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About This Quiz
The British aristocracy is one of the longest-lasting institutions on the planet, and arguably one of the sillier ones; even its most high-falutin' members would struggle to argue that it's a logically justifiable system in an age of democracy and equal rights for all. Still, something that has endured so long will naturally collect all sorts of fascinating myths, stories, and factoids that are intriguing even to those who don't belong to the ranks of the nobility.Â
Hit shows like "Downton Abbey," "The Tudors," and endless adaptations of "Pride and Prejudice," as well as whole magazines dedicated to the exploits of the aristocracy, show again and again that people are very curious to know all about this small and rather insular group.
The Lords mostly no longer hold actual governmental positions in the UK, although it did take until 1997 for the country to figure out that the idea of inheriting a vote in the upper chamber of Parliament is (to put it politely) not the most democratic notion ever to be considered.Â
Even so, there are still dukes, earls, marquesses, viscounts, barons, knights, and more knocking around. Their survival is predicated on being just flexible enough to adapt to modernity without being so flexible that they disappear entirely - which they certainly still could.Â
So let's see if you know much about this rare and strange species before it goes AWOL for good!
What is the highest non-royal rank?
Earl
Duke
A duke is the highest noble title besides a prince or princess. There are some royal dukes who are ranked higher than non-royal ones, though.
Viscount
Baron
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What is the correct form of address for a duke?
Your Eminence
My Lord
Your Honor
Your Grace
While "your Grace" has in the past been used for royalty, that has not been correct for some hundreds of years. The correct form of address for a prince or princess is "your Highness" while for the sovereign it is "your Majesty."
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What is a courtesy title?
It's any polite use of a title
Any honorific including Mr. and Mrs.
A title for the child of a peer
A courtesy title is a lesser title that an heir to a title may use. For example the Duke of Bedford's son goes by the title Earl of Tavistock.
A title for the spouse of a peer
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What is a dame?
A lady knight
A dame is the counterpart of a knight, and is considered the exact equal. It is a title you get for exceptional service to queen and country in your field, or for exceptional philanthropy (and sometimes just for being a civil servant who sticks around long enough to sneak your own name onto a list someplace).
A lady baron
Any lady in the peerage
A form of address for any female peer when you want to use her first name
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What are the two titles that carry the honorific "sir"?
Knight and baronet
A knight and a baronet are both called "sir." A knighthood is given for extraordinary services - making someone either Sir X or Dame X, depending on their sex. A baronetcy is inherited, though it never meant a seat in the Lords. It also means being called Sir X, though there are no lady baronets due to the historical patriarchal default settings of the aristocracy.
Viscount and knight
Duke and earl
Baron and baronet
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What is the family name of the Dukes of Wellington?
Grovesnor
Wellesley
The first Duke of Wellington, the Iron Duke himself, was known as Lord Wellesley. Since he saved Europe from the tyranny of Napoleon, he has a title in pretty much every country, except France. His heirs also face the most remarkable logistical problem, due to courtesy titles: a great-grandson of a living duke could end up being born Viscount Wellesley, having to change his name to Earl of Mornington upon his great-grandfather's death, to Marquis of Douro upon his grandfather's death, and finally to Duke of Wellington upon inheriting that title. His wife, of course, would face an additional new set of ID cards in her life, and possibly both or either of them might need another batch if they become a doctor or achieve any military titles. It's a complicated life.
Russell
Percy
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Which is the oldest dukedom not currently held by a member of the royal family?
Duke of Cornwall
Duke of Somerset
Duke of Grafton
Duke of Norfolk
The oldest title is Norfolk, currently held by 60-year-old Edward Fitzalan-Howard. He is the 18th Duke of Norfolk. And yes, the Howard in his name is from the same Howards as in Catherine Howard, the 5th wife of Henry VIII (second to have her head cut off). They've been around some time, you know.
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Besides Meghan Markle (soon), are there any nonwhite members of the aristocracy?
LOL, no, haven't you seen Downton Abbbey?
Yes, there's Lady Portsmouth
Yes, there's Lady Weymouth
Viscountess Weymouth (AKA Lady Weymouth, which is what you call a viscountess when you're just hanging out but not on a first name basis), has both Nigerian and British family. While her mother-in-law was grossly intolerant toward the idea of the future Marquis being biracial, fortunately the rest of the aristocracy really wasn't bothered. Emma Weymouth is married to the heir to the Marquis of Bath, Viscount Weymouth, whose famous house, Longleat, has a safari park in the grounds which you can (and totally should) go and visit.
There is an honorary duchess who is a military captain
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Which dukedom belongs to the Percy family?
Northumberland
The Percy family has been the Dukes of Northumberland for hundreds of years. Their ancestral home is Alnwick Castle, which you may recognize as Downton Abbey's Brancaster Castle, and also as parts of Hogwarts. Like Longleat, it's worth a visit.
