What is the highest title in the English peerage?
Peerage of England
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 line, many of the older ones (particularly older baronies) can descend through females. Under English inheritance law all daughters are co-heirs, so many older English peerage titles have fallen into abeyance between various female co-heirs.
Baron
In the Peerage of England, the Peerage of Great Britain, the Peerage of Ireland and the Peerage of the United Kingdom (but not in the Peerage of Scotland), barons form the lowest rank, placed immediately below viscounts. A woman of baronial rank has the title baroness. In the Kingdom of England, the medieval Latin word ", baronis" was used originally to denote a tenant-in-chief of the early Norman kings who held his lands by the feudal tenure of "barony" (in Latin "per baroniam"), and who was entitled to attend the Great Council (Magnum Concilium) which by the 13th century had developed into the Parliament of England.
Feudal baronies (or "baronies by tenure") are now obsolete in England and without any legal force but any such historical titles are held "in gross", that is to say are deemed to be enveloped within a more modern extant peerage title also held by the holder, sometimes along with vestigial manorial rights and tenures by grand serjeanty.
Earl of Warwick
Earl of Warwick is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the United Kingdom. The title has been created four times in English history, and the name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick.
Lord
The upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom is the House of Lords, which is an abbreviation of the full title, The Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament Assembled. The Lords Temporal are the people who are entitled to receive writs of summons to attend the House of Lords in right of a peerage. The Lords Spiritual are the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Bishops of London, Winchester and Durham, and the twenty-one longest-serving bishops of the Church of England from among the other bishops, who are all entitled to receive writs of summons in right of their bishoprics or archbishoprics.
Peerages in the United Kingdom
The ranks of baron and earl date to feudal, and perhaps Anglo-Saxon, times. The ranks of duke and marquess were introduced in the 14th century, and that of viscount in the 15th century. While peerages for life were often created in the early days of the peerage, their regular creation was not provided for by Act of Parliament until the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876.
Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom
Titles with the same name as a peer's main title are also not used as courtesy titles. For instance, The Duke of Westminster is also The Marquess of Westminster and The Earl Grosvenor (amongst other titles). The duke's eldest son is not styled "Marquess of Westminster" (which would cause confusion between the son and the father), and so is styled "Earl Grosvenor" instead. The title used does not have to be exactly equivalent to the actual peerage: the eldest son of the current Duke of Wellington is styled Marquess "of" Douro, although the actual peerage possessed by his father is Marquess Douro (not "of" Douro).
Francis Taylor, 1st Baron Maenan
Taylor was invested as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1918 and promoted to Knight Grand Cross (GBE) in 1929. For his services to the judiciary he was raised to the peerage as Baron Maenan, of Ellesmere in the County of Shropshire, on 29 June 1948, then aged 93 and the oldest person ever to be made a peer.
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.
Peerages in the United Kingdom
In Spain and Portugal, the closest equivalent title was Grandee; in Hungary, Magnat.
Aristocracy (class)
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 Lords for life with the right to be known by their title. For example, John Gummer became (The Rt Hon.) Lord Deben.
Baron Trevethin and Oaksey
Baron Trevethin, of Blaengawney in the County of Monmouth, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1921 for the prominent judge Sir Alfred Lawrence, Lord Chief Justice of England from 1921 to 1922. The first baron's eldest son and heir, Hon. Clive Lawrence, predeceased him; he had been HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor from 1923 until his death in 1926. Hence, on the first baron's death, the title passed to his second son, Charles. His third son the Hon. Geoffrey Lawrence was also a noted jurist and served as the main British judge at the Nuremberg trials. In 1947 he was himself raised to the peerage as Baron Oaksey, of Oaksey in the County of Wilts. In 1959 he succeeded his elder brother Charles as third Baron Trevethin, although he continued to be known as Lord Oaksey. the titles are held by his grandson, the fifth Baron Trevethin and third Baron Oaksey, who succeeded in 2012. He is a QC who sits in the House of Lords as a Crossbench excepted hereditary peer following a by-election in 2015.
Lord Forbes
Lord Forbes is the senior Lordship of Parliament in the Peerage of Scotland.
Peerages in the United Kingdom
Peers wear their coronets at coronations. Otherwise, coronets are seen only in heraldic representations, atop a peer's arms. Coronets include a silver gilt chaplet and a base of ermine fur. The coronet varies with the rank of the peer. A member of the Royal Family uses a royal coronet instead of the coronet he or she would use as a peer or peeress.
Peerages in the United Kingdom
Apart from hereditary peerages, there exists peerages that may be held for life and whose title cannot be passed onto someone else by inheritance. The Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 and the Life Peerages Act 1958 authorise the regular creation of life peerages, with the right to sit in the House of Lords. Life peers created under both acts are of baronial rank and are always created under letters patent.
Baron Rodney
Baron Rodney, of Rodney Stoke in the County of Somerset, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1782 for the naval commander Sir George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baronet. He had previously been created a Baronet, of Alresford in the County of Southampton, in the Baronetage of Great Britain on 22 January 1764. His son, the second Baron, represented Northampton in Parliament. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the third Baron. He served as Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire. His younger brother, the fourth Baron, assumed by Royal licence the additional surname of Harley in 1804. On his death the titles passed to his younger brother, the fifth Baron. He was Rector of Elmley in Kent. He was succeeded by his nephew, the sixth Baron. He was the son of Captain the Hon. Robert Rodney, fourth son of the second Baron. The sixth Baron's great-grandson, the ninth Baron, was an active member of the House of Lords and served as a Delegate to the Council of Europe and the Western European Union. the titles are held by the latter's grandson, the eleventh Baron, who succeeded in 2011.The present heir presumptive to the barony is Nicholas Simon Harley Rodney (b. 1947), a great-great-grandson of the 6th Baron
The heir presumptive's heir is his brother Christopher Lossie Charles Rodney (b. 1957)
The next in line is the heir presumptive's first cousin David James Rodney (b. 1965). His heir is his elder son Harry John Melville Rodney (b. 1992)
British nobility
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 of the non-peerage nobility below whom they rank. The Scottish feudal barony, an official title of nobility in the United Kingdom, is addressed as "The Baron of X". The untitled nobility consists of all those who bear formally matriculated, or recorded, armorial bearings. Other than their designation, such as Gentleman or Esquire, they enjoy only the privilege of a position in the formal orders of precedence in the United Kingdom. The largest portion of the British aristocracy have historically been the landed gentry, made up of baronets and the non-titled armigerous landowners whose families hailed from the mediaeval feudal class (referred to as gentlemen due to their income solely deriving from land ownership).
