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Reading this and the discussion below, it occurs to me that I don’t actually know what a “peer” is. I had assumed it had something to do with being in parliamen

Reading this and the discussion below, it occurs to me that I don’t actually know what a “peer” is. I had assumed it had something to do with being in parliament, but the clearly that’s mistaken, since it doesn’t flow with the article or comments. Does anybody have a concise summary of all this stuff that even an American can understand?

floren 4y ago
TheCoelacanth 4y ago
"Peer" means that they hold a position in the archaic fancy-hats club that sometimes gets referred to as "nobility", except for baronets who are too low to be peers.
- Cederfjard 4y ago
  What jasonkester might have been thinking of is that peers are eligible to sit in the House of Lords.
  - Taniwha 4y ago
    however while the House of Lords is an analogous to the US Senate it's NOT a co-equal house with the House of Commons
andrewem 4y ago
Peers are people who hold titles from this set of descending order of importance - Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and Baron (and feminine equivalents). These tended to be hereditary, so that a person who the king or queen gave a title like Duke of Marlborough got to pass it down to a descendant. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peerages_in_the_United_Kingdom https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peerages_in_the_United_Kingd... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_of_Marlborough_(title) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_of_Marlborough_(title)
komadori 4y ago
A peerage in the United Kingdom is an aristocratic title which confers the right to sit in the House of Lords, the upper chamber of the legislature (parliament). Historically, peerages were hereditary titles passed down to the eldest son. In modern times, peerages are usually appointed for life terms by the government. What I find confusing about the article is that it's not clear what it means by "her brothers were 50% less likely to enter parliament". Parliament being ambiguous here. If this refers to entering the House of Lords, then at most one brother (the eldest) could do so upon the death of their father. Is it really saying that the shame of their sisters marrying down dissuaded heirs to peerages from taking up their birthright seats? Seems odd. Alternatively, is it suggesting that second sons and heir-apparents were standing for elections to the House of Commons (the lower chamber of the legislature, also parliament) and became less successful as their standing dropped?

floren 4y ago

TheCoelacanth 4y ago

"Peer" means that they hold a position in the archaic fancy-hats club that sometimes gets referred to as "nobility", except for baronets who are too low to be peers.

Cederfjard 4y ago
What jasonkester might have been thinking of is that peers are eligible to sit in the House of Lords.
- Taniwha 4y ago
  however while the House of Lords is an analogous to the US Senate it's NOT a co-equal house with the House of Commons

andrewem 4y ago

Peers are people who hold titles from this set of descending order of importance - Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and Baron (and feminine equivalents). These tended to be hereditary, so that a person who the king or queen gave a title like Duke of Marlborough got to pass it down to a descendant. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peerages_in_the_United_Kingdom https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peerages_in_the_United_Kingd... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_of_Marlborough_(title) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_of_Marlborough_(title)

komadori 4y ago

A peerage in the United Kingdom is an aristocratic title which confers the right to sit in the House of Lords, the upper chamber of the legislature (parliament). Historically, peerages were hereditary titles passed down to the eldest son. In modern times, peerages are usually appointed for life terms by the government. What I find confusing about the article is that it's not clear what it means by "her brothers were 50% less likely to enter parliament". Parliament being ambiguous here. If this refers to entering the House of Lords, then at most one brother (the eldest) could do so upon the death of their father. Is it really saying that the shame of their sisters marrying down dissuaded heirs to peerages from taking up their birthright seats? Seems odd. Alternatively, is it suggesting that second sons and heir-apparents were standing for elections to the House of Commons (the lower chamber of the legislature, also parliament) and became less successful as their standing dropped?