Peerage of Great Britain

The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain between the Acts of Union 1707 and the Acts of Union 1800. It replaced the Peerage of England and the Peerage of Scotland, but was itself replaced by the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1801.

The ranks of the Peerage of Great Britain are Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount and Baron. Until the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999, all peers of Great Britain could sit in the House of Lords.

Some peerages of Great Britain were created for peers in the Peerage of Scotland and Peerage of Ireland as they did not have an automatic seat in the House of Lords until the Peerage Act 1963 which gave Scottish Peers an automatic right to sit in the Lords.

In the following table of peers of Great Britain, holders of higher or equal titles in the other peerages are listed. Those peers who are known by a higher title in one of the other peerages are listed in italics.

Ranks

The ranks of the peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and Baron.

Titles

Marquesses, earls, viscounts and barons are all addressed as 'Lord X', where 'X' represents either their territory or surname pertaining to their title. Marchionesses, countesses, viscountesses and baronesses are all addressed as 'Lady X'. Dukes and duchesses are addressed just as 'Duke' or 'Duchess' or, in a non-social context, 'Your Grace'.

Creation of peers

The last non-royal dukedom of Great Britain was created in 1766, and the last marquessate of Great Britain was created in 1796. Creation of the remaining ranks ceased when the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was formed; subsequent creations of peers were in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

The last 8 (6 non-royal and two royal) people who were created hereditary peers (from 1798 to 1800) were:

Lists of peers

• 30 dukes: see List of dukes in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
• 34 marquesses: see List of marquesses in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
• 191 earls and countesses: see List of earls in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
• 111 viscounts: see List of viscounts in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
• 1,187 barons: see List of barons in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
• Women: see List of peerages created for women and List of peerages inherited by women

Lists of extant peerages

Extant dukedoms

•   Subsidiary title.
•   Imperial peerage created for peers of Scotland and Ireland to have an automatic seat in the House of Lords until 1963 for Scotland and 1999 for Ireland.

Extant marquessates

•   Subsidiary title.
•   Imperial peerage created for peers of Scotland and Ireland to have an automatic seat in the House of Lords until 1963 for Scotland and 1999 for Ireland.

Extant earldoms

•   Subsidiary title.
•   Imperial peerage created for peers of Scotland and Ireland to have an automatic seat in the House of Lords until 1963 for Scotland and 1999 for Ireland.

Extant viscountcies

•   Subsidiary title.
•   Imperial peerage created for peers of Scotland and Ireland to have an automatic seat in the House of Lords until 1963 for Scotland and 1999 for Ireland.

Extant baronies

•   Subsidiary title.
•   Imperial peerage created for peers of Scotland and Ireland to have an automatic seat in the House of Lords until 1963 for Scotland and 1999 for Ireland.

Extinct peerages since the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999

Extinct baronies

Current titles without heirs

Current peers of Great Britain

Current Scottish and Irish peers with British titles

Currently none

See also

• British nobility
• Dukes in the United Kingdom
• History of the British peerage
• Marquesses in the United Kingdom
• Peerage of England
• Peerage of Scotland
• Peerage of Ireland
• Peerages in the United Kingdom

Notes

References

• The Roll of the Peerage, The Crown Office, Ministry of Justice

1. List of dukes in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
2. Peerage
3. Peerage of England
4. List of dukedoms in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
5. List of viscounts in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
6. List of marquesses in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
7. Peerage of Ireland
8. Peerages in the United Kingdom
9. Peerage of Scotland
10. The Complete Peerage
11. List of earldoms
12. List of earls in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
13. Peerage of the United Kingdom
14. List of marquessates in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
15. List of viscountcies in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
16. History of the British peerage
17. List of baronies in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
18. Earl of Carnarvon
19. Earl Spencer (title)
20. Duke of Northumberland