Earlier this week, I explained the formalities that a person must undergo before they can become Prime Minister. Today, I will do the same thing for the other members of Her Majesty’s Government. This is a surprisingly complex subject since ministers take office in many different ways.
The Cabinet
Most Cabinet ministers formally take office at a meeting of the Privy Council. There are three oaths/affirmations involved: the Privy Counsellor’s Oath, the Oath of Allegiance, and the Oath of Office (however, if someone has already taken the Privy Council Oath and the Oath of Allegiance, they will not need to take them again). The oaths are taken while kneeling on little footstools, and afterward ministers kiss Her Majesty’s hand. Sometimes the gymnastics involved have proven too much for ministers. Richard Crossman records an incident where four Privy Counsellors found themselves on the wrong side of the room and ended up crawling toward the Queen on…
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Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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