What is the Peerage of England and when did it end?
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. From that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were closed to new creations.
Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. From that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were closed to new creations.
Dukes held the most power and prestige among these five levels. The Duke of Cornwall was created in 1337 and usually belonged to the heir to the British throne.
Many older ones particularly older baronies can descend through females under the old English inheritance law of moieties. All daughters or granddaughters through the same root stand as co-heirs while some titles exist in a state of abeyance between these heirs.
English Peeresses obtained their first seats in the House of Lords under the Peerage Act 1963. From that date until the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999 all Peers of England could sit in the House of Lords.
As of September 2025 there are 93 English peers active today with eleven dukes including one royal duke holding the highest rank. One marquess remains within the current peerage list alongside twenty-six earls, three viscounts, and fifty-two barons.