Levels of the Peerage, Plus a Sprinkling of Some Other Titles

Peers’ titles below are listed in descending order of rank. Though there are life peers (peerages, usually a baronage, bestowed by the monarch for a person’s lifetime and not hereditary), peerages have traditionally been hereditary, with the eldest son, or, depending on the terms of the peerage’s creation, another male relative, inheriting the title. In rare cases, particularly in Scotland, peerages can pass through the female line.

Duke

The highest level

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Marquess

The second-highest level

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Earl

The third-highest level

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Viscount

The fourth-highest level

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Baron

The lowest level

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Other Titles

Baronets, knights, and dames

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