Hereditary peer
A title held by someone who becomes monarch is said to "merge in the Crown" and ceases to exist, for the Sovereign cannot hold a dignity from himself. The Dukedom of Cornwall and of Rothesay, and the Earldom of Carrick, are special cases, which when not in use are said to "lapse to the Crown": they are construed as existing, but held by no one, during such periods. These peerages are also special because they are never directly inherited. The Dukedom of Cornwall was held formerly by the eldest son of the King of England, and the Dukedom of Rothesay, the Earldom of Carrick, and certain non-peerage titles (Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland) by the eldest son of the King of Scotland. Since those titles have been united, the dukedoms and associated subsidiary titles are held by the eldest son of the monarch. In Scotland, the title "Duke of Rothesay" is used for life. In England and Northern Ireland, the title "Duke of Cornwall" is used until the heir-apparent is created Prince of Wales. At the same time as the Principality is created, the Duke is also created Earl of Chester. The earldom is a special case, because it is not hereditary, instead revesting or merging in the Crown if the Prince succeeds to the Crown or predeceases the monarch: thus George III was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester a month after his father's death.
List of viscountcies in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
A number of Speakers of the House of Commons have been elevated to the peerage as viscounts. Of the nineteen Speakers between 1801 and 1983, eleven were made viscounts, five were made barons, one refused a peerage and two died in office (and their widows were created a viscountess and a baroness). The last such was George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy upon his retirement in 1983. Since then it has had become more common to grant life peerages to retiring Speakers.
Peerage law
For the early part of English history, peers sometimes surrendered their peerages to the Crown. Most surrenders occurred during the early years of the nation, but surrender occurred as late as 1640, when Roger Stafford, 6th Baron Stafford was ordered to surrender his dignity to the Crown in return for eight hundred pounds sterling. Later that year, however, the House of Lords, in order to guard the position of its members, which had been threatened by the power to order surrenders of peerages, resolved, "(i) That no person that hath any Honour of him and a Peer of this Realm, may alien or transfer the Honour to any other Person, (ii) That no Peer of this Realm can drown or extinguish his Honour, but that it descends to his descendants, neither by Surrender, Grant, Fine, nor any other conveyance to the King."
False titles of nobility
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 Scotland the lowest rank in the peerage is "Lord (of Parliament)" rather than "Baron"). No peerage is capable of being sold, as such a transaction would be in breach of the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925. The British embassy in the United States informs that "the sale of British titles is prohibited".
Peerages in the United Kingdom
Individuals who use the style "Lord" or "Lady" are not necessarily peers. Children of peers use special titles called courtesy titles. The heir apparent of a duke, a marquess, or an earl generally uses his father's highest lesser peerage dignity as his own. Hence, the Duke of Devonshire's son is called Marquess of Hartington. Such an heir apparent is called a "courtesy peer", but is a commoner until such time as he inherits (unless summoned by a writ in acceleration).
Baron Margadale
Baron Margadale, of Islay in the County of Argyll, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 1 January 1965 for the Conservative politician John Morrison. the title is held by his grandson, the third baron, who succeeded his father in 2003. The barony of Margadale is the most recent hereditary barony granted to an individual outside the royal family, and so Lord Margadale is the most junior of Britain's hereditary peers. The barony is named after the area of Margadale, in Islay.
Earl of Shrewsbury
Lord Shrewsbury is the senior earl on the Roll in the Peerage of England (the more senior earldom of Arundel being held by the Duke of Norfolk). The earldom of Waterford is sometimes called the "Premier Earldom of Ireland "on the Roll"", as the oldest Irish earldom, that of Kildare, has been a subsidiary title of the Duke of Leinster for centuries and the Earl held the oldest Irish earldom held by anyone ranked as an Earl. If the Viscount Mountgarret proves his presumed claim to the 1328 earldom of Ormonde, the Earls of Shrewsbury would lose this distinction, but they derive higher precedence from their English earldom in any event. Despite holding three differently named earldoms Lord Shrewsbury is always styled simply "The Earl of Shrewsbury".
Baron Monteagle
Baron Monteagle or Baron Mount Eagle is a title that has been created three times; in the Peerage of England, in the Peerage of Ireland and in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.
Canadian peers and baronets
In 1891, Lord Mount Stephen became the first Canadian to be elevated to the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The significant losses of the First World War included many direct heirs to titles and some replacements were found in Canada resulting in the acquisition of titles by Canadians who, as British subjects, were eligible to inherit.
