Question for British DUers about aristocracy.

[Jara sang]

Is the distinction between the ruling elite and the "regular folks" more apparent in Great Britain than in the US? I mean, do the "under classes" hold more animosity for the wealthy and rich than say in the United States or is it pretty much the same? I ask this because I was just reading something about Thatcher that described her as a 'Baroness'. I didn't know she had that title. Do those kind of titles and the people that hold them really piss people off? Or do people "just live with it"?

[StellaBlue]

1. The latter.

I'm not British, but I lived there for years with my British partner and his family.

They're like us. There's some respect for the Queen because she puts her duty above all else and remains nonpolitical and whatnot, but the rest of them face an open-season in the press and daily conversation. They're not monolithic... some Brits hate the monarchy and call for a republic like we supposedly have, others are out and out monarchists. Generally, the monarchy doesn't cross people's minds in the day to day business of living, and very very few look to them as role models or 'betters'. There is some pride in the institution, however, just as in the US presidency, as something that all Britons have in common, as the head of state, etc. They do still sing "God Save the Queen", for the most part happily, after all. :) Also, most of the aristocrats now hold real jobs (although, like here, they may have gotten them nepotistically - well, surely did in most cases), and a lot of them are actually not that wealthy due to having to pay taxes, estates being split up, etc. Sort of like the proud families of the Old South who still have a pile, but no cash.

In my experience. $0.02.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. That's a fairly good summary

As Stella says, the 'aristocrats' - ie those with inherited titles - vary from a few super-rich (typically those whose families owned land on the edge of London when it expanded as Britain became the richest country), to those who may just own an average-to-nice house somewhere in the country, effectively a family farm. They live far more in rural areas than urban, so most of us don't actually come across them in our lives (I knew one, at university, and he was a bit of an arsehole, but more because he was a pretentious, but not very good, actor, rather than throwing his title around - it was someone else who told me he was Lord someone).

They're more fodder for gossip columns, as are rich familes who don't have titles. Many can be a waste of space, like Paris Hilton. If they behave themselves, they do stand a chance of getting 'respect' from some people - the Queen does this well, but a few dukes manage it as well, and you get occasional TV programmes looking at their life running a stately home in an uncritical tone.

Most people that you see in the news with titles have been awarded them, rather than inheriting them - such as Baroness Thatcher, as Staph points out below. The honours system has a lot of critics - political parties can nominate a certain number for knighthoods (just a title), or peerages (ie making them Lord/Lady/Baroness etc.) - which gives them a seat in the House of Lords for life, and a chance to vote on legislation (though the House of Lords can only delay legislation, not block it forever). There's a current scandal about people making secret loans to parties in return for these honours - which is illegal, if it happened. There's an outside chance this is what will bring Blair down. Some get it for excellence in their field (eg Lord Winston, a leading medical expert in fertility ), or charity work (eg Lord (Richard) Attenborough, who got it not for his acting or directing, but his work with a mentally handicapped charity over the decades). Most get it as a semi-retirement gift after being a politician. There are also 'lesser' honours (eg CBE, MBE) which go to actors, athletes, businessmen, head teachers, local council leaders, and all kinds. It does make for a 'pecking order' in public life, to a certain extent, and many would like to get rid of it all - but they find it useful to give out an honour as a sop to someone who didn't get real promotion in politics, and there's a certain amount of giving honours to popular people (eg sportsmen) which can give some a sense of getting 'their' favourite recognised.

[Staph]

2. Just as an "oh, by the way". . .

Margaret Thatcher was made Baroness Thatcher until 1992, after her retirement. The title is a life barony, which means that the title dies with her - it will not be inherited by her son.

[Dead_Parrot]

4. Personally, I like them

They don't have any real power anymore - in fact, most of them don't even have any money - but they bring in the tourists and give us a sense of history. And some of them pull their weight:



Second Subaltern 230873 Elizabeth Windsor changing a tire. She looks different without the crown....

I defy anyone to produce a photo of shrub doing that. :)