the power behind the throne
noun phrase
: the person who secretly controls a country, organization, etc., by controlling the actions and decisions of the official leader
He's the company president, but his assistant is the (real) power behind the throne.
Examples of the power behind the throne in a Sentence
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Leading such an arrangement in Gaza would probably appeal to Hamas, which might prefer to be the power behind the throne.
—
Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 30 July 2024
As president, Medvedev was constitutionally charged with directing foreign policy, but everybody understood that Putin was the power behind the throne.
—Boris Bondarev, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2022
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Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 30 July 2024
As president, Medvedev was constitutionally charged with directing foreign policy, but everybody understood that Putin was the power behind the throne.
—Boris Bondarev, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2022
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“The power behind the throne.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20power%20behind%20the%20throne. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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