Baron Thomson
Baron Thomson is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It can refer to:
Baronage
Yet the ancient usage of the degree of barony as the "sine qua non" of the nobility continued until the 21st. century. All members of the peerage must be barons, as it were to qualify, for as Hallam stated: "Every earl was also a baron",
and in this respect the ancient concept of the baronage survives as the common factor of the nobility. No commoner is ever elevated directly to a higher degree of nobility without the fiction of at the same time being created a baron, enabling him to join the baronage of ages past, which therefore still survives in this theoretical form. Thus the commoner Admiral John Jervis was elevated to the peerage in 1797 as Earl St Vincent, a fittingly high reward for his naval services, at the same time he was created the relatively lowly Baron Jervis. The same was the case in the 1980s on the elevation of the former British prime-minister Harold Macmillan to an earldom, when he was created a baron simultaneously. Such a barony is borne "in gross" that is to say it is never used by its holder but rather is submerged within his higher title. It may however emerge when used by his heir apparent to take a seat in the House of Lords by writ of acceleration, that is to say where such son has particular political skills which the government of the day wishes to make available to itself in parliament. It may also be used without any legal or political substance as a courtesy title by the eldest son of an earl or higher noble.
List of British Jewish nobility and gentry
The British title system consists of two, sometimes overlapping entities, the peerage and the gentry. The peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles which is constituted by the ranks of British nobility. Under this system, only the senior family member bears a substantive title (duke, marquess, earl, viscount, baron). The gentry are untitled members of the upper classes, however, exceptions include baronets, knights, Scottish barons and Lairds.
Baron Byron
Baron Byron, of Rochdale in the County Palatine of Lancaster, is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1643 by letters patent for John Byron, 1st Baron Byron, a Cavalier general and former Member of Parliament. The peerage was created with remainder to the heirs male of his body, failing, to his six brothers: Richard, William, Thomas, Robert, Gilbert, and Philip, and the heirs male of their bodies. Lord Byron died childless and was succeeded according to the special remainder by his next eldest brother Richard, the second Baron.
Earl Marshal
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 of Cholmondeley), is consequently lower in the general order of precedence. The holding of the Earl Marshalship secures the Duke of Norfolk's traditional position as the "first peer" of the land, above all other dukes.
St John (name)
Barons St John of Bletso (1559) is a title in the Peerage of England
History of the British peerage
The next major event in the history of the Peerage occurred in 1707, when England and Scotland united into Great Britain. There were, at the time, one hundred and sixty-eight English peers and one hundred and fifty-four Scottish ones. English peers did not wish for their individual significance in the House of Lords to dwindle, so they agreed to permit Scotland to elect just sixteen representative peers to sit in the House of Lords (see Parliament and the Peerage). After the Union, creations in both the Peerage of England and the Peerage of Scotland ceased and all new peerages were created in the Peerage of Great Britain.
Baron Wrenbury
Baron Wrenbury, of Old Castle, Dallington in the County of Sussex, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1915 for the barrister and judge Sir Henry Buckley. He served as a Judge of the High Court of Justice and as a Lord Justice of Appeal. the title is held by his great-grandson, the fourth Baron, who succeeded his father in 2014. The Hon. Sir Denys Buckley, younger son of the first Baron, was also a Judge of the High Court of Justice and Lord Justice of Appeal.The heir apparent is the present holder's son the Hon. Jamie Paul Buckley (b. 2001).
Peerages in the United Kingdom
Within the members of each rank of the peerage, peers of England precede peers of Scotland. English and Scottish peers together precede peers of Great Britain. All of the aforementioned precede peers of Ireland created before 1801. Last come peers of Ireland created after 1801 and peers of the United Kingdom. Among peers of the same rank and Peerage, precedence is based on the creation of the title: those whose titles were created earlier precede those whose titles were created later. But in no case would a peer of a lower rank precede one of a higher rank. For example, the Duke of Fife, the last non-royal to be created a duke, would come before the Marquess of Winchester, though the latter's title was created earlier and is in a more senior peerage (the peerage of England).
Duke of Edinburgh (disambiguation)
Duke of Edinburgh is a title in the British peerage.
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.
Earl Cathcart
Earl Cathcart is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.
Hereditary peer
In the Scottish peerage, the lowest rank is "lordship of Parliament", the male holder thereof being known as a lord of Parliament. A Scottish "barony" is a feudal rank, and not of the Peerage. The barony by tenure or feudal barony in England and Wales was similar to a Scottish feudal barony, in being hereditary, but is long obsolete, the last full summons of the English feudal barons to military service having occurred in 1327. The Tenures Abolition Act 1660 finally quashed any remaining doubt as to their continued status.
Earl Cowper
Earl Cowper (pronounced "Cooper") was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1718 by George I for William Cowper, 1st Baron Cowper, his first Lord Chancellor, with remainder in default of male issue of his own to his younger brother, Spencer Cowper. Cowper had already been created Baron Cowper of Wingham in the County of Kent, in the Peerage of England on 14 December 1706, with normal remainder to the heirs male of his body, and was made Viscount Fordwich, in the County of Kent, at the same time as he was given the earldom, also Peerage of Great Britain and with similar remainder. He was the great-grandson of William Cowper, who was created a Baronet, of Ratling Court in the County of Kent, in the Baronetage of England on 4 March 1642. The latter was succeeded by his grandson, the second Baronet. He represented Hertford in Parliament. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the aforementioned William Cowper, the third Baronet, who was elevated to the peerage as Baron Cowper in 1706 and made Earl Cowper in 1718. In 1706 Lord Cowper married as his second wife Mary Clavering, daughter of John Clavering, of Chopwell, County Durham.
Peerages in the United Kingdom
This right, entitlement or "title", began to be granted by decree in the form of a Writ of Summons from 1265 and by Letters Patent from 1388. Additionally, many holders of smaller fiefdoms "per baroniam" ceased to be summoned to parliament, resulting in 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.
