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

Contents 1 General History of British Nobility 2 Titles of Peerage 2.1 Dukes 2.2 Marquesses 2.3 Earls 2.4 Viscounts 2.5 Barons 3 Titles of Gentry 3.1 Baronets 3.2 Knights 3.3 Scottish Barons 3.4 Lairds 3.5 Untitled Classes 4 Irish nobility 5 See also

[edit] General History of British Nobility

The following text needs to be harmonized with text in History of the Peerage.

This section requires expansion.

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 even hereditary peers have no special rights, privileges or responsibilities, except for residual rights to stand for election to the House of Lords and the right to certain titles (see below).

The British nobility consists of two entities, the peerage and gentry. 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 rank recognised in law, although now without any legal consequence).

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 frequently has a courtesy title - often one of his father's subsidiary titles. For example, the elder son of the Earl of Snowdon is called Viscount Linley.

In 1958 the government introduced (non-hereditary) life peers and from then on the creation of hereditary peerages (except for members of the Royal Family) rapidly became obsolete, effectively ceasing after 1964. This, however, is only a convention and was not observed by former prime minister Margaret Thatcher who created three hereditary peerages (two of them, however, to men who had no heirs) and whose husband also received the hereditary non-peerage title of baronet.

Until 1999 possession of a title in the English peerage automatically entitled its holder to a seat in the House of Lords, once of age. The Scottish (since 1707) and Irish (since 1801) peerages elected some of their number to sit in the Lords. Since 1999 only 92 hereditary peers are entitled to sit in the House of Lords, chosen by ballot. A member of the House of Lords cannot be a member of the House of Commons. In 1960, Anthony (Tony) 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. Subsequently an act was passed enabling hereditary peers to renounce their titles.

[edit] Titles of Peerage

[edit] Dukes

• Dukes in Britain
• List of dukes in the peerages of the British Isles
• List of dukedoms in the peerages of the British Isles

[edit] Marquesses

• List of Marquesses in the peerages of the British Isles
• List of Marquessates in the peerages of the British Isles

[edit] Earls

• List of Earls in the peerages of the British Isles
• List of Earldoms in the peerages of the British Isles

[edit] Viscounts

• List of Viscounts in the peerages of the British Isles
• List of Viscountcies in the peerages of the British Isles

[edit] Barons

• List of Barons in the peerages of the British Isles
• List of hereditary baronies

[edit] Titles of Gentry

[edit] Baronets

• List of Baronetcies

[edit] Knights

• Knight
• British honours system

[edit] Scottish Barons

• Scottish Baron
• Clan Chief

[edit] Lairds

• Laird

[edit] Untitled Classes

• Esquire
• Gentleman

[edit] Irish nobility

Outside the United Kingdom, the remaining Gaelic Irish nobility continue informally to use their archaic provincial titles. As a large part of Ireland was nominally part of the United Kingdom and formerly England for several hundred years, the Gaelic system coexisted with the British system. A modern survivor of this coexistence is the Baron Inchiquin, still referred to in Ireland as the Prince of Thomond. The Prince of Thomond is one of three remaining claimants to the non-existent, since the 12th century, so-called High Kingship of Ireland, the others being the Prince of Tyrone (briefly Earl of Tyrone), and the Prince of Connacht.

Chief of the Name is most often a princely title in Ireland and so it is to be distinguished from the Scottish clan chief. The related Mór ("Great") is sometimes used by the dominant branches of the larger dynasties to declare their status as the leading princes of the blood, e.g. Ó Néill Mór, lit. (The) Great O'Neill.

[edit] See also

• Peerage, an exposition of great detail
• Gentry
• Landed gentry
• Forms of address in the UK
• Styles in the UK
• British honours system