Suffolk
St Albans
Beaufort
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Which duke lives at Chatsworth?
Derbyshire
Devonshire
Chatsworth is in Derbyshire, but it is the home of the Duke of Devonshire. This is because the family happened to get their mitts on an awful lot of land up north in Derbyshire, and when you have the option to stay in a house like Chatsworth, that's where you live!
Hamilton
Rutland
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What is an order of chivalry?
It's a command that you have to do if you are chivalrous
It's what a knight does when he orders his servants around
It's a group of knights and dames
An order of chivalry is a little bit like a fraternity or a not-very-secret society. Members get the same insignia and certain outfits. The Order of the Garter is one, and the Order of the Thistle.
It's a test to become a knight or dame
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Which earldom does Princess Diana's family hold?
Spencer
The Spencers have a house named Althorp, which is where notable Spencer family member - and sister of the current earl - Princess Diana is buried.
Lincoln
Verulam
Denbigh
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What nickname is given to Knight Commanders of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (KCMG)?
Knightly Coots Minding Gardens
Kinda categorically male gendered
King's Chosen Made Good
Kindly Call Me God
Yep, you read that right. If you're a KCMG, your nickname is Kindly Call Me God. CMG (Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George) is called a Call Me God, and a GCMG (General Commander) is even better: it's called God Calls Me God.
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What is the deal with the Order of the Garter?
It's literally about a garter
The Order of the Garter, founded in 1345, supposedly gets its name from the Countess of Salisbury losing her garter while dancing and King Edward III assuring her dignity by associating it with the highest kind of knight.
It has nothing to do with a literal garter
Everyone in it gets a lacy garter when they join
The queen is the only member
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What's notable about Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford?
He pooped on Queen Elizabeth I
He puked on Queen Elizabeth I
He punched Queen Elizabeth I in the face
He farted at Queen Elizabeth I
The earl was so embarrassed for farting while bowing to the queen that he left the country! John Aubrey recorded that, "This Earl of Oxford, making of his low obeisance to Queen Elizabeth, happened to let out a fart, at which he was so abashed and ashamed that he went to travel seven years. On his return, the Queen welcomed him home, and said, 'My Lord, I had forgot the fart.'" Given that this happened 400 years before there was such a thing as social media, it's actually quite impressive that he is still remembered for it.
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What color are the benches in the House of Lords?
White
Red
The Lords sit on red seats to show how frightfully aristocratic and often quite royal they are.
Blue
Wood
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What is a life peer?
It's a peer who is dead, not alive
It's a peer who is alive, not dead
It's a peerage you can't inherit
A life peer can vote in the Lords but their heirs do not inherit their peerage. Notable life peers include Lord Lloyd Webber and Lord Sugar.
It's a peerage with no voting rights in the Lords
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What is notable about the first Marquis of Pembroke?
He was a Turk
He was the tallest peer ever
He was beheaded after only three days, making this the shortest-lasting title ever
She was a lady
Henry VIII may have been literally the worst guy ever to break up with, but when you were on his good side, he was super generous. He gave his mistress, Anne Boleyn, the title of Marchioness (a lady marquis) of Pembroke in her own right. This came with a great deal of land, which meant vast income. It's good to be the king's sidepiece!
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Which dukedom is currently held by Henry Somerset?
Duke of Somerset
Duke of Beaufort
In another bizarre naming episode, Henry Somerset is Duke of Beaufort. There is also a Duke of Somerset, whose name is John Seymour (as in Jane Seymour, who also married Henry VIII). There is tremendous potential for genealogical disaster if members of the two families were to start marrying one another and then living very historically significant lives.
Duke of Marlborough
Duke of Westminster
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How many hereditary peers sit in the House of Lords today?
650
92
Due to a failure to negotiate the second stage of Lords reform, 92 hereditary peers remained in the House of Lords and retained voting rights, meaning there are effectively hereditary senators in the UK. British people are less bothered about this than is often expected, which is generally held to be for three reasons: first, apathy; second, that there are 650 Lords, meaning most of them are appointees and the 92 aren't a majority; and third, that the example set by elected senators in foreign countries doesn't suggest much hope of an improvement if the system were to be altered a second time.
None
174
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What is the main countryside estate of a lord typically called?
Family seat
The family seat is a house like Castle Howard, seat of the Howard family, or Blenheim Palace, seat of the Dukes of Marlborough. It's usually the house owned by the family member who holds the family title, due to the tradition of primogeniture (leaving everything to the eldest son) keeping big estates together. While some estates have been sold off or lost, many are still in families who have been there for hundreds of years. They operate like family businesses, typically employing hundreds of local people.
House
Manor house
Baronial residence
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What is the son or daughter of a baron or viscount called?