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland consists of those titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount and Baron. As of 2016, there were 135 titles in the Peerage of Ireland extant: two dukedoms, ten marquessates, 43 earldoms, 28 viscountcies, and 52 baronies. The Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland continues to exercise jurisdiction over the Peerage of Ireland, including those peers whose titles derive from places located in what is now the Republic of Ireland. Article 40.2 of the Irish Constitution forbids the state conferring titles of nobility and a citizen may not accept titles of nobility or honour except with the prior approval of the Government. As stated above, this issue does not arise in respect of the Peerage of Ireland, as no creations of titles in it have been made since the Constitution came into force.
Baronet
The Premier Baronet (of England) is the unofficial title afforded to the current holder of the oldest extant baronetcy in the realm. The Premier Baronet is regarded as the senior member of the Baronetage, and ranks above other baronets (unless they hold a peerage title) in the United Kingdom Order of Precedence. Sir Nicholas Bacon, 14th Baronet, is the current Premier Baronet, whose family's senior title was created by King James I in 1611.
Peerage of England
Baronets, while holders of hereditary titles, are not peers and do not confer nobility. Knights, Dames, and holders of other non-hereditary orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom are also not peers.
Royal Army Chaplains' Department
Chaplains are the only British Army officers who do not carry standard officer ranks. They are officially designated Chaplain to the Forces (CF) (e.g. "The Reverend John Smith CF"). They do, however, have grades which equate to the standard ranks and wear the insignia of the equivalent rank. Chaplains are usually addressed as "Padre" , never by their nominal military rank.The senior Church of England Chaplain is ranked within the church hierarchy as an Archdeacon – he or she holds the appointment of Archdeacon for the Army whether or not he or she is also the Chaplain-General. The Senior Roman Catholic Chaplain (usually a CF1) is sometimes ranked as a monsignor.
Hereditary peer
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 more of England's largest estates passed down through inheritance, particularly those with medieval roots: until the late 19th century the dominant English and Scottish land division on death was primogeniture.
Peerage of Ireland
In the following table, each peer is listed only by his or her highest Irish title, showing higher or equal titles in the other peerages. Those peers who are known by a higher title in one of the other peerages are listed in "italics".
Hereditary peer
The hereditary peers form part of the peerage in the United Kingdom. As of 2016 there are 820 hereditary peers. The numbers of peers – of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the UK – whose titles are the highest they hold (i.e. are not subsidiary titles) are: dukes, 24 (non-royal); marquesses, 34; earls, 193; viscounts, 112; barons, 445.
Peter Eagles
On 28 January 2008, Eagles was promoted to Chaplain to the Forces 1st Class (equivalent in rank to colonel) and appointed an Assistant Chaplain General. On 28 July 2011, he was collated and licensed as the Archdeacon for the Army, the most senior Anglican chaplain in the British Army, during a service at Lambeth Palace Chapel; as such he is a member of the General Synod of the Church of England. From 2013 to 2014, he attended the Royal College of Defence Studies to prepare for further promotion. On 14 July 2014, he was appointed the Deputy Chaplain General (equivalent in rank to brigadier), thereby becoming the second most senior chaplain in the British Army.
Peerage of Ireland
The last two grants of Irish peerages were: the promotion of the Marquess of Abercorn (a peerage of Great Britain) to be Duke of Abercorn in the Irish Peerage when he became Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland in 1868 and the granting of the Curzon of Kedleston barony to George Curzon when he became Viceroy of India in 1898. Peers of Ireland have precedence below peers of England, Scotland, and Great Britain of the same rank, and above peers of the United Kingdom of the same rank; but Irish peers created after 1801 yield to United Kingdom peers of earlier creation. Accordingly, the Duke of Abercorn (the junior Duke in the Peerage of Ireland) ranks between the Duke of Sutherland and the Duke of Westminster (both dukes in the Peerage of the United Kingdom).
List of earls in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
As can be seen from the list above, the men who are (1) Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery, (2) Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire, (3) Earl of Lindsey and Abingdon and (4) Earl of Winchilsea and Nottingham each hold two earldoms in the peerage of England. There are therefore 24 such earldoms whose holder does not hold a higher peerage.
1999 New Year Honours
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is the fourth-most senior of the British Orders of Chivalry with three classes of member.
Lieutenant General Scott Carnegie Grant, C.B. (479236), late Corps of Royal Engineers
Air Marshal John Romney Day, O.B.E., Royal Air Force.
The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George is an order of chivalry used to honour individuals who have rendered important services in relation to Commonwealth or foreign nations;.The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms; admission remains in the personal gift of the monarch.
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry comprising five classes in civil and military divisions. It is the junior of the British orders of chivalry, and the largest, with over 100,000 living members worldwide. The highest two ranks of the order, the Knight/Dame Grand Cross and Knight/Dame Commander, admit an individual into knighthood or damehood allowing the recipient to use the title Sir or Dame.
The Royal Red Cross is a military decoration awarded for exceptional services in military nursing.
Peerage of Great Britain
In the following table of peers of Great Britain, higher or equal titles in the other peerages are listed. Those peers who are known by a higher title in one of the other peerages are listed in "italics".
Peerages in the United Kingdom
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 be created again in 1867 for Law Lords, and 1958 generally.
