The Cabal was a group of high councillors who held power in England from 1668 to approximately 1674. Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Ethnicity... // Events January - The Triple Alliance of 1668 is formed. ... Events February 19 - England and the Netherlands sign the Treaty of Westminster. ...

Members and Rise to Power

Following the end of the Clarendon Ministry in 1667, conduct of the government of Charles II fell to a group that came to be known as the Cabal. This group consisted of five Privy Councillors (Buckingham, Arlington, Ashley, Lauderdale and Clifford) who formed the council's Committee for Foreign Affairs. Through that committee and their own offices, the members five were able to direct government policy both at home and abroad. The notion of an organised group in government, as opposed to a single royal favourite holding clear power, was seen by many as a threat to the authority of the throne. Others saw it as subverting the power of the Council or of Parliament, whilst Buckingham's close relationship with the King made the Cabal unpopular with some reformers. The title "Cabal"; resulted from the perception that they had conspired together in Clarendon's fall and prosecution, and in its increasingly secretive conduct of government, and was helped by the fact that the initial letters of their names could be arranged to form CABAL as an acronym. However, there were sharp ideological divisions between the five, ranging from the Parliamentary idealism of Ashley to the autocratic absolutism of Lauderdale. The Clarendon Ministry was forged out of the royalist camp of Charles II, who was returned to the throne (the English Restoration) in 1660. ... // Events January 20 - Poland cedes Kyiv, Smolensk, and eastern Ukraine to Russia in the Treaty of Andrusovo that put a final end to the Deluge, and Poland lost its status as a Central European power. ... Charles II (29 May 1630–6 February 1685) was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 30 January 1649 (de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. ... A cabal is a number of persons united in some close design, usually to promote their private views and interests in church or state by intrigue. ... This article concerns the British Sovereigns Privy Council. ... Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon (February 18, 1609 - December 9, 1674), English historian and statesman. ... Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations formed from the initial letter or letters of words, such as NATO and XHTML, and are pronounced in a way that is distinct from the full pronunciation of what the letters stand for. ...

Buckingham's only office was Master of the Horse, with responsibility for overseeing the King's travel arrangements; but he was in constant contact and clear favour with the King, and he was the centre of the Cabal's grip on power. Between them, Arlington and Lauderdale had, for several years, held two of the three Secretaryships of State, despite Clarendon's objections. Lauderdale now had an even freer hand in Scottish affairs and increased his standing at the Court, whilst Arlington took the leading role in foreign affairs. Though the Duke of Albemarle was First Lord of the Treasury Commission until his death in 1670, he had already retired from public life and Treasury matters were left to the other three commissioners: the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Ashley; the Comptroller of the Household, Sir Thomas Clifford; and Ashley's deputy at the Exchequer, Sir John Duncombe. The role of Lord Chancellor was initially filled by Sir Orlando Bridgeman, the Royalist lawyer who had prosecuted the Regicides; but he only held office as Lord Keeper. The Master of the Horse was (and in some cases, is) a historical position of varying importance in several European nations. ... 1670 was a common year beginning on a Saturday in countries using the Julian calendar and a Wednesday in countries using the Gregorian calendar. ... The noun or adjective, Royalist, can have several shades of meaning. ... The broad definition of Regicide is the deliberate killing of a king, or the person responsible for it. ...

Fall from Power

The Cabal began to split in 1672, particularly over the autocratic nature of the King's Declaration of Indulgence, the financing of the war with the Netherlands, and Britain's relationship with France. Personal rivalries and a conflict over foreign policy between Buckingham and Arlington escalated. The Ministry became very unpopular, characterised by arbitrary rule. Towards the end of the year, Ashley, now the Earl of Shaftesbury, became Lord Chancellor, leaving Treasury matters to Clifford and the Exchequer to Duncombe. He pressed publicly for greater reform of government, taking the side of the Opposition against his colleagues and the King. Clifford resigned over the in-fighting and retired from public life. Shaftesbury was replaced by Viscount Osborne, soon to become Earl of Danby, in the summer of 1673. Danby immediately established his authority over the remaining members of the Cabal. Buckingham's feud with Arlington saw him leak the details of the Treaty of Dover and fall from favour in 1674. Arlington survived as Southern Secretary until September of that year. Lauderale retained his position and his relatively autonomous power in Scotland, becoming an enemy of Shaftesbury. Shaftesbury began to agitate against Charles and his successor, James II; he briefly returned to government in the Privy Council Ministry and took a lead in forming the partisan group that would eventually become known as the Whigs. Events England, France, Munster and Cologne invade the United Provinces, therefore this name is know as ´het rampjaar´ (the disaster year) in the Netherlands. ... The Declaration of Indulgence (or the declaration for the liberty of conscience) was made by King James II of England, on the April 4, 1687. ... Thomas Osborne, 1st Duke of Leeds (February 20, 1631 - July 26, 1712), English statesman, commonly known also by his earlier title of Earl of Danby, son of Sir Edward Osborne, Bart. ... Events The English Test Act was passed. ... The Treaty of Dover was secret treaty of 1670 between Charles II of England and Louis XIV of France. ... Events February 19 - England and the Netherlands sign the Treaty of Westminster. ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... King James VII and II ( 14 October 1633–16 September 1701 ) became King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 6 February 1685. ... In April 1679, Englands government was reformed to place the Ministry under the control of the Privy Council. ... This article is about the British Whig party. ...

