Editing Primus inter pares (section)

===Commonwealth usage===
====United Kingdom====
{{Main|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom}}

The term "prime minister" can be compared to "primary minister" or "first minister".  Because of this, the prime ministers of many countries are traditionally considered to be "first among equals" – they are the [[chairman]] or "head" of a [[Cabinet (government)|Cabinet]] rather than holding an office that is ''de jure'' superior to that of ministers.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

The [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] has frequently been described as "first among equals". In the [[United Kingdom|UK]], the executive is the Cabinet, and during [[House of Hanover|Hanoverian]] times a minister had the role of informing the monarch about proposed legislation in the House of Commons and other matters. In modern times, however, although the phrase is still occasionally used, it understates the [[Powers of the prime minister of the United Kingdom|powers of the prime minister]], which now include many broad, exclusive, executive powers over which cabinet members have little influence.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

''[[First Among Equals (novel)|First Among Equals]]'' is the title of a popular political novel (1984) by [[Jeffrey Archer]], about the careers and private lives of several men vying to become British Prime Minister. It was later adapted into a [[First Among Equals (TV series)|ten-part TV series]], produced by [[Granada Television]].{{cn|date=May 2023}}

====Federal government in Commonwealth realms====
In the federal [[Commonwealth realms]] in which [[King Charles III]] is [[head of state]] as constitutional monarch, a [[Governor-General#In Commonwealth realms|governor-general]] is appointed by the [[King-in-Council]] to represent the King during his absence. The governor-general typically appoints the leader of the political party holding at least a plurality of seats in the elected legislature to be [[Prime minister#Prime ministers and constitutions|prime minister]], whose relationship with the other [[ministers of the Crown]] is in theory said to be that of a {{lang|la|primus inter pares}}, or "first among equals".{{Citation needed|date=October 2019}}

====Australian states====
In [[Australia]], governors represent the [[Australian monarch]] in each of the [[states of Australia]] that comprise the federal [[Constitution of Australia|Commonwealth of Australia]], making them "head of state" in each of their own states.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}} These are not envisaged as subordinate to the [[governor-general of Australia]], although however the federal viceroy is "first among equals".<ref>[http://www.governor.vic.gov.au/role.htm Government House] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120814050419/http://www.governor.vic.gov.au/role.htm |date=2012-08-14 }}</ref>  The [[governors of the Australian states|state governors]] appoint [[Premiers of the Australian states|premiers]], typically the leader of the political party holding at least a plurality of seats in the elected legislature.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

====Canadian provinces====
As [[federal monarchy|federations]] in [[Canada]], [[Lieutenant-Governor (Canada)|lieutenant-governors]] represent the [[Canadian monarch]] in each of the provinces, thus, acting as the "heads of state" in the [[Provinces and territories of Canada|provinces]].{{citation needed|date=April 2016}} Lieutenant-governors in Canada are appointed by the [[Governor General of Canada|governor general]], on the [[advice (constitutional)|advice]] of the [[prime minister of Canada]], known as the ''Governor-in-Council''. In each case, these lieutenant-governors are not envisaged as subordinate to the governor general who, as a federal viceroy, is "first among equals".<ref>[http://www.governor.vic.gov.au/role.htm Government House] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120814050419/http://www.governor.vic.gov.au/role.htm |date=2012-08-14 }}</ref> A [[Lieutenant-Governor (Canada)|lieutenant governor]] as ''Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council'' appoints a leader of a provincial political party holding at least a plurality of seats in the elected provincial legislature to be provincial [[Premier (Canada)|premier]].{{Citation needed|date=October 2019}}