Small council

"We are the Lords of small matters here."

- Petyr Baelish, Master of Coin

The small council is a body which advises the King of the Seven Kingdoms and institutes policy at his command. It is the inner (thus "small") council of the King on the Iron Throne, effectively forming the government cabinet of the Seven Kingdoms. Members are appointed to their position by the King; theoretically they can be dismissed at will by the King, however in practice this might lead to undesirable political fallout. Either the King or his Hand chairs the council and takes note of its recommendations. The Hand is the head of the council and serves as the king's proxy when he is not present. Only the King can make the council's decisions into law. The small council is similar to a Privy council in real-life medieval monarchies.

Members
The positions and members of the King's small council under Robert I are:


 * The Hand of the King: Lord Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North; formerly Lord Jon Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie and Warden of the East;
 * Grand Maester: Pycelle.
 * Master of Coin: Lord Petyr Baelish, known as Littlefinger.
 * Master of Whisperers: Lord Varys, known as the Spider;
 * Master of Laws: Lord Renly Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End.
 * Master of Ships: Lord Stannis Baratheon, Lord of Dragonstone.

The positions and members of the King's small council under Joffrey I are:
 * Queen Regent Cersei Lannister, King Joffrey's mother.
 * The Hand of the King: Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West, King Joffrey's grandfather.
 * Grand Maester: Pycelle. Removed by Tyrion and reinstated by Cersei.
 * Master of Coin: Lord Petyr Baelish, known as Littlefinger.
 * Master of Whisperers: Lord Varys, known as The Spider.
 * Master of Laws: (Vacant)
 * Master of Ships: (Vacant)

Former members of the King's small council under Joffrey I are:
 * Acting Hand of the King: Tyrion Lannister (representing Lord Tywin Lannister, Hand of the King), known as The Imp, Joffrey's uncle.
 * Lord Janos Slynt, Lord of Harrenhal and commander of the City Watch. Removed by Tyrion Lannister and sent to the Wall.

In the books
In the Song of Ice and Fire novels the small council was the creation of King Aegon I, assembled to advise him and carry out policy.

In the novels the council has an additional member: Lord Commander Barristan Selmy of the Kingsguard, who advises the King on various matters, particularly military ones. In the TV series it does not appear that Selmy is a member.

The Commander of the City Watch is not, strictly speaking, a member of the Small Council in the books, though the commander does frequently appear at meetings of the Small Council to advise them on conditions in the capital city and to receive their commands. Janos Slynt does not actively sit on the Small Council in Season 1, though after Joffrey makes him a lord he does briefly sit on the council in Season 2 until he is forcibly removed by Tyrion. Slynt is similarly exiled to the Wall by Tyrion in the books, though it was never outright stated that he held a specific council seat. Even in the TV series, Cersei may have just loosely seen Slynt as an "extended member" of the Small Council.