King Appoints First Ministers of State to Council

Lexington – At around 2:15 this afternoon, the King made the first appointments to the Council of State, the executive body established in April of last year, following a meeting with the prime minister at Lexington House. All of the prime minister’s recommendations were accepted by the sovereign, and the newly appointed councilors were subsequently informed of their official addition to the government.

The appointments mark a major step forward in the realization of Florenia’s lengthy political reform, with the Council now capable of performing its constitutional duties of advising the Crown and administering the government. The Council possesses substantial powers to guide the Florenian project and is arguably the most important body in the new state structure.

Though there no longer exists any official office of prime minister, the Prince Nathan still possesses outsize influence over the political process and is considered to possess a mandate to lead the government.

The Baroness of Plymouth, former minister of education and an esteemed Florenian stateswoman, has been appointed the inaugural Lord President of the Council, the body’s chair and nominal chief advisor to the Crown. The duties of her former position will be subsumed into other ministries.

Sarisha Danforth, the prime minister’s partner and longtime advisor, has been named minister of state for culture and minister of state for foreign affairs, succeeding the prime minister in the diplomatic post that he occupied for most of Florenia’s existence.

The Prince Zachary, youngest son of the King, has also joined the government for the first time as minister of state for environment. Finally, the Prince Nathan was himself appointed to the posts of minister of state for general affairs and secretary for the Council Office, the agency responsible for assisting the Council in its responsibilities and liaising between the various government organizations.

The Council is expected to meet sometime next week in order to promulgate its first orders, with the prime minister indicating that he would be speaking with the Baroness shortly to make the necessary arrangements.