"practice was not adhered to by the Labour government of 1997-2010 due to the small number of Labour hereditary peers in the House of Lords. The peerage has traditionally been associated with high gentry, the British nobility, and in recent times, the Conservative Party. Only a tiny proportion of wealthy people are peers, but the peerage includes a few of the very wealthiest, such as Hugh Grosvenor (the Duke of Westminster) and Lord Salisbury of Hatfield House. Most of the largest stately homes belong to the National Trust due to forms of estate tax. A few peers own one or"
"peers. In the British peerage, only the senior family member (typically the eldest son) inherits a substantive title (duke, marquess, earl, viscount, baron); these are referred to as peers or lords. The rest of the nobility are referred to as ""landed gentry"" (abbreviated ""gentry""). Except for the eldest sons of peers, who bear their fathers' inferior titles as ""courtesy titles"" (but for Parliamentary purposes count as commoners), they usually bear no titles apart from the qualifications of esquire or gentleman (which are ranks recognised in law, although now without any legal consequence); exceptions include the baronet (a title corresponding to"
"in the upper House of Parliament to be so as well. By the beginning of the 14th century, the hereditary characteristics of the Peerage were well developed. The first peer to be created by patent was Lord Beauchamp of Holt in the reign of Richard II. The modern peerage system is a vestige of the custom of English kings in the 12th and 13th centuries; in the late 14th century, this right (or ""title"") began to be granted by decree, and titles also became inherited with the rest of an estate under the system of primogeniture. Non-hereditary positions began to"
"of considerable wealth. In the United Kingdom, members of the highest echelon of the aristocracy, the hereditary peers were, until 1999, members of the House of Lords—the upper house of the legislature, the Parliament of the United Kingdom. In 1999, most ceased to be members. However, the Duke of Norfolk, who always serves as Earl Marshal, the hereditary peer who serves as Lord Great Chamberlain (currently the Marquess of Cholmondeley), and a further 90 Representative Hereditary Peers elected by the Hereditary Peers retained membership. Since 1958, non-hereditary ""life peers"" have been created, who are automatically members of the House of"
"ennoblement. Life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as age and citizenship. The legitimate children of a life peer are entitled to style themselves with the prefix ""The Honourable"", although they cannot inherit the peerage itself. The Crown, as ""fount of honour"", creates peerages of two types,"
"Peerages in the United Kingdom The peerage is a legal system comprising both hereditary and lifetime titles in the United Kingdom (as elsewhere in Europe), composed of various noble ranks, and forming a constituent part of the British honours system. The term ""peerage"" can be used both collectively to refer to the entire body of nobles (or a subdivision thereof), and individually to refer to a specific title (modern English language-style using an initial capital in the former case but not the latter). British peerage title holders are termed peers of the Realm. Under present custom, only members of the"
"Hereditary Peerage Association The Hereditary Peerage Association is a British representative body for hereditary peers in the United Kingdom formed in the wake of the House of Lords Act 1999. It came into being in 2002 due to a merger of the ""Hereditary Peers"" and ""TOPs"". It aims to provide a representative voice for hereditary peers thus attempting to clarify the rights of the remaining peers, and to protect the remaining rights and dignities of the hereditary peerage of the United Kingdom, and those peers whose titles derived from the former Peerages of Great Britain, and of Ireland, and to"
"Life Peerages Act 1958, which includes those who can add value in specific areas of expertise in parliamentary debates, as well as former MPs and other political appointees from respective political parties. Peerages are created by the British monarch, like all Crown honours, being affirmed by Letters Patent affixed with the Great Seal of the Realm. HMG recommends to the Sovereign who to be elevated to the peerage, after external vetting by the House of Lords Appointments Commission. The Sovereign, traditionally the fount of honour, cannot hold a British peerage (although the British Sovereign, whether male or female, is informally"
"20th century, peerages were usually hereditary, and, until the end of the 20th century, English, Scottish, British and UK peerages (except, until very recent times, those for the time being held by women) carried the right to a seat in the House of Lords. Hereditary peerages are now normally given only to members of the Royal Family. The most recent were the grants to the Queen's youngest son, the Earl of Wessex, on his marriage in 1999; to the Queen's grandson Prince William, who was made the Duke of Cambridge on the morning before his marriage to Catherine Middleton on"
"Life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as age and citizenship. The legitimate children of a life peer are entitled to style themselves with the prefix ""The Honourable"", although they cannot inherit the peerage itself. The Crown, as ""fount of honour"", creates peerages of two types, being"
"Peerage of England The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain. Until the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999, all Peers of England could sit in the House of Lords. (Women peers of England were only granted seats with the Peerage Act 1963.) The ranks of the English peerage are, in descending order, Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and Baron. While most newer English peerages descend only in the male"