Your Honor
Lord/Lady
The Honourable
The son or daughter of a baron or viscount is called "the Honourable" (with that extra "u"). It doesn't confer any access to anything or guarantee that they inherit anything, and mostly is not used.
The Reverend
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Which is the last hereditary peerage to be created?
Earl of Stockton
Harold MacMillan was given this title upon leaving the prime minister's office. It is a custom to give a title to retiring ministers of a high rank so they can go off to the Lords and nap on the comfy red benches forever. Sometimes they even contribute their hard-earned expertise. The Lords is generally considered to be a relaxing environment after the hustle and bustle of the Commons, where loud shouting matches are frequent. Putting exiting politicians into the Lords is considered a good way of ensuring they don't become lobbyists, thus reducing corruption.
Duke of Stockton
Viscount Stockton
Baron Stockton
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What do you call the wife of an earl?
Earlobe
Earless
Comtesse
Countess
The wife of an earl is called a countess. This is because the French counterpart of an earl is a count. Norman and Anglo-Saxon naming techniques blended following the Norman Conquest, and the earls' wives got titles.
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What special hat do peers get to wear?
Crown
Mitre
Coronet
While most peers no longer put on their coronets, even for very special events like the State Opening of Parliament, they might have the image of the appropriate coronet monogrammed onto some of their property.
Cap
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What is a peer's robe made of?
Velvet
Peers all get robes with special markers on them to indicate rank too. These are often passed down from father to son, though if a son is much taller than his father, he may find that his is a little short and needs to get a new one.
Silk
Linen
Cotton
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How does a peer retire from the House of Lords?
He or she only serves 10 years
He or she dies
Peers technically don't have to quit until they are dead. However, many peers sort of just stop showing up, or come less often. It's a remarkably cavalier system.
He or she is booted out by his or her peers
He or she turns 80
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Could a peerage go through a female heir, back in the day?
No
Of course
Only with royal permission
Only certain titles
Some titles can pass through the female line. This is usually because the rules were set up that way when the title was created, to allow for a family with no sons, or because the title was really for the wife's service and not the husband's, but convention required that it go to him first. Sometimes women were made peers in their own right, especially if they were the sole heir to a dead lord's estates and the crown would prefer those to be held by someone with a title.
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What is the correct form of address for an earl?
Your Grace
Your Worship
Your Honour
My Lord
While a duke goes by "your Grace," an earl only goes by "my Lord" or "your Lordship."
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Which duke has the only private army in Europe?
Duke of Argyll
Duke of Rothesay
Duke of Atholl
The Duke of Atholl is legally allowed to have an army, the Atholl Highlanders, who mostly perform ceremonial duties at the family seat, Blair Atholl (another castle worth visiting). The duke was granted special permission to have his own army, so that he can defend the Pass of Killiecrankie. This is very important as it is the main route through the Highlands, historically an area where uprisings occurred. Nowadays, the A9 highway from Edinburgh to Inverness goes through the pass, and the duke's watchful eye ensures that no uprisings are permitted, as this could lead to terrible traffic jams on the back roads.
Duke of Roxburghe
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What is the honours list (with that "u") included?
It's a list of everyone in the peerage
It's a list of everyone getting a peerage or similar
The honours list comes out on the Queen's birthday and at the New Year. People are nominated by their communities or bosses or friends, and then all the nominees are assessed and the ones considered to have served queen and country the most honorably are given their award. People in receipt of an honor come to Buckingham Palace to get it personally from the Queen. You can get an honor for anything from military service to philanthropy to inventing something to artistic achievement.
It's a list of all the royals
It's a list of all the deceased peers
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If an American gets a knighthood, and they want to put it on their business card, how would they write it?
Dame Jane Smith
Jane Smith, KBE
An American with an honorary knighthood would write KBE, or Knight of the British Empire, on their business card. They get a medal and go to the palace like everyone else. A notable American dame is Angelina Jolie, who didn't get her honor for her acting skills, but for her philanthropic work helping deprived children in developing countries.
Jane Smith, Dame
Knight Jane Smith
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Who is probably the most notable person to decline an honor?
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill would have become a duke after World War II, had he not turned it down so that he could remain in the House of Commons and govern.
Bill Gates
Bob Geldof
Margaret Thatcher
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What's up with the title of Viscount Stansgate?
The holder gave it up
Tony Benn gave up his title so that he could sit in the House of Commons, where he was an elder statesman of the Labour Party.
The holder is the oldest living peer
It's the only title held by a current US citizen
It's the only title given to a spy, thus the first holder's real name is not known
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What is a CBE?
Commandant of the British Empire
Commander of the British Empire
A CBE is what you get if you haven't quite qualified for a knighthood, but you did a great job. A notable CBE is Alec Guinness, who received his award for services to the arts.
Captain of the British Empire
Completely British, Eh?
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