The Council of the North

The Council of the North was a regional administrative body established by the English crown in the late 15th and early 16th centuries to manage and govern Northern England, which was relatively distant from London’s central authority. It aimed to ensure loyalty, administer justice, and implement royal policies in a historically-restive area. The council included local and royal officials and helped strengthen royal control over the region, which had a complex mix of English and Scottish influences, as well as local languages and customs. It played a key role in integrating the North into England’s broader political and legal framework during that period.