Curia regis, << KYOOR ee uh REE jihs >>, was a term used from about the 1000’s through the 1200’s, during the Middle Ages, for the group of men who helped a king govern his country. The term means king’s court. The curia consisted of leading barons and churchmen who advised the king on important state affairs, such as making war, declaring laws, and deciding legal cases. Less important men who ran the king’s household were also part of the curia.
Starting in the 1100’s, as government functions became more complex, the curia in each country developed into a number of bodies. In England, these bodies included Parliament, for legislation and taxation; law courts; and financial bureaus.
See also England (The Norman Conquest); Witenagemot.
