Великобритания – страна с особенной культурой, which has evolved over many centuries. A characteristic feature of British society is social stratification, which is expressed in the presence of various titles. The main category of British society is peers, a hereditary nobility of British society.
Definition of concept
According to the dictionary of the Russian language, peer isa man who represents the upper class in England and in France. The appearance of the peerage title originated in the far Middle Ages, but exists in British society today. In France, however, the estate was liquidated in 1848.
To date, peers are representativesBritish House of Lords, the upper house of parliament. According to the country's legislation, the exact number of peers represented in the chamber is not fixed. The titles of peers are hereditary, but they are allowed to participate in the meetings of the House of Lords only after the age of 21. Inherit the title can only be males. For women, however, there are certain legislative rules, according to which they have the right to receive a life peer.
History of occurrence
The emergence of such a representative of society asPeer is a period in the history of England when the famous William the Conqueror united the country. He divided the territory into administrative units. Those who owned large lands were called barons. They were also divided into "large" and "smaller." The English king consulted with the "big barons." It was from this category that the House of Lords was later formed, in which honorary peers of England still sit. To date, the peers have lost their extended privileges in society, which they have historically established. However, the existence of this category of population is a tribute to British history, honoring the country's cultural heritage.
Variety of titles in England
In modern England, peer is the Englishmanwho possesses the title. The rest of the population is considered commoners. The presence of a title in English society gives this category of the population a number of serious privileges, which are graded according to the rank of the title.
Titles in England have their own hierarchy.Obviously, at the head of this hierarchy are royal titles, which are unique. The following significant titles are duke and duchess. They are close relatives of the royal family. Also in English society there are such titles as marquis, earl, viscount, baron.
