What's in a Title?

rebecca · Post by **rebecca** » Tue February 28th, 2012, 1:34 am

I wonder if someone can help me understand the British Title system?

I always wondered why Princess Diana's father was known as Earl Spencer and his son was Viscount Althorp. But then you see Princess Margaret's husband was known as The Earl of Snowdon and his son is Viscount Linley. What is the difference?

Can anyone tell me why Princess Diana's father wasn't an Earl of something?

Thanks in advance.

Bec

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Tue February 28th, 2012, 1:57 am

[quote=""rebecca""]I wonder if someone can help me understand the British Title system?

I always wondered why Princess Diana's father was known as Earl Spencer and his son was Viscount Althorp. But then you see Princess Margaret's husband was known as The Earl of Snowdon and his son is Viscount Linley. What is the difference?

Can anyone tell me why Princess Diana's father wasn't an Earl of something?[/quote]

Earl Spencer is a peerage that uses the family name instead of a geographical location and that's why there is no "of." There is no difference in status. Way back when, peers did have some jurisdiction over their territories (think feudalism), but that has not been so for centuries. The peerage Earl Spencer was created in 1765. Viscount Althorp is a subsidiary title of the Earl Spencer and is used as a courtesy title for his eldest son. The eldest son is not really the Viscount Althorp; his father is. All peerages have subsidiary titles and follow this practice.

Some websites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peerage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_earldoms (for other peerages, see the links at the top right)
http://www.heraldica.org/faqs/britfaq.html#p3-1
http://chinet.com/~laura/html/titles01.html (lots of information on the basics of peerages)
http://www.hereditarytitles.com/Page68.htm
http://www.hereditarytitles.com/Page33.html
http://www3.dcs.hull.ac.uk/genealogy/royal/peerage.html

Rowan · Post by **Rowan** » Tue February 28th, 2012, 1:54 pm

It's so utterly confusing, I feel a pain coming on just thinking about trying to understand it all. LOL

rebecca · Post by **rebecca** » Wed February 29th, 2012, 2:27 am

[quote=""Rowan""]It's so utterly confusing, I feel a pain coming on just thinking about trying to understand it all. LOL[/quote]

Thank you Susan

for taking the time to reply to my question. It's like a maze isn't it...Trying to figure who's who and what's what...Where's Jeeves and Wooster when you need em

.

LOL Rowan

my brain is in sympathy

...Who knew there were so many titles

.

Bec