A camarilla is a group of courtiers or favourites who surround a king or ruler. Usually, they do not hold any office or have any official authority at the royal court but influence their ruler behind the scenes. Consequently, they also escape having to bear responsibility for the effects of their advice. The term derives from the Spanish word camarilla (diminutive of cámara), meaning “little chamber” or private cabinet of the king
This is part of the “What are words for?” project.
This word scored a seven on a three part scale of allusiveness, political oomph and cultural capital (min score 1, max score 3 for each part of the scale)
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