The Ministry

These five members made up the "cabal" (Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley, Lauderdale), which held most of the power within the government.

The remaining members of the ministry, as would be expected, held less power than the cabal. The Master of the Horse was (and in some cases, is) a historical position of varying importance in several European nations. ... George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham (January 10, 1628 - April 16, 1687), English statesman, son of the 1st Duke of the second creation (1623) of that title. ... The Secretary of State for the Southern Department was a position in the cabinet of the government of United Kingdom up to 1782. ... Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington (1618 - July 28, 1685), was an English statesman. ... Events March 18 – Short-timed experiment of the first public buses holding 8 passengers begins in Paris May 3/May 2 - Catherine of Braganza marries Charles II of England – as part of the dowry, Portugal cedes Bombay and Tangier to England May 9 - Samuel Pepys witnessed a Punch and Judy... Baron Arlington is a title in the Peerage of England. ... Events England, France, Munster and Cologne invade the United Provinces, therefore this name is know as ´het rampjaar´ (the disaster year) in the Netherlands. ... The Rt. ... Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury (July 22, 1621–January 21, 1683) was a prominent English politician of the Interregnum and during the reign of King Charles II. Cooper, born in Dorset County, suffered the death of both his parents at a young age and was raised by relatives... The title of Earl of Shaftesbury was created in 1672 for Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Baron Ashley, a prominent politician in the Cabal then dominating the policies of King Charles II. Lord Shaftesbury holds the subsidiary titles of Baron Ashley, of Wimborne St Giles in the County of Dorset (1661... Events England, France, Munster and Cologne invade the United Provinces, therefore this name is know as ´het rampjaar´ (the disaster year) in the Netherlands. ... The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor and in former times Chancellor of England, is one of the most senior and important functionaries in the government of the United Kingdom. ... The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry is a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. ... The Secretary of State for Scotland (Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is the chief minister in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilites for Scotland, at the head of the Scotland Office (formerly The Scottish Office). ... John Maitland, 1st Duke of Lauderdale (May 24, 1616-1682), eldest surviving son of John Maitland, 2nd Lord Maitland of Thirlestane (d. ... The title Earl of Lauderdale was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1624. ... Events England, France, Munster and Cologne invade the United Provinces, therefore this name is know as ´het rampjaar´ (the disaster year) in the Netherlands. ... The Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the English royal household, currently the second-ranking member of the Lord Stewards department, and often a cabinet member. ... Thomas Clifford, 1st Baron Clifford of Chudleigh (1 August 1630 - 17 October 1673), English statesman and politician, was created the first Baron Clifford of Chudleigh on April 22, 1672 for his suggestion that the King supply himself with money by stopping, for one year, all payments out of the Exchequer. ... The title Baron Clifford of Chudleigh, of Chudleigh in the County of Devon, was created in 1672 in the Peerage of England. ... Events England, France, Munster and Cologne invade the United Provinces, therefore this name is know as ´het rampjaar´ (the disaster year) in the Netherlands. ... The Lord High Treasurer bears a white staff as his symbol of office. ...

The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor and in former times Chancellor of England, is one of the most senior and important functionaries in the government of the United Kingdom. ... Sir Orlando Bridgeman (1606 - 1674) was a Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England (1667 - 1672), baronet, and an English common law jurist, lawyer, and politician. ... The Lord High Treasurer bears a white staff as his symbol of office. ... George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle by Sir Peter Lely, painted 1665–1666. ... The Lord Privy Seal or Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal is one of the traditional sinecure offices in the British Cabinet. ... John Robartes, 1st Earl of Radnor (1606-1685) succeeded his father, Richard Robartes, as Baron Robartes of Truro in May 1634. ... Official standard of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (also known as the Viceroy or in the Middle Ages as the Lord Deputy) was the head of the Kingdom of Englands (before the Act of Union 1707) or Kingdom of Great Britains (after 1707... The Secretary of State for the Northern Department was a position in the Cabinet of the government of United Kingdom up to 1782. ... Sir William Morice (c. ... Sir John Trevor (1626 - 28 May 1672), English politician, was a son of Sir John Trevor (d. ... The Rt. ... The Master-General of the Ordnance (MGO) was an important British military position before 1855, when its duties were largely abolished. ... The Paymaster of the Forces was a British government position. ... Sir Stephen Fox (March 27, 1627 - October 28, 1716), English politician, was the son of William Fox, of Farley, in Wiltshire, a yeoman farmer. ...