Durante bene placito regis

[AndrewEarthrise]

"Durante bene placito regis" is a Medieval Latin term that has the meaning of, in saying: "

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no one could hold an official position against his (the Kings) will" ​

The site that had it said that it means "​

during the pleasure of the king"​

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Durante means during of course, bene is well, placito is in the ablative case however, and regis is obviously genitive.​

Is Durante causing placitus to take an ablative form? Would it mean: "Durante placito regis", "during the pleasure of the king"? If so, what is bene doing for "Durante placito".​

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Maybe with the words having shifted place: "Bene durante placito regis"; Well/appropriately/rightly during the pleasure of the king"?​

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So Durante bene placito regis, "Rightly during the pleasure of the king" as a way of saying "no one could hold an official position against the king's will".​

 

[Imperfacundus]

Most likely the king's pleasuring would've taken place at another time. Placitum est was reinterpreted from '(this) pleased (all the negotiating parties)' to something like 'an agreement/decision was made'. What we have here is just 'with the king's decision/decree/etc. holding strong'. Placitum taken as a noun, durante as a present participle completing the ablative absolute, but really in a sort of prepositional sense, like the romance words.