Royal Court Sessions: Opening, Powers, and Resolutions

Opening and Verification of Powers

All gather at the designated site and date for the solemn opening presided over by the King. The King addresses the audience with an emphatic speech called the proposition, intended to explain in detail the reasons for the call and raise issues that should be subject to discussion and agreement. In the case of a royal minority, the discourse is carried out by the Queen Regent, a royal relative, or the Chancellor.

The proposition is answered separately by the representatives of the three estates. First, in Castilla, the noble estate speaks through the mouth of a member of the Lara family. Then, the Church speaks through the Archbishop of Toledo. This order is then inverted, complying with the custom of Aragon. Ultimately, citizen representatives make use of the word through the attorneys of Burgos, head of the kingdom and capital of Old Castile. Alfonso XI settled the question with a Solomonic ruling: "The Toledans will do what I command them, and they will say so, and therefore Burgos may speak." That is, he keeps the people of Burgos in their privilege and exalts the Toledans, who offered the King the right to speak for them.

After the opening and before the start of the session, the verification of the powers of the prosecutors takes place. When in the sixteenth century there was a chairman of the Courts other than the monarch, he and the secretary of the meeting verified the powers, a task that later fell to the Board of Wizards called to the Cortes. The same function was assumed in Aragon by certain individuals, enablers, designated for that purpose.

Development and End of Sessions: Adoption of Resolutions

Following the conclusion of these preliminary acts, the discussion begins, focusing on the demands of the King and the wrongs for which compensation is requested by the prosecutors. Each of the estates meets separately, which requires certain arrangements to ensure the functional order of discussion and an appropriate relationship between the King and the different estates, as well as among the estates themselves.

Each of the estates chooses a promoter, who serves as president and presents the proposals, in addition to the proceedings, and refers the resolutions to be adopted. The various estates' negotiations with the King take place through a treater, who acts as a spokesman for the various offers and counteroffers. The estates, moreover, are related by two ambassadors appointed by each of them. The comings and goings of ambassadors and treaters ensure smooth communication between the estates and the monarch.