# Can a British noble be upgraded? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 1, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-british-noble-be-upgraded/292461 "2005-03-01T17:49:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-british-noble-be-upgraded/292461/21 "2005-03-03T18:39:52Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > He was knighted in 1947. He was raised to the peerage (as a life peer only, not as a hereditary peer) in 1970 as _Baron Olivier of Brighton_. He was not promoted to any higher rank in the peerage, although he was further honoured with the Order of Merit in 1981. Virtually all new elevations to nobility are life peerages, are they not? Though I did hear that when Benjamin Britten was elevated to the peerage, it was in theory a transmittable peerage, but he was most unlikely to produce an heir. ---
**Author:** ![bashere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bashere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bashere)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-british-noble-be-upgraded/292461/22 "2005-03-03T19:52:15Z")
[QUOTE=His Excellency Sir Samuel Vimes, Duke of Ankh-Morpork, Commander of the city watch] “I’m his Excellency, too? I thought I was ‘Sir’”. “You are both”. “I was a chalkboard cleaner, too. Does that help?” “It may come in handy in case of a tie, sir”. [QUOTE] (From memory, the exact quote it probably funnier) This may appear to be off topic, but the book is written by a brit, and he probably knows his nobles. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-british-noble-be-upgraded/292461/23 "2005-03-03T21:59:01Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > Virtually all new elevations to nobility are life peerages, are they not? That certainly appears to be the philosophy of recent British governments, yes. There has been the odd hereditary peerage created since the 1980s though I think. William Whitelaw was granted a hereditary viscountcy. And Harold MacMillan was created the _Earl of Stockton_, a title to which his grandson later succeeded. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-british-noble-be-upgraded/292461/24 "2005-03-03T22:46:50Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > That certainly appears to be the philosophy of recent British governments, yes. There has been the odd hereditary peerage created since the 1980s though I think. William Whitelaw was granted a hereditary viscountcy. And Harold MacMillan was created the _Earl of Stockton_, a title to which his grandson later succeeded. Well Princes Andrew and Edward were both granted hereditary peerages on their wedding days, but royalty is a different story. Maggie Thatcher was given a life barony, though her husband was made a baronet (not actual a peerage) just so her son, Mark, would inheirit a title. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-british-noble-be-upgraded/292461/25 "2005-03-04T17:27:43Z")
> [@](#): > > My question then is whether anyone’s ever gotten an upgrade from a lower ranking title to a higher one. Prior to the 1960s, wealth and influence would get you a barony. Being a retired war hero (preferably a Field Marshall or a Fleet Admiral) would get you a viscountship. Being an ex-Prime Minister would get you an earldom. (When Maggie Thatcher only got a baronage, it raised some eyebrows. But her husband got a baronetcy, so they weren’t completely gypped.) If you inherited an earldom, and then had a distinguished military or political career of your own, you might get upgraded to a marquess. For a dukedom, you had to do something really spectacular, like beating Napoleon and then becoming Prime Minister. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2005, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-british-noble-be-upgraded/292461/26 "2005-03-04T20:24:53Z")
> [@manhattan](#): > > Nah, that was USSR error. BAN HIM! BAN HIM!! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-british-noble-be-upgraded/292461.md?page=1)