peerage

The high nobility; in the UK, holders, in descending order, of the titles of duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron. In the late 19th century the peerage was augmented by the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary (the nonhereditary life peers) and, from 1958, by a number of specially created life peers of either sex (usually long-standing members of the House of Commons). Since 1963 peers have been able to disclaim their titles, usually to enable them to take a seat in the Commons (where peers are disqualified from membership).

Unelected Irish peers and peeresses in their own right are members of the peerage but not ‘Lords of Parliament’.

Medieval hereditary peerages were created by a writ of summons to Parliament, provided persons so summoned actually took their seats there. Today all peerages are created by letters patent, which specify the line of descent of the dignity, and the heir specified in the patent succeeds even if the grantee dies before taking his or her seat. Peeresses in their own right who marry commoners retain their titles, but peeresses by marriage lose their titles by remarriage.