power behind the throne
2
8.2
- idiom
- Literature
:
poder detrás del trono
- He's the power behind the throne.
- the real power behind the throne
- remains the power behind the throne
The real power behind the throne is scale.
- The real power behind the throne is scale.
- It turns out that wealth always is the power behind the throne, at least in modern politics that we've moved into.
Examples
-
Second, and stemming from the first (since it was only President Babangida who resigned), his major military colleagues remained in their positions, and it was they who held the real power behind the throne.
Academic text (1993) -
Smith is known as the power behind the throne, providing strategic advice to the president.
-
"He was vice president then, and the power behind the throne," said Terry Martin.
Fiction book (1994) -
I think Jeb will back Rubio and try to be the power behind the throne.
Blog text (34) -
It turns out that wealth always is the power behind the throne, at least in modern politics that we've moved into.
-
You'll be the frontman, I'll be the power behind the throne.
-
She was another one who was the power behind the throne, quite literally, as she directed her foolish, weak, feckless husband Ahab.
Blog text (8) -
She's the true believer, the power behind the throne, ever vigilant of her husband's reputation.
Blog text (31) -
You'll be the éminence grise, the power behind the throne.
-
In the shadow of the administration, she remains the power behind the throne, shaping policy decisions.
Synonyms
14
7.0
A person who controls votes and support to influence political and business decisions
7
8.2
A person who uses strong influence behind the scenes to help others gain power
2
7.9
A person who uses connections to influence votes or decisions
Antonyms
How Influential
- Literature
2
8.2
- Offensive
9
7.9
7
8.2
4
3.4
- US
271
2.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense is directly built from 'power' (influence) + 'behind' (at the rear/hidden) + 'throne' (seat of leadership), so it straightforwardly denotes influence exercised out of public view. This spatial-to-social mapping is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words should be able to infer the idiomatic meaning.
Etymology
Power behind the throne may come from royal courts where a ruler sat on a throne while a trusted adviser stayed behind it and held the real power. That's why today the phrase means a person who has secret 'influence' or 'control' over a leader.