What man wouldn’t wish to be a duke? As Debrett’s, an authority on elite society, explains in its guide to the peerage, the term ‘duke’ is derived from the Latin word for leader. What’s more, dukes hold the peerage’s highest-ranking hereditary titles. Lucky fellows! Continue reading “Who is England’s Premier Duke? (He isn’t Royal)”
Valentine’s Day was especially happy for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, also known as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The devoted couple chose 14 February to announce that they’re ‘overjoyed to be expecting their second child’, as their spokesperson emphasised. The baby will be a sibling for their son Archie and eighth in line to the throne. Continue reading “Why Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Is Increasingly in the Royal Spotlight”
During the late 19th century, British aristocrats – powerful, titled landowners – faced what might today be called a cash-flow crisis. Their tenants were abandoning rural life and moving to industrialised areas, while strong competition from foreign agriculture was beginning to bite. As a result, the income generated by the aristocracy’s vast land-holdings was falling sharply.
Continue reading “How American ‘Dollar Princesses’ Enriched the British Aristocracy”
