The aim of this chapter is to establish what part the Prior of St John played in internal politics in England. It will concentrate on his service to the crown as a lay lord, instead of his role as mediator between the Grand Master in the East and the local ruler. Rather than deal with the development of parliament and council generally, which has been fully dealt with elsewhere, it will focus on the Prior's activities in parliament, great council, and king's council. In the process, it will comment on the misconceptions about the Prior's role in English politics that appear in crusading histories.

The king took advice, both informally from those he sought counsel, and formally in parliament, great council, and in king's council. It is the formal gatherings that are treated here. It is not always easy to define which gathering is which and the terminology used often confuses matters further. For example, those summoned to meet in London in September 1297 were to meet with ‘others of king's council’ to advise Prince Edward, yet the summons went out to 50 people, which indicates it was a great council, rather than a meeting of the king's council, and the Handbook of British Chronology designates it as a parliament.