Aristocracy (class) - United Kingdom

United Kingdom

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.

However, life peers are not considered part of the aristocracy, nor are knights, unless born into an aristocratic or landed gentry family. (Examples include James Douglas-Hamilton, Baron Selkirk of Douglas and Sir Winston Churchill—all born into aristocratic families). Besides the hereditary peers, the landed gentry, consisting of Baronets and untitled landowning armigerous families are considered part of the aristocracy. Unlike the Continental untitled nobility, British untitled families that belong to the gentry have no legal recognition of their aristocratic position.