 The current Queen, Elizabeth II, has had a long reign, and it is unlikely that many lawyers originally appointed as "King's Counsel" more than 67 years ago survive today.Until the late 19th century, some barristers were granted a patent of precedence in order to obtain the same precedence as a QC without the concomitant restrictions.Queen's Counsel was originally considered an office of profit and hence, under the Act of Settlement 1701, incompatible with membership of the House of Commons.