"is, entitled to heraldic arms)—minor nobility. All modern British honours, including peerage dignities, are created directly by the British monarch, taking effect when letters patent are affixed with the Great Seal of the Realm. The Sovereign is considered the fount of honour and, as ""the fountain and source of all dignities cannot hold a dignity from himself"", cannot hold a British peerage. Descendants in the male-line of peers and children of women who are peeresses in their own right, as well as baronets, knights, dames and certain other persons who bear no peerage titles belong to the gentry, deemed members"
"baronial status becoming personal rather than territorial. Feudal baronies had always been hereditable by primogeniture, but on condition of payment of a fine, termed ""relief"", derived from the Latin verb ""levo"" to lift up, meaning a ""re-elevation"" to a former position of honour. Baronies and other titles of nobility became unconditionally hereditable on the abolition of feudal tenure by the Tenures Abolition Act of 1660, and non-hereditable titles began to be created in 1876 for Law Lords, and in 1958 for Life Peers. In the UK, five peerages co-exist, namely: Peers are of five ranks, in descending order of hierarchy:"
"Royal dukedoms in the United Kingdom In the British peerage, a royal duke is a member of the British royal family, entitled to the titular dignity of prince and the style of ""His Royal Highness"" who holds a dukedom. Dukedoms are the highest titles in the British roll of peerage and the holders of these particular dukedoms are Princes of the Blood Royal. The holders of the dukedoms are royal not the titles themselves. They are titles created and bestowed on legitimate sons and male-line grandsons of the British monarch, usually upon reaching their majority or marriage. The titles can"
"over the College of Arms and no coat of arms may be granted without his warrant. As a symbol of his office, he carries a baton of gold with black finish at either end. In the general order of precedence, the Earl Marshal is currently the highest hereditary position in the United Kingdom outside the Royal Family. Although other state and ecclesiastical officers rank above in precedence, they are not hereditary. The exception is the office of Lord Great Chamberlain, which is notionally higher than Earl Marshal and also hereditary, but as it is currently held by a marquess (Marquess"
"hereditary title awarded by the British Crown known as a baronetcy. The name baronet is a diminutive of the peerage title baron. The rank of a baronet is between that of a baron and a knight; it has never entitled the bearer to a seat in the House of Lords, but it is hereditary. Welsh peers and baronets This is an index of Welsh peers and baronets whose primary peerage, life peerage, and baronetcy titles include a Welsh place-name origin or its territorial qualification is within the historic counties of Wales. Welsh-titled peers derive their titles from a variety of"
"heir presumptive's heir is his elder son Felix George Pease (b. 1992)<br> Baron Gainford Baron Gainford, of Headlam in the County of Durham, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1917 for the Liberal politician Jack Pease, a member of the Darlington Pease family. He notably served as President of the Board of Education from 1911 to 1915. Pease was the second son of Sir Joseph W. Pease, 1st Baronet, and the grandson of Joseph Pease, while Arthur Pease was his uncle and Sir Arthur Francis Pease, 1st Baronet, Beaumont Pease, 1st Baron"
"Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer, as well as certain officials such as some judges and members of the Scottish gentry. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives, officials and others do not themselves hold substantive titles. There are several different kinds of courtesy titles in the British peerage. If a peer of one of the top three ranks (a duke, marquess or earl) has more than one title, his eldest"
"peers. Peerages may be created by means of letters patent, but the granting of new hereditary peerages has largely dwindled; only seven hereditary peers have been created after 1965, four of them members of the British royal family. Before 1999, peers were entitled to sit in the House of Lords, but since the House of Lords Act 1999 was passed, only 92 are permitted to do so, unless they are also life peers. Peers are called to the House of Lords with a writ of summons. The hereditary peerage, as it now exists, combines several different English institutions with analogous"
"website currently describes the Queen as the fount of honour for ""life peerages, knighthoods and gallantry awards"", with no mention of hereditary titles. Until 1963 peers could not disclaim their peerage in order to sit in the House of Commons, and thus a peerage was sometimes seen as an impediment to a future political career. In 1999, the House of Lords Act abolished the automatic right of hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords. Out of about 750 hereditary peers, only 92 may sit in the House of Lords. The Act provides that 90 of those 92 seats"
"Peerage of Great Britain The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain after the Acts of Union 1707 but before the Acts of Union 1800. It replaced the Peerage of England and the Peerage of Scotland, until it was itself replaced by the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1801. The ranks of the Peerage of Great Britain are Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount and Baron. Until the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999, all Peers of Great Britain could sit in the House of Lords. In the following table of"
"(referred to as gentlemen due to their income solely deriving from land ownership). Before the twentieth century, peerages were generally hereditary and (with a few exceptions), descended in the male line. The eldest son of a Duke, Marquess or Earl almost always uses one of his father's subsidiary titles as a courtesy title; for instance, the eldest son of the Earl of Snowdon is called Viscount Linley. The modern peerage system is a vestige of the custom of English kings in the 12th and 13th centuries in summoning wealthy individuals (along with church officials and elected representatives for commoners) to"
