British nobility

The British nobility is made up of the peerage and the gentry of the British Isles. Though the UK is today a constitutional monarchy with strong democratic elements, historically the British Isles were more predisposed towards aristocratic governance in which power was largely inherited and shared amongst a privileged noble class. The nobility of the four constituent home nations and crown dependencies therefore has played a major role in shaping the history of the British Isles, and remnants of this nobility exist throughout the UK's social structure and institutions. Traditionally, the British nobility rank directly below the British royal family. In the modern era, this ranking is more of a formally recognised social dignity, rather than something conveying practical authority; however, through bodies such as the House of Lords, the nature of some offices in the Royal Household, and British property law, the British nobility retain some aspects of political and legal power. The vast majority of the British nobility (in the Continental sense) is formed by the 'Gentry', which primarily consists of those who hold a coat of arms, but holds ranks including baronets, knights, esquires and gentlemen. All ranks and titles of nobility in the British Isles that are higher than Gentleman are strictly personal and limited to the lifetime of the holder, though many can be transmitted by primogeniture, usually to heirs male of the body of the original recipient. Male-line descendants of members of the royal family, peers, baronets, knights and esquires do not sink below the rank of Gentleman as long as they are armigerous. Coats of arms are marks of nobility in Britain unlike on the Continent, where a grant of arms does not necessarily result in ennoblement or confirmation of nobility. The British nobility should not be confused with the British upper class,...