WEBVTT - What's the Difference Between Dukes, Earls, and Other British Peers?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of I Heart Radio, Hey

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<v Speaker 1>brain Stuff Lauren Bolga bam here. Much of the world

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<v Speaker 1>is fascinated by the British royals, but those of us

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<v Speaker 1>who grew up outside of the United Kingdom may have

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<v Speaker 1>a difficult time deciphering the Brits peerage system or system

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<v Speaker 1>of titles, which is a complex overlapping web of duke's, earls, barons,

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<v Speaker 1>et cetera. Britain's peerage system, which dates to Anglo Saxon times,

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<v Speaker 1>consists of five ranks Duke, marquess, earl, viscount and baron.

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<v Speaker 1>Over the centuries, peerages were inherited, created or conferred by

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<v Speaker 1>the British King or Queen, originally two landowners who advised

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<v Speaker 1>him or her as a sort of royal council. The

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<v Speaker 1>older your peerage, the more status within your rank. In

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<v Speaker 1>nineteen fifty eight, the government passed the Life Peerages Act,

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<v Speaker 1>which allowed for the creation of life peerages or honorary

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<v Speaker 1>titles granted by the government. Those receiving a life peerage

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<v Speaker 1>which cannot be inherited also received the title of baron

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<v Speaker 1>or barrenness. Under the modern monarchy, one of the biggest

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<v Speaker 1>privileges of being a peer, whether hereditary or life, is

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<v Speaker 1>that it gives you the right to sit in Britain's

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<v Speaker 1>House of Lords, which is the upper chamber of Britain's legislature. Meanwhile,

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<v Speaker 1>elected officials make up the House of Commons, which is

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<v Speaker 1>the government's lower chamber. During more recent times, the number

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<v Speaker 1>of eligible peers has ranged from six hundred and fifty

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<v Speaker 1>to more than eight hundred, mostly life peers created by

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<v Speaker 1>whichever government has been in power. There have been multiple

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<v Speaker 1>movements to limit the size of this chamber without much success.

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<v Speaker 1>About of those sitting in the House of Lords as

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<v Speaker 1>were life peers. Today, there are no new hereditary peerages

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<v Speaker 1>being created, with one exception those the monarch creates from

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<v Speaker 1>members of the royal family. Here are the basics about

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<v Speaker 1>the five peerage ranks in order of rank. The feminine

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<v Speaker 1>versions of titles usually designate the wife of a peer,

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<v Speaker 1>because women are not eligible to succeed to most hereditary peerages.

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<v Speaker 1>The highest ranking title of duke or Duchess was created

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<v Speaker 1>in thirteen thirty seven by King Edward the Third, who

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<v Speaker 1>conferred the title Duke of Cornwall upon his oldest son.

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<v Speaker 1>Before thirteen thirty seven, the title of duke was used

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<v Speaker 1>to denote someone with sovereign status, although it wasn't an

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<v Speaker 1>official peerage title. Princes in the Royal family typically become

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<v Speaker 1>dukes shortly after coming of age or on their wedding day.

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<v Speaker 1>For example, Prince Andrew Queen Elizabeth the second second son

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<v Speaker 1>was dubbed Duke of York when he married in ninety six,

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<v Speaker 1>but there are plenty of non royal dukes as well.

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<v Speaker 1>As of twenty there were twenty four. Interestingly, the business

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<v Speaker 1>of selecting dukedoms for the royals is a fraud process.

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<v Speaker 1>Many dukedoms are unavailable if the current dukes are still living,

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<v Speaker 1>for one, but any open dukedom must have a clean

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<v Speaker 1>past in order to be considered. The dukedom of Cumberland,

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<v Speaker 1>for example, was once held by George the second son

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<v Speaker 1>Prince William Augustus, but the prince brutally crushed a Scottish

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<v Speaker 1>rebellion in seventeen forty five, killing thousands, and subsequently became

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<v Speaker 1>known as the Butcher of Cumberland, so that dukedom is

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<v Speaker 1>permanently out for the royals. The highest ranking royal dukedoms

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<v Speaker 1>are Lancaster, which is held by the sovereign, and Cornwall,

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<v Speaker 1>which is awarded to the sovereign's eldest son. Currently, Prince

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<v Speaker 1>Charles is also known as the Duke of Cornwall. Next up,

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<v Speaker 1>although marquess or the feminine marchioness, is the second highest

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<v Speaker 1>peerage rank, you don't hear much about it. The term

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<v Speaker 1>was brought to England in five by King Richard the Second,

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<v Speaker 1>who learned of its usage in other countries. Richard wedged

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<v Speaker 1>it in above in status, which was a controversial move.

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<v Speaker 1>Today there are thirty four marquesses. Meanwhile, Earl is the

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<v Speaker 1>oldest title in the British peerage, dating back to the

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<v Speaker 1>eleventh century. Originally, an earl administered a province or a

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<v Speaker 1>shire for the king. There are currently a hundred and

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<v Speaker 1>ninety one earls. The title for their wives is countess,

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<v Speaker 1>though there are currently also four countesses in their own right.

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<v Speaker 1>In a break with tradition, Elizabeth's third son, Prince Edward,

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<v Speaker 1>became the Earl of Wessex on his wedding day in

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<v Speaker 1>why the lesser title Supposedly Edward is holding out for

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<v Speaker 1>the title Duke of Edinburgh, currently held by his father,

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<v Speaker 1>Prince Philip, in order to carry on Philip's work after

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<v Speaker 1>he dies. Fourth in rank is viscount or viscountess, which

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<v Speaker 1>originally signified a deputy or lieutenant of account during the

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<v Speaker 1>Holy Roman Empire. It entered the British peerage system in

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<v Speaker 1>fourteen forty during the Hundred Years War, when Henry, the

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<v Speaker 1>sixth King of both England and France bestowed the title

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<v Speaker 1>on one John Beaumont in an effort to merge the

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<v Speaker 1>two countries ranks. Thus Beaumont became Viscount Beaumont in both countries.

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<v Speaker 1>Today there are a hundred and fifteen viscounts. The lowest

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<v Speaker 1>peerage rank is baron or baroness. In the thirteenth century,

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<v Speaker 1>barons were important landholders whom the monarch occasionally summoned to

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<v Speaker 1>attend the council or Parliament. Initially, a baron's successors weren't

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<v Speaker 1>necessarily afforded the same honors and privileges, but eventually the

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<v Speaker 1>rank and all its privileges were passed on. Baron is

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<v Speaker 1>the most populous rank today, with four hundred and twenty

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<v Speaker 1>six hereditary barons and nine hereditary baronesses. And by the way,

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<v Speaker 1>all hereditary peers are formally addressed as lord or lady

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<v Speaker 1>so and so, except for dukes or duchesses who are

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<v Speaker 1>addressed as Your Grace, which is good to know just

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<v Speaker 1>in case you get that invite to stay at some

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<v Speaker 1>nobleman's country estate. Today's episode was written by Melanie rad

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<v Speaker 1>Zekie McManus and produced by Tyler Clang. For more on

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<v Speaker 1>this and lots of other topics that are a royal something,

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<v Speaker 1>visits how stuff works dot com. The brain Stuff is

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