Editing House of Lords (section)

===Early history===
The House of Lords developed from the "Great Council" (''[[Magnum Concilium]]'') that advised the king during medieval times, dating back to the early 11th century.<ref name=loveland1>[[#Loveland|Loveland]] (2009) p. 158</ref> This royal council came to be composed of ecclesiastics, noblemen, and representatives of the [[Historic counties of England|counties of England]] and [[Historic counties of Wales|Wales]] (afterwards, representatives of the [[Parliamentary borough|boroughs]] as well). The first English Parliament is often considered to be either [[Simon de Montfort's Parliament]] (held in 1265) or the "[[Model Parliament]]" (held in 1295), which included archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls, barons, and representatives of the shires and boroughs.

The power of Parliament grew slowly, fluctuating as the strength of the monarchy grew or declined. For example, during much of the reign of [[Edward II]] (1307–1327), the [[nobility]] was supreme, the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Crown]] weak, and the shire and borough representatives entirely powerless.

During the reign of King Edward II's successor, [[Edward III]], Parliament clearly separated into two distinct [[debating chamber|chambers]]: the [[House of Commons of England|House of Commons]] (consisting of the shire and borough representatives) and the House of Lords (consisting of the archbishops, bishops, abbots and nobility).<ref>{{cite book|last=Russell |first=Meg |date=2013 |chapter=2 A Brief History of the House of Lords |chapter-url=https://academic.oup.com/book/27542/chapter-abstract/197523197 |title=The Contemporary House of Lords: Westminster Bicameralism Revived |url=https://academic.oup.com/book/27542 |url-access=subscription |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199671564.001.0001 |isbn=978-0-19-967156-4 |access-date=2 June 2023}}</ref> The authority of Parliament continued to grow, and during the early 15th century both Houses exercised powers to an extent not seen before. The Lords were far more powerful than the Commons because of the great influence of the great landowners and the prelates of the realm.

The power of the nobility declined during the civil wars of the late 15th century, known as the [[Wars of the Roses]]. Much of the nobility was killed on the battlefield or executed for participation in the war, and many aristocratic estates were lost to the Crown. Moreover, [[feudalism]] was dying, and the [[feudal]] armies controlled by the [[baron]]s became obsolete. [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] (1485–1509) clearly established the supremacy of the monarch, symbolised by the "Crown Imperial". The domination of the Sovereign continued to grow during the reigns of the [[Tudor dynasty|Tudor monarchs]] in the 16th century. The Crown was at the height of its power during the reign of [[Henry VIII]] (1509–1547).