<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camarilla</span>

Camarilla

<p>A <b>camarilla</b> is a group of <a href="/en/Courtier" title="Courtier" class="wl">courtiers</a> or favourites who surround a <a href="/en/King" title="King" class="wl">king</a> or ruler. Usually, they do not hold any office or have any official authority at the <a href="/en/Court_(royal)" title="Court (royal)" class="mw-redirect wl">royal court</a> but <a href="/en/Power_behind_the_throne" title="Power behind the throne" class="wl">influence their ruler behind the scenes</a>. Consequently, they also escape having to bear responsibility for the effects of their advice. The term derives from the Spanish word <i>camarilla</i> (diminutive of <i>cámara</i>), meaning "little chamber" or private cabinet of the king. It was first used of the circle of cronies around <a href="/en/List_of_Spanish_monarchs" title="List of Spanish monarchs" class="wl">Spanish King</a> <a href="/en/Ferdinand_VII" title="Ferdinand VII" class="mw-redirect wl">Ferdinand VII</a> (reigned 1814-1833). The term involves what is known as <a href="/en/Cronyism" title="Cronyism" class="wl">cronyism</a>. The term also entered other languages like the <a href="/en/German_language" title="German language" class="wl">German</a> and <a href="/en/Greek_language" title="Greek language" class="wl">Greek</a>, and is used in the sense given above.</p>

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">Group of royal favourites</div>
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<p>A similar concept in modern politics is that of a <a href="/en/Kitchen_Cabinet" title="Kitchen Cabinet" class="wl">Kitchen Cabinet</a>, which is often composed of unelected advisers bypassing traditional governance practices.</p>



A camarilla is a group of courtiers or favourites who surround a king or ruler. Usually, they do not hold any office or have any official authority at the royal court but influence their ruler behind the scenes. Consequently, they also escape having to bear responsibility for the effects of their advice. The term derives from the Spanish word camarilla , meaning "little chamber" or private cabinet of the king. It was first used of the circle of cronies around Spanish King Ferdinand VII . The term involves what is known as cronyism. The term also entered other languages like the German and Greek, and is used in the sense given above. A similar concept in modern politics is that of a Kitchen Cabinet, which is often composed of unelected advisers bypassing traditional governance practices. 