BRITISH NOBILITY

'British nobility' refers to the noble families of the United Kingdom.

General history of British nobility

The nobility of the four constituent home nations of the United Kingdom has played a major role in shaping the history of the country, although in the present day nobles do not command anywhere near as much power as they have done in the past. The British nobility constists of two entities, the peerage and gentry. [Usually the gentry are considered separate from the nobility, for example, by Merriam-Webster's, Webster's and Encarta Dictionary.] Members of the peerage are titled (duke, marquess, earl, viscount, baron), frequently referred to as peers or lords. The rest of the nobility is referred as gentry, and with the exception of the baronet, which is a title of hereditary knight, or of those that are knighted (for life), being called Sir X Y, they bear no titles apart from the qualification of esquire or gentleman (which is a legal qualification).
Before the twentieth century, peerages were generally hereditary and (with a few exceptions), descended in the male line. The eldest son of a Duke, Marquis or Earl frequently has a courtesy title - often one of his father's subsidiary titles. For example, the eldest son of the Earl of Snowdon is called Viscount Linley.
English peers were entitled to sit in the House of Lords, but only a limited number of Scottish and Irish peers could do so. A member of the House of Lords could not be a member of the House of Commons. In 1960, Anthony Wedgewood Benn, MP inherited his father's title as Viscount Stansgate. He fought and won the ensuing by election, but was disqualified from taking his seat. As a result an act was passed enabling peers to renounce their titles.
During the 1960s, the government introduced (non-hereditary) life peers and ceased creating hereditary peers. This convention was not observed by Margaret Thatcher who created a few new hereditary peers. The reform of the House of Lords under Tony Blair reduced the number of hereditary peers entitled to sit in the Lords.

Ranks and Titles

External links

★ Fake titles

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BRITISH NOBILITY

General history of British nobility

Ranks and Titles

Dukes

Marquesses

Earls

Viscounts

Barons

Baronets

Knights

Lesser Titles

Untitled Classes

See also

External links

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