Earl of Mount Edgcumbe
Earl of Mount Edgcumbe is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1789 for George Edgcumbe, 3rd Baron Edgcumbe. This branch of the Edgcumbe family descends from Sir Piers Edgcumbe of Cotehele in Cornwall (descended from the younger son of Richard Edgcumbe (fl.1324) of Edgcumbe in the parish of Milton Abbot in Devon), who acquired an estate near Plymouth through marriage in the early 16th century, which was later re-named "Mount Edgcumbe" (a common tradition shared by several estates particularly on the south coast of Devon, for example Mount Tavy, Mount Radford, Mount Boone, Mount Gold (Plymouth), Mount Wise, etc.). His descendant Richard Edgcumbe was a prominent politician and served as Paymaster-General of Ireland and as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. In 1742 he was created Baron Edgcumbe, of Mount Edgcumbe in the County of Devon, in the Peerage of Great Britain. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Baron. He represented Plympton Erle, Lostwithiel and Penrhyn in the House of Commons and served as Lord-Lieutenant of Cornwall. On his death the title passed to his younger brother, the third Baron. He was an Admiral of the Blue and also held political office as Treasurer of the Household and as Captain of the Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners. In 1781 he was created Viscount Mount Edgcumbe and Valletort and in 1789 he was further honoured when he was made Earl of Mount Edgcumbe. Both titles are in the Peerage of Great Britain.
Noblesse
As such, a Scottish armiger is recognized under Scottish heraldic law as within the non-peerage rank of Gentleman, which is so recognized under Scots law as a social dignity. Given this court decision, the term "nobility" should be avoided, as it has long been confined in Britain to the peerage, or someone of official social rank (Dukes, Marquises, Earls, Viscounts, Barons, etc.). Instead, it is more appropriate to use the term Noblesse in the context of the French definition, which includes the non-peerage rank of Gentlemen. A Gentleman is the lowest rank of gentry, standing below an esquire and above a yeoman. It includes the untitled and minor nobility - the "noblesse", to whom rightly belong lairds (those with territorial designations), Esquires and Gentlemen, "known" through the grant or matriculation of armorial bearings.
History of the British peerage
At first, earls and barons were the only ranks in the peerage. The other ranks of the Peerage developed in the fourteenth and fifteenth century. In 1337, Edward, the Black Prince was created Duke of Cornwall, taking precedence over all earls. Dukedoms were reserved for members of the Royal Family until 1387, when Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford, the favourite of Richard II, was created Duke of Ireland for life. De Vere had previously been created Marquess of Dublin for life, making him the first person to hold a dignity of such a rank between Dukes and Earls. Subsequent marquessates were created rarely; the Marquess of Winchester, whose dignity was created in 1551, is the only English marquess without a dukedom. The rank of viscount was introduced from Europe in 1440, when John, Baron Beaumont, was created Viscount Beaumont, with precedence between earls and barons.
Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
New judges appointed to the Supreme Court after its creation will not necessarily receive peerages; however, they are given the courtesy title of Lord or Lady upon appointment. The President and Deputy President are appointed to those roles rather than being the most senior by tenure in office.
Richard Luce, Baron Luce
Lord Luce was appointed a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter (KG) on 23 April 2008. The Order of the Garter is the highest Order of Chivalry in the United Kingdom and is in the personal bestowal of the Queen. The membership of the Order of the Garter is limited to 24 at any one time, and this number excludes the British Royal Family and foreign royal families who are members. The Order currently includes one former British Prime Minister, Sir John Major, as well as numerous British government ministers and senior members of the Royal Household.
Robes of the British peerage
For male peers, the Coronation robe is a cloak of crimson velvet extending to the feet, open in the front (with white silk satin ribbon ties) and trailing behind. Attached to the robe is a cape and collar of miniver pure; the rank of the peer is indicated by rows of "ermine tails (or the like)" on the miniver cape: 4 for a duke, 3½ for a marquess, 3 for an earl, 2½ for a viscount and 2 for a baron. (Royal dukes have six rows of ermine, and additional rows on the collar and on the front edges of the garment.) Peers are entitled to wear the coronation robe whether or not they are members of the House of Lords.
Knight Bachelor
Knighthood is usually conferred for public service; amongst its recipients are all male judges of Her Majesty's High Court of Justice in England. It is possible to be a Knight Bachelor and a junior member of an order of chivalry without being a knight of that order; this situation has become rather common, especially among those recognised for achievements in entertainment. For instance, Sir Ian Holm, Sir Michael Gambon, Sir Derek Jacobi, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sir Elton John, Sir Michael Caine, Sir Barry Gibb and Sir Ian McKellen are Commanders of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBEs); Sir Bruce Forsyth, Sir Alan Bates, Sir Robert Helpmann, Sir Nigel Hawthorne, Sir John Mills, Sir John Hurt, Sir Christopher Lee, Sir Peter Ustinov, Sir Alec Guinness, Sir Richard Attenborough, Sir Michael Hordern, Sir Michael Redgrave, Sir Patrick Stewart, Sir Tom Jones and Sir Van Morrison are Officers of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBEs); while Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr) are Members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE). None of them would be entitled to use the honorific "Sir" by virtue of their membership of the order alone, but as they are all also Knights Bachelor, they are entitled to preface their names with that title.
Peerages in the United Kingdom
Eldest sons of dukes rank after marquesses; eldest sons of marquesses and then younger sons of dukes rank after earls; eldest sons of earls and then younger sons of marquesses rank after viscounts. Eldest sons of viscounts, younger sons of earls, and then eldest sons of barons, in that order, follow barons, with the Treasurer of the Household, the Comptroller of the Household, the Vice-Chamberlain of the Household and Secretaries of State being interpolated between them and the barons. Younger sons of viscounts, and then younger sons of barons, come after the aforesaid eldest sons of barons, with Knights of the Order of the Garter and Order of the Thistle, Privy Councillors and senior judges being intercalated between them and eldest sons of barons.
