Hereditary Peerages

[Famous5]

Who were the last people in UK to be awarded hereditary peerages under the respective ranks of Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount and Baron (excluding members of the Royal family such as the Earl of Wessex).

Thanks in advance

[kempie]

Haven't found a difinitive list yet but since 1964 only 5 hereditary peerages have been granted, which include the two Royals, Duke of York & Earl of Wessex.

The other 3 are

• 2 Viscounts, of Whitelaw (William) & of Tonypandy (George Thomas)
• Earl of Stockton (Harold Macmillan)

[kempie]

Both Viscounts Whitelaw and Tonypandy died without issue and so their titles are now extinct.

And before anyone mentions Denis Thatcher, he was only a Baronet, an hereditary honour but not a peerage.

[Grunty]

The baronetcy is now held by Sir Mark Thatcher.  The honour is hardly ever given nowadays.  Did anyone wonder why John Major was bullied into awarding it to a man in his eighties?

[kempie]

John Major did not award Denis Thatcher his baronetcy.

'William Whitelaw was given a hereditary peerage by Margaret Thatcher. It was generally regarded that this was a tactical move by Thatcher to ensure that she could create hereditary peerages and baronetcies for others, notably the baronetcy (the only one created since 1965) she announced in her resignation honours list for her husband, Denis Thatcher, which could then pass to her beloved son. Some felt that she may have wanted to set the precedent for her successor to grant her a hereditary peerage when she retired as an MP, but "Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven", awarded by John Major, is a mere life peerage.'

[Famous5]

Thanks for those answers Kempie.

I haven't found a definitve list either, without buying Burke's Peerage at about �270, hence the question!!

[jake-the-peg]

There are definative lists as links at the bottom of this page

http://www.answers.com/topic/peerage

[kempie]

Here it is - Peerage

[kempie]

I can't vouch for the veracity of the list posted above since I notice an omission, namely the Marquess of Willingdon (1936) which appears elsewhere on the same site.