I do not wish to become drawn into futile arguments so I am limiting this
e-mail to your goodselves.
Titles in order are: Prince
Duke
Marquess
Earl
Viscount
Baron
There are many Dukes in Scotland (Montrose, Fife, Atholl, Buccleuch*,
Edinburgh, etc)
There is the Marquess of Bute (a Stuart)
There are many Earls including our own Clan Chief, Malcolm Sinclair, the
Earl of Caithness.
There are even more Viscounts including, John Sinclair, The 3rd Viscount
Thurso of Ulbster.
A marquess, an earl or a viscount are addressed as "my Lord". Ditto the
sons of Dukes.
* the senior Duke in Scotland (if one leaves out the Duke of Edinburgh who
would take precedence
on State occasions.)
A baron is the lowest hereditary rank in the British Isles and is usually
associated with a piece of land.
Patents of baronetcies can be bought on the market but are not worth the
paper they are written on
e.g. many Earls (who have many secondary titles) may sell off a baronetcy
in order to raise cash. It is
a disreputable business but there are still those who are prepared to 'buy'
titles - either in the way I have
mentioned or by paying large sums to a political party so that they might
be given a seat in the House
of Lords. These are now limited to lifetime peerages so that the title
does not pass from father to son.
As you are aware, hereditary peers are being phased out of the House of
Lords. With their removal, the
House of Commons will no longer have any 'braking mechanism' to challenge
and, where necessary, change
questionable legislation.
Niven Sinclair
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