secret chancellor

English

Etymology

Calque of Hungarian titkos kancellár, itself from Medieval Latin sēcrētus cancellārius. Compare English privy.

Noun

secret chancellor (plural secret chancellors)

1. (historical) In the medieval Kingdom of Hungary, originally the chief priest of the royal chapel, who bore the title of count (ispán); later the head of a separate chancellery concerned with foreign diplomacy.
   • 2000, András Gábor, Gábor Máthé, The Hungarian State: Thousand Years in Europe, page 36:

     The ruler would more and more often entrust the secret chancellor with diplomatic missions abroad.

   • 2001, Pál Engel, translated by Tamás Pálosfalvi, edited by Andrew Ayton, The Realm of St Stephen: A History of Medieval Hungary, 895–1526‎^[1], page 243:

     He first tried to establish one at Óbuda in 1395 under the direction of his secret chancellor, the provost, Luke Szántói.

   • 2021, Alexandru Simon, In the World of Vlad: The Lives and Times of a Warlord, page 157:

     Vetesi was the king’s experienced diplomat, as well as former secret chancellor.