"Hereditary title Hereditary titles, in a general sense, are titles of nobility, positions or styles that are hereditary and thus tend or are bound to remain in particular families. Though both monarchs and nobles usually inherit their titles, the mechanisms often differ, even in the same country. The British crown has been heritable by women since the medieval era (in the absence of brothers), while the vast majority of hereditary noble titles granted by British sovereigns are not heritable by daughters. Often a hereditary title is inherited only by the legitimate, eldest son of the original grantee or that son's"
"substantive title). Lord Arundel's eldest son (should he have one during his father's lifetime) would be styled ""Lord Maltravers"". However, only The Duke of Norfolk is actually a peer; his son Lord Arundel and his hypothetical grandson Lord Maltravers are not. Courtesy titles are only used by the peer's eldest living son, and the eldest son's eldest living son, and so forth. Other descendants are not permitted to use the peer's subsidiary titles. Only the heir apparent (and heir apparent to the heir apparent, and so on) may use them. An heir presumptive (e.g., a brother, nephew, or cousin) does"
"the Peerage of England. Baron Roos of Belvoir, of Belvoir in the County of Leicester was established in 1896 in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, but have a longer ancestry in the titles of Baron de Ros. The most senior subsidiary title, ""Marquess of Granby"", is the courtesy title used by the Duke's eldest son and heir. David Manners, 11th Duke of Rutland David Charles Robert Manners, 11th Duke of Rutland (born 8 May 1959), is a British peer and landowner. Rutland is the elder son of the 10th Duke of Rutland by his second wife, the former Frances"
"Marquess of Reading Marquess of Reading is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1926 for Rufus Isaacs, 1st Earl of Reading, the former Viceroy of India and Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales. He had already been created Baron Reading, of Erleigh in the County of Berkshire, in 1914, Viscount Reading, of Erleigh in the County of Berkshire, in 1916, and Viscount Erleigh, of Erleigh in the County of Berkshire, and Earl of Reading, in 1917. The marquessate of Reading is the highest title in the British peerage ever attained by a"
"as Baron Hennessy, of Windlesham in the County of Surrey, so that he could continue to sit in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999, which removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to a seat in the upper chamber of parliament. the titles are held by his son, the fourth Baron. The heir apparent is the present holder's son Hon. George Rupert James Hennessy (b. 2006) Baron Windlesham Baron Windlesham, of Windlesham in the County of Surrey, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1937"
"Baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The practice of awarding baronetcies was originally introduced in England in the 14th century and was used by James I of England in 1611 as a means of raising funds. A baronetcy is the only British hereditary honour that is not a peerage, with the exception of the Anglo-Irish Black Knight, White Knight and Green Knight (of which only the Green Knight is"
"Peerage law The British Peerage is governed by a body of law that has developed over several centuries. Much of this law has been established by a few important cases, and some of the more significant of these are addressed in this article. The Crown, as ""fount of honour"", may determine all petitions claiming peerages. The Sovereign upon the Attorney-General's advice can grant the claim or, in contentious matters, send it to the House of Lords, who in turn send it to the Select Committee for Privileges. (The House of Lords appoints 16 peers – including the Chairman of Committees"
"Earl of Shrewsbury Earl of Shrewsbury () is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the Peerage of England. The second earldom dates to 1442. The holder of the Earldom of Shrewsbury also holds the title of Earl of Waterford (1446) in the Peerage of Ireland and Earl Talbot (1784) in the Peerage of Great Britain. Shrewsbury and Waterford are the oldest earldoms in their peerages held by someone with no higher title (the oldest earldoms in each peerage being held by the Duke of Norfolk and Duke of Leinster respectively), and as such the Earl of Shrewsbury is"
"of the general disability of such peers to sit in or vote for the House of Commons, it is no longer necessary for hereditary peers to disclaim their peerages for this purpose. In 2001, John Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso became the first British hereditary peer to be elected to the Commons and take his seat. Later that year, Douglas Hogg inherited the peerage his father (Quintin Hogg) had disclaimed, but did not have to disclaim it himself to continue sitting in the House of Commons. In 2004, Michael Ancram became Marquess of Lothian on the death of his father, and"
"case, ""Duke of Norfolk"" – while all of his other titles would be subsidiary titles. In the United Kingdom, a peer's heir apparent may use his parent's most senior subsidiary title as a courtesy title, provided that it causes no confusion. For example, the Duke of Norfolk's heir apparent is known as Earl of Arundel (without 'the'), although the son does not technically become the Earl of Arundel until his father's death, and he remains legally a commoner until then. If a subsidiary peerage has the same name as a higher peerage, it is not used as a courtesy title."
"no claim that the use thereof is pursuant to a hereditary grant to an ancestor by a governmental fount of honor. Some individuals, associations or corporations purport to grant or transmit a legal or official right to a title, honour, acknowledgement or membership in a self-styled order of chivalry to an individual or family upon receipt of a remittance, donation or research fee in connection with the alleged honour, receiving a certificate of recognition. The British peerage encompasses the titles of baron, viscount, earl, marquess and duke. All of these titleholders, save dukes, are known by the honorific ""Lord"" (in"