Duke of Leinster
Duke of Leinster (; ) is a title in the Peerage of Ireland and the premier dukedom in that peerage. The subsidiary titles of the Duke of Leinster are: Marquess of Kildare (1761), Earl of Kildare (1316), Earl of Offaly (1761), Viscount Leinster, of Taplow in the County of Buckingham (1747), Baron Offaly (1620) and Baron Kildare, of Kildare in the County of Kildare (1870). The viscounty of Leinster is in the Peerage of Great Britain, the barony of Kildare in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, and all other titles in the Peerage of Ireland. The courtesy title of the eldest son and heir of the Duke of Leinster is "Marquess of Kildare".
Grandee
Grandee (; , ; , ) is an official aristocratic title conferred on some Spanish nobility and, to a lesser extent, Portuguese nobility. Holders of this dignity enjoyed similar privileges to those of the peerage of France during the Ancien Régime, but unlike in Great Britain, they were not organised into political groupings. "Grandee of Spain" is the highest dignity of nobility in all of Europe, due to its privileges having been greater than those of other similar European dignities, such as the peers of France or the peers of Great Britain. All Dukedoms are automatically attached to a Grandeeship yet only a few Marquessates, Countships, Viscountcies, Baronies and Lordships have the distinction. A single person can be a Grandee of Spain multiple times, as Grandeeships are attached, with the exception of a few cases, to a title and not an individual. Consequently, nobles in Spain with more than one title, most notably the Duchess of Medinaceli and the Duke of Alba, are Grandees 10 and 9 times respectively.
Baron Armstrong
Baron Armstrong is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.
Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom
Any woman who marries a peer uses the feminine version of his peerage title, even if her own precedence is higher than his, as in the case of a duke's daughter marrying a baron, because a peerage is a substantive title, the usage of which is preferred to any courtesy style - unless she marries into the Royal Family. If a woman marries the younger son of a duke or marquess, she becomes "Lady ["Husband's given name"] ["Husband's surname"]." If she marries the younger son of an earl, viscount or baron, she becomes "The Hon. Mrs ["Husband's given name"] ["Husband's surname"]."
Baron Coleridge
Baron Coleridge, of Ottery St Mary in the County of Devon, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1874 for the prominent lawyer, judge and Liberal politician Sir John Coleridge. He served as Lord Chief Justice of England from 1880 to 1894. His son, the second Baron, represented Attercliffe in the House of Commons and served as a Judge of the High Court of Justice. the title is held by the latter's great-grandson, the fifth Baron, who succeeded in 1984.
Peerage of France
The French word ' is equivalent to the English "peerage". The individual title, ' in French and "peer" in English, derives from the Latin "", "equal". It signifies those noblemen and prelates considered to be equal to the monarch in honour (even though they were his vassals), and it considers the monarch thus to be , or "first among equals".
Peerage
A peerage is a legal system historically comprising hereditary titles in various countries, comprising various noble ranks.
Baron Willoughby of Parham
Baron Willoughby of Parham was a title in the Peerage of England with two creations. The first creation was for Sir William Willoughby who was raised to the peerage under letters patent in 1547, with the remainder to his heirs male of body. The second creation was by writ in 1679, without the restriction on inheritance by gender. The creation of the barony gave right to an hereditary peerage and seat in the House of Lords, the upper house of Parliament.
Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere
In Peel's resignation honours (June 1846), Egerton was the only person raised to the peerage. He became Earl of Ellesmere and Baron Brackley (a revival of titles formerly held as subsidiary titles by the Earls of Bridgewater). The "Times" commented on Egerton's elevation: "The only other circumstance of a Ministerial 'going out' worth mention is the reported elevation of Lord Francis Egerton to the Upper House. His Lordship's position by birth and inheritance is so splendid, and so thoroughly sustained by his character and talents, that his accession to the Peerage seems little more than the correction of an accidental anomaly. He adds, at least, as much to the credit of the order as he can possibly receive in return."
Marquess of Exeter
The marquessate of Exeter is the senior marquessate in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The Marquesses also hold the title of hereditary Grand Almoner and Lord Paramount of Peterborough.
Barons in Scotland
An English barony is a peerage (yet the abolition act of 1660 allows for some remaining non-peer baronies not converted by writ to remain as feudal baronies of free socage "incorporeal hereditament" similar to a lordship of the manor), but whether Scottish barons rightfully rank as peers is disputable. They are known as minor barons currently treated as noble titles of less than peerage rank. The Scottish equivalent of an English baron is "Lord of Parliament".
List of viscountcies in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
The majority of viscountcies are held by peers with higher titles, such as duke, marquess or earl; this can come about for a number of reasons, including the title being created as a subsidiary title at the same time as the higher peerage, the holder being elevated at a later time to a higher peerage or through inheritance when one individual is the heir to two separate titles.
List of peerages inherited by women
In the peerages of the British Isles, most titles have traditionally been created for men and with remainder to male heirs. However, some titles are created with special remainders to allow women to inherit them. Some of the oldest English baronies were created by writ and pass to female heirs when a peer dies with daughters and no sons, while some titles are created with a man's family in mind, if he is without sons and unlikely to produce any. The following is a list of women who have inherited titles with the British peerages.
History of the British peerage
During the reign of Henry VIII, peers attempted to consolidate and secure their position. They declared themselves "ennobled in blood," and suggested that no peerage could be extinguished except by an Act of Parliament, upon the extinction of all heirs to it, or upon forfeiture for treason or felony. The Spiritual Lords had attempted to secure the privileges of the Peerage while maintaining their ecclesiastical privileges, but lost in both attempts. Nonetheless, they were in the majority in the House of Lords until the Dissolution of the Monasteries, which removed the abbots and priors from the House. Thereafter, the temporal peers formed for the first time a majority in the Lords.
