In 2015, he proudly accepted his position as Counsel to the Crown, advising the monarch on critical legal matters.

  • Being appointed Counsel to the Crown is an honor that only a select few barristers achieve in their careers.

  • The duties of Counsel to the Crown include representing the interests of the British monarch in legal proceedings.

Synonyms

King's Counsel
vsCounsel to the Crown
  • UK
9.7

A senior lawyer appointed to represent the king or government in important cases

is the general term for such royal appointment regardless of ruler gender
Queen's Counsel
vsCounsel to the Crown
  • UK
7.7

A senior lawyer appointed by the Crown when the country has a queen

is the general term for such royal appointment regardless of ruler gender

Surface Forms

Counsel to the Crown singular
Counsels to the Crown plural

Morphology

counsel + to + the + Crown

The phrase is compositionally built: 'counsel' = lawyer and 'the Crown' = the monarch/state, with 'to the' marking the relationship of serving or representing. Although formal and institutional, the overall meaning 'a lawyer who advises/represents the monarch' is directly inferable from the constituents and parallels similar constructions in other languages.

Etymology

Counsel to the Crown comes from the old image of a lawyer (counsel) standing beside the king or queen's crown, giving them advice. So being Counsel to the Crown means being a senior lawyer officially chosen as the monarch's 'legal adviser'.