-:Undertaker:-
20-02-2021, 02:12 PM
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9281095/Centuries-old-practice-aristocrats-titles-inherited-male-heirs-abolished.html
Hereditary titles to be reformed to give equality to female heirs
Dukedoms, Marquessates, Earldoms, Viscountcies, Baronies and Baronetcies are currently male-only inherited
https://www.edeandravenscroft.com/fileadmin/_processed_/csm_0612-peers-robes_ad303d3659.jpg
An example of the differing Coronation crowns of the different ranks in the British peerage
The centuries-old practice of aristocratic titles only being passed on to male descendants could be about to come to an end.
Boris Johnson is understood to have ordered the issue be looked into as part of plans to make Parliament more welcoming to women.
It would mean for the first time first-born daughters would take on their father's peerage instead of younger sons, as seen in shows such as ITV's Downton Abbey.
The passing on of the throne to eldest males was abolished for the British and Commonwealth monarchy in 2011 under a reform which allowed first-born daughters to take the crown.
But peers at the time prevented the reform from applying to them.
https://i2.wp.com/eadn-wc03-1253207.nxedge.io/cdn/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/peer-crowns.jpg?ssl=1
Among those to throw their support behind the proposal today is Viscount Torrington of the Hereditary Peerage Association.
He told the Times: 'A survey of our members found the majority in favour.
'Those who were not didn't want their surname to go but that is solvable'.
Lady Kinvara Balfour, daughter of the Earl of Balfour, previously said in the Telegraph: 'In Britain, the rules of male primogeniture still mean that if there is a family title, and accompanying seat to be passed down through generations, this can legally only go to a man. Women are disregarded entirely.
'British laws should be changed so that the first-born inherits, irrespective of gender. And should that first-born wish to swap gender at any time, it should still go to that first-born."
I support this.
I didn't think it was needed in 2011 to change the succession from male to neutral, but it was changed so it makes sense now to change the rest of the nobility in line with the Crown. More to the point other than the equality argument, this change would save a lot of hereditary peerages from potential extinction and if it is retrospective could lead to the revival of many titles that have gone extinct as no male heir was produced but a female heir was and the line continued on but untitled. There's an issue with what titles spouses take and that sort of thing, but I am sure it is solvable as one of the few titles that isn't male-only by succession is the Earldom of Burma which alternates between the Countesses and Earls depending on gender of the heir.
There are currently 24 non-royal Dukedoms in existence, and hundreds if not thousands of the lower ranking peerages and titles.
This will slightly effect the House of Lords in that while the majority of peers in the Lords are Life Peers and therefore titles are not hereditary, around 90 of the Lords remain those of hereditary claim so in the longer term this change would result in more women hereditary peers coming into the House of Lords via hereditary means.
Thoughts?
Hereditary titles to be reformed to give equality to female heirs
Dukedoms, Marquessates, Earldoms, Viscountcies, Baronies and Baronetcies are currently male-only inherited
https://www.edeandravenscroft.com/fileadmin/_processed_/csm_0612-peers-robes_ad303d3659.jpg
An example of the differing Coronation crowns of the different ranks in the British peerage
The centuries-old practice of aristocratic titles only being passed on to male descendants could be about to come to an end.
Boris Johnson is understood to have ordered the issue be looked into as part of plans to make Parliament more welcoming to women.
It would mean for the first time first-born daughters would take on their father's peerage instead of younger sons, as seen in shows such as ITV's Downton Abbey.
The passing on of the throne to eldest males was abolished for the British and Commonwealth monarchy in 2011 under a reform which allowed first-born daughters to take the crown.
But peers at the time prevented the reform from applying to them.
https://i2.wp.com/eadn-wc03-1253207.nxedge.io/cdn/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/peer-crowns.jpg?ssl=1
Among those to throw their support behind the proposal today is Viscount Torrington of the Hereditary Peerage Association.
He told the Times: 'A survey of our members found the majority in favour.
'Those who were not didn't want their surname to go but that is solvable'.
Lady Kinvara Balfour, daughter of the Earl of Balfour, previously said in the Telegraph: 'In Britain, the rules of male primogeniture still mean that if there is a family title, and accompanying seat to be passed down through generations, this can legally only go to a man. Women are disregarded entirely.
'British laws should be changed so that the first-born inherits, irrespective of gender. And should that first-born wish to swap gender at any time, it should still go to that first-born."
I support this.
I didn't think it was needed in 2011 to change the succession from male to neutral, but it was changed so it makes sense now to change the rest of the nobility in line with the Crown. More to the point other than the equality argument, this change would save a lot of hereditary peerages from potential extinction and if it is retrospective could lead to the revival of many titles that have gone extinct as no male heir was produced but a female heir was and the line continued on but untitled. There's an issue with what titles spouses take and that sort of thing, but I am sure it is solvable as one of the few titles that isn't male-only by succession is the Earldom of Burma which alternates between the Countesses and Earls depending on gender of the heir.
There are currently 24 non-royal Dukedoms in existence, and hundreds if not thousands of the lower ranking peerages and titles.
This will slightly effect the House of Lords in that while the majority of peers in the Lords are Life Peers and therefore titles are not hereditary, around 90 of the Lords remain those of hereditary claim so in the longer term this change would result in more women hereditary peers coming into the House of Lords via hereditary means.
Thoughts?