List of viscountcies in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
Viscounts were created in the peerages of England and Scotland until the Act of Union 1707, thereafter being created in the peerage of Great Britain. After the Acts of Union 1800 came into effect in 1801, all peerages were created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Viscounts in the Peerage of Ireland were created by English and British monarchs in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. Irish peers were not initially granted a seat in the House of Lords and so allowed the grantee to sit in the House of Commons. Viscounts of Ireland have precedence below peers of England, Scotland, and Great Britain of the same rank, and above peers of the United Kingdom of the same rank; but Irish peers created after 1801 yield to United Kingdom peers of earlier creation.
Peerages in the United Kingdom
Some peers, particularly life peers who were well known before their ennoblement, do not use their peerage titles. Others use a combination: for example, the author John Julius Norwich was John Julius Cooper, 2nd Viscount Norwich.
Peerages in the United Kingdom
The place of a peer in the order for gentlemen is taken by his wife in the order for ladies, except that a Dowager peeress of a particular title precedes the present holder of the same title. Children of peers (and "suo jure" peeresses) also obtain a special precedence. The following algorithm may be used to determine their ranks:
Over time, however, various offices were inserted at different points in the order, thereby varying it.
Baron Rivers
Baron Rivers was a title that was created four times in British history, twice in the Peerage of England, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.
Peerage of Scotland
In the following table of the Peerage of Scotland as it currently stands, each peer's highest ranking title in the other peerages (if any) are also listed. Those peers who are known by a higher title in one of the other peerages are listed in "italics".
Peerage of Ireland
In the following table of the Peerage of Ireland as it currently stands, each peer's highest titles in each of the other peerages (if any) are also listed. Irish peers possessed of titles in any of the other peerages (except Scotland, which only got the right to an automatic seat in 1963, with the Peerage Act 1963) had automatic seats in the House of Lords until 1999.
Baron de Ros
Baron de Ros (pronounced "Roose") is the premier baron in the Peerage of England, created in 1288/89 for William de Ros, with precedence to 24 December 1264. (The spelling of the title and of the surname of the original holders has been rendered differently in various texts. The word "Ros" is sometimes spelt "Roos", and the word "de" is sometimes dropped.) "Premier baron" is a designation and status awarded to the holder of the most ancient extant barony of the Peerage of England. The present premier baron is Baron de Ros. Before the Dissolution of the Monasteries the Prior of the Order of St John in England was deemed premier baron.
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The ranks of the peerage are duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron.
Baron Teynham
Baron Teynham, of Teynham in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of England and the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1616 for Sir John Roper. His great-great-grandson, the fifth Baron, served as Lord Lieutenant of Kent. The latter's third son, the eighth Baron, married, as his second wife, Anne Barrett-Lennard, 16th Baroness Dacre. His eldest son from this marriage, the Hon. Charles Roper, was the father of Trevor Charles Roper, 18th Baron Dacre, and Gertrude Trevor Roper, 19th Baroness Dacre (see the Baron Dacre for more information). His youngest son from this marriage, Reverend Hon. Richard Henry Roper, was the great-great-great-grandfather of the historian Hugh Trevor-Roper, Baron Dacre of Glanton.
Baronage
Eventually the duties of the executive office of earldom became redundant, being absorbed by the sheriff, and the title of earl became in itself a title of nobility above that of baron, yet the baronage remained the collective term for both degrees, since earls continued nonetheless to hold their lands "per baroniam". Possession of a barony was thus the common factor of the baronage. Indeed in the ancient sense of the word baron as simply a tenant-in-chief, all attendees at parliament were "peers", that is to say "equals" (Latin: "pares") one to the other in regard to their feudal standing under the king. With the decline of the feudal system and the creation of barons by writ from 1265, that is to say by a personal summons from the king based on the recipient's personal characteristics rather than his form of land tenure, the feudal barony lost its claim as the qualifying factor for nobility, and the barony by writ, or by letters patent from 1388, became altogether personal not territorial. The Further degrees of nobility of dukes, marquesses and viscounts were likewise created by writ and by patent, and the term baronage was no longer adequate to describe all degrees of nobility collectively. Thus was coined the term peerage to replace it.
Baron Wrottesley
Baron Wrottesley, of Wrottesley in the County of Stafford, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1838 for Sir John Wrottesley, 9th Baronet. He was a Major-General in the Army and also represented Lichfield, Staffordshire and Staffordshire South in House of Commons. He was succeeded by his son, the second Baron. He was President of the Royal Astronomical Society as well as of the Royal Society. His son, the third Baron, held junior positions in the first two Liberal administrations of William Ewart Gladstone. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the fourth Baron. On his death in 1962 the titles passed to his nephew, the fifth Baron who was the only son of the Hon. Walter Bennet Wrottesley, youngest son of the third Baron. In 1941 he married into the Noble House of Stratford, from which all subsequent Barons Wrottesley descend, and in 1963 he sold the Staffordshire estate. the titles are held by the fifth Baron's grandson, the sixth Baron, who succeeded in 1977. He is the only son of the Hon. Richard Francis Gerard Wrottesley, second son of the fifth Baron.
Commander (order)
"Knight Commander" or "Dame Commander" is the second most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are dormant (and one of them continues as a German house order). The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' (male) or 'Dame' (female) before his or her name. In the Commonwealth Realms orders and decorations, Knight Commander and Dame Commander rank before Knights Bachelor but after the Order of the Companions of Honour, although Companions of Honour obtain no knighthood or other status.
Lord of Parliament
The peerage of Scotland differs from those of England and Ireland, in that its lowest rank is not that of baron. In Scotland, the term "baron" refers to a feudal baron, considered to be a minor lord who is not a peer, approximately equal to a baron in some continental countries. The Scottish equivalent to the English baron is the Lord of Parliament.
