British Titles and Orders of Precedence

The British peerage and its order of precedence is the most baffling, yet simple concept

on the planet. Children of nobility and those who wished to become a part of it had the following

concepts drilled into their heads from birth. Since neither of us are lords or ladies, we generally

have to muddle along in hope of getting it right. Below you’ll find the order of precedence

directly from a book of heraldry published in 1910. Things have obviously changed since then,

but this was the rule of thumb for harried hostesses throughout the 19th century.

TITLES

• Duke: The highest rank and title in the British peerage, first introduced by Edward III in

1337 when he created the Black Prince the first English duke. A Duke is “Most Noble”;

he is styled “My Lord Duke” and “Your Grace” and all his younger sons are “Lords” and

all his daughters “Ladies” with the prefix “Right Honorable”. The coronet of a duke is a

circlet, heightened with eight conventional strawberry leaves, and encloses a velvet cap.

• Marquess/Marquis: The second order of the British peerage, in rank next to that of the

Duke. Introduced in 1387 by Richard II. A Marquess is “Most Honorable”; he is styled

“My Lord Marquess” all his younger sons are “Lords” and his daughters “Ladies”; his

eldest sons bears his father’s “second title”. The coronet is a golden circlet heightened by

four strawberry leaves and as many pearls, arranged alternately.

• Earl: In Latin, “Comes” in French “Comte” or “Count.” Before 1337, the highest, and

now the third degree of rank and dignity in the British peerage. An earl is “Right
 Honorable”; he is styled “My Lord”, the eldest son bears his father’s “second title,”

generally that of Viscount; his other sons are “Honorable” but all his daughters are

“Ladies.” The circlet of an Earl’s coronet has eight lofty rays of gold rising from the

circlet, each of which supports a large pearl, while between each pair of these rays is a

golden strawberry leaf.

• Viscount: The fourth degree of rank and dignity in the British peerage. Introduced by

Henry VI in 1440. A Viscount is a “Right Honorable” and is styled “My Lord.” All his

sons and daughters are “Honorable.” The coronet has a row of sixteen small pearls set on

the circlet.

• Baron: The lowest rank in the British peerage. A Baron is “Right Honorable” and is

styled “My Lord”. The coronet is a golden circlet topped by six large pearls. An Irish

baron has no coronet. All children of a Baron are “Honorable.”

• Baronet: A hereditary rank, lower than the peerage, instituted in 1612 by James I, who

fixed the precedence of baronets before all Knights, those of the Order of the Garter alone

excepted.

ORDER OF PRECEDENCE

The Sovereign

The Prince of Wales

The Younger sons of the Sovereign

The Grandsons of the Sovereign

The Brothers of the Sovereign

The Uncles
The Nephews

The Archbishop of Canterbury

The Lord Chancellor

The Archbishop of York

The Premier

The Lord High Treasurer

The Lord President of the Council

The Lord Privy Seal

The following Great Officers of the State precede all Peers of their own Degree–that is, if Dukes,

they precede all other Dukes; if Earls, all other Earls, etcetera.

The Lord Great Chamberlain

The High Constable

The Earl Marshal

The Lord High Admirable

The Lord Steward of the Royal Household

The Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household

The Master of the Horse

The Peers of each Degree take Precedence in their own Degree, according to their Patents of

Creation.
Dukes (a) of England, (b) of Scotland, (c) of Great Britain, (d) of Ireland, (e) of the United

Kingdom and, if created since the Union of Ireland.

Marquesses (vide Dukes)

Eldest sons of Dukes

Earls (vide Dukes)

Eldest sons of Marquesses

Younger sons of dukes

Viscounts (vide Dukes)

Eldest sons of earls

Younger sons of Marquesses

Bishops of (a) London, (b) Durham, and (c) Winchester

Bishops, according to Seniority of Consecration

Barons (vide Dukes)

The Speaker of the House of Commons

Commissioners of Great Seal

The (a) Treasurer and the (b) Comptroller of the Royal Household

Vice-Chamberlain of the Household

The Secretaries of States, when not Peers

Eldest sons of viscounts

Younger sons of earls

Eldest sons of barons

Knights of the Garter, Thistle and St. Patrick, not being Peers

Privy Councillors
The Chancellor of the Exchequer

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

The Lord Chief Justice

The Master of the Rolls

Lord Justices of Appeal and the President of Probate Court

Judges of High Court

Younger sons of Viscounts

Younger sons of Barons

Sons of Lords of Appeal in Ordinary (Life Peers)

Baronets

Knights of the Grand Cross of the Bath

Knights Grand Commanders of the Star of India

Knights Grand Cross of St. Michael and St. George

Knights Grand Commanders of Indian Empire

Knights Grand Cross of Victorian Order

Knights Commanders of the various Orders (in the same order of progression)

Knights Bachelors

Commanders of Victorian Order

County Court Judges

Serjeants-at-Law

Masters in Lunacy

Companions of the various Orders

Members of Fourth Class of Victorian Order

Companions of Distinguished Service Order

Eldest sons of the Younger sons of Peers

Eldest sons of Baronets

Eldest sons of Knights

Members of Fifth Class of Victorian Order

Baronets’ Younger sons

Knights Younger sons

Esquires: Including the Eldest sons of the sons of Viscounts and Barons, the eldest sons of all the

younger sons of Peers and their eldest sons in perpetual Succession, the younger sons of

Baronets, the sons of knights, the eldest son of the eldest son of a Knight in perpetual succession,

persons holding the King’s Commission, or who may be styled “Esquire” by the King in any

Official Document

Gentlemen

The precedence of women is determined, before marriage, by the Rank and Dignity, but

not by the Office, of their father. All the unmarried sisters in any family have the same degree,

which is the degree that their eldest Brother holds (or would hold) amongst men. Thus: Of the

sons of an earl, the eldest alone has an honorary title of nobility and is styled “My Lord,” while

all the Daughters of an Earl have a similar honorary Title and are styled “My Lady.”

By marriage, women share the dignities and precedence of their husbands, but the strictly official

dignity of a husband is not imparted to a wife (except in India) in the case of the Archbishops

and Bishops or holders of other offices. The dignities which ladies have by birth or by right of
inheritance, are not imparted by marriage to their husbands, nor does marriage with an inferior in

dignity in any way affect the precedence that a lady may enjoy by birth, inheritance or creation–

both her own precedence and that of her husband may remain as before their marriage, unless the

husband be a peer.

To whatever precedence she may be entitled by birth, the wife of a peer always takes her

rank, and therefore takes her actual precedence from her husband. The widow of a peer, so long

as she remains a widow, retains the rank she enjoyed whilst married, but should she contract a

second marriage, her precedence then is determined either by the rank of her second husband, or

by the rank that was her own by birth and which she enjoyed before her first marriage. The wife

of the eldest son of any degree precedes all her husband’s sisters and also all other ladies having

the same degree of rank with them.

A peeress by marriage who is also a peerage in her own right signs first her husband’s

title, adding her own afterwards: The Countess of Yarborough is Marcia Yarborough,

Cauconberg and Conyers. The daughter of a peer if married to another peer takes the precedence

of her husband and relinquishes her own, but she retains it if she marries a commoner, and one of

the anomalies of the English scale of precedence is to be found in the following circumstances: if

the two elder daughters of a duke were to marry an Earl and a Baron respectively, whilst the

youngest daughter were to run away with the footman, she would, nevertheless, rank as the

daughter of a Duke above her sisters ranking as wives of an Earl and a Baron.