List of earls in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
This is a list of the 193 present and extant earls in the Peerages of the England, Scotland, Great Britain, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Note that it does not include extant earldoms which have become merged (either through marriage or elevation) with marquessates or dukedoms and are today only seen as subsidiary titles. For a more complete list, which adds these "hidden" earldoms as well as extinct, dormant, abeyant, and forfeit ones, see List of earldoms.
Baron Arlington
In the Peerage of the United Kingdom the earldom (including the viscountcy being a courtesy title) presents a rare example of a hereditary peerage title of a higher rank than baron falling into abeyance, another case being that of the earldom of Cromartie in 1893.
Order of precedence in England and Wales
Peers and their families make up a large part of these tables. It is possible for a peer to hold more than one title of nobility, and these may belong to different ranks and peerages. A peer derives his precedence from his highest-ranking title; peeresses derive their precedence in the same way, whether they hold their highest-ranking title in their own right or by marriage. The ranks in the tables refer to peers rather than titles: if exceptions are named for a rank, these do not include peers of a higher rank (or any peers at all, in the case of baronets). No exceptions are named for most categories, owing to their large size.
Privilege of peerage
The privilege of peerage extends to all temporal peers and peeresses regardless of their position in relation to the House of Lords. The right to sit in the House is separate from the privilege, and is held by only some peers (see History of reform of the House of Lords). Scottish peers from the Acts of Union 1707 and Irish peers from the Act of Union 1800, therefore, have the privilege of peerage. From 1800, Irish peers have had the right to stand for election to the United Kingdom House of Commons but they lose the privilege of peerage for the duration of their service in the lower House. Since 1999, hereditary peers of England, Scotland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom who are not members of the House of Lords may stand for election to the House of Commons. Their privilege of peerage is not explicitly lost by service in the lower House. Any peer issuing a disclaimer under the provisions of the Peerage Act 1963 loses all privileges of peerage. The privilege of peerage also extends to wives and widows of peers. A peeress by marriage loses the privilege upon marrying a commoner, but a peeress "suo jure" does not. Individuals who hold courtesy titles, however, do not have such privileges by virtue of those titles. Lords Spiritual (the 26 Archbishops and Bishops who sit in the House of Lords) do not have the privilege of peerage as, at least since 1621, they have been Lords of Parliament, and not peers.
List of viscounts in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
This is a list of the 112 present and extant Viscounts in the Peerages of England, Scotland, Great Britain, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Note that it does not include extant viscountcies which have become merged (either through marriage or elevation) with higher peerages and are today in use only as subsidiary titles. For a more complete list, which adds these "hidden" viscounties as well as extinct, dormant, abeyant, and forfeit ones, see List of Viscountcies.
Peerages in the United Kingdom
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.
Knight Bachelor
The dignity of Knight Bachelor is the basic and lowest rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the most ancient sort of British knight (the rank existed during the 13th century reign of King Henry III), but Knights Bachelor rank below knights of chivalric orders.
Peerages in the United Kingdom
Baronets, while holders of hereditary titles, are not peers since baronetcies have never conferred noble status, although socially they came to be regarded as part of the aristocracy. Knights, Dames and holders of other British non-hereditary chivalric orders, decorations, and medals are likewise not peers.
British 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.
List of marquessates in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
The title of Marquess of Dublin, which is perhaps best described as Anglo-Irish, was the first to be created, in 1385, but like the next few creations, the title was soon forfeit. The title of Marquess of Pembroke, created in 1532 by Henry VIII for Anne Boleyn, has the distinction of being the first English hereditary peerage granted to a woman in her own right (styled "Marchioness" in the patent). The English title Marquess of Winchester, created in 1551, is the earliest still extant, so is Premier Marquess of England. The title long remained less common, and on the evening of the Coronation of Queen Victoria in 1838, the Prime Minister Lord Melbourne explained to her (from her journals): 
"I spoke to Ld M. about the numbers of Peers present at the Coronation, & he said it was quite unprecedented. I observed that there were very few Viscounts, to which he replied "There are very few Viscounts," that they were an old sort of title & not really English; that they came from Vice-Comites; that Dukes & Barons were the only real English titles; — that Marquises were likewise not English, & that people were mere made Marquises, when it was not wished that they should be made Dukes".
Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom
If a peer of one of the top three ranks of the peerage (a duke, marquess or earl) has more than one title, his eldest son - himself not a peer - may use one of his father's lesser titles "by courtesy". However, the father continues to be the substantive holder of the peerage title, and the son is only using the title by courtesy, unless issued a writ of acceleration. If the eldest son of a duke or marquess has an eldest son, he may use a still lower title, if one exists. In legal documents the courtesy title is implied but not used directly, e.g. the name of the person is given then "commonly called [title]".
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 for the Conservative politician Sir George Hennessy, 1st Baronet. He had already been created a Baronet, of Windlesham in the County of Surrey, in 1927. His eldest son, the second Baron, was a Brigadier in the Grenadier Guards. The latter's son, the third Baron, succeeded in 1962; a Conservative politician, he notably served as Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords in 1974. In 1999 he was created a life peer 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)
Forms of address in the United Kingdom
"Eldest sons of dukes, marquesses and earls use their father's most senior subsidiary title as courtesy titles: note the absence of "The" before the title. If applicable, eldest sons of courtesy marquesses or courtesy earls also use a subsidiary title from their (great) grandfather, which is lower ranking than the one used by their father. Eldest daughters do not have courtesy titles; all courtesy peeresses are wives of courtesy peers."
"(Heirs-apparent and heirs-presumptive of Scottish peers use the titles "Master" and "Mistress"; these are substantive, not courtesy titles. If, however, the individual is the eldest son of a Duke, Marquess or Earl, then he uses the appropriate courtesy title, as noted above.)"