UK Aristocracy

[Chicchicchicchiclana]

Such a strange and incredibly old fashioned thing in the modern world!

Inspired by another thread, do you know any? Are you one? If you are do you think it's had it's day now?

I was friends with a Lord at University but I've not to my knowledge had much to do with one since then.

My perception is that on the whole they mix mainly with their own and so have little idea of what life for the average UK resident is actually like.

Maybe it's the same within all tiers of society.

I know a Lord that lived in an ex council house (and was a jumped up wee shite.)

It doesn't stand for much these days. There's a few aristos that I am fond of- but have met many that are all talk and no action.

There is a bit of an aristo clique, but I think much of it is a safety thing- there's certain things you can talk about that people in general just don't relate to, or that would be verging on inappropriate to discuss with people who haven't experienced it.

I don't know any aristocracy but my cousin has the keys to a ruined castle

(Its in the village where she lives, I think they all share upkeep on it)

My father in law sat in the Lords ( life peer), mixed in posh/ political circles and we know people because of this, and a few others through school, uni, friends' marriages etc. At one of FIL's Christmas parties I had a conversation with a Duke about the cheapest place in Marylebone to buy a fan heater. None of our close friends are 'aristocratic' though, mostly financially comfortable professional folk.

I know one and another who is married to one all via a course I did- both female. I think they all move within the same set and live in a totally different world to the rest of us!

Yes, I do. I only know that they are as I saw his title on his photo ID. They are very normal. They are well off, but not showy or flashy and are just lovely people.

I do know a ‘sir’, does that count? He’s very eccentric and rambles around a Tudor Manor House that has barely been updated. Dh to have a colleague that had to go and stay with ‘lord’ so and so as they worked for them. They were very nice and welcoming, also quite batty and eccentric, and trying everything they could to keep the family estate going. Classic cash poor aristocracy, which I think is probably very different to the wealthy aristocracy. I actually felt a bit sorry for them because the Stately home was a bit of an albatross around the neck. None of their kids wanted to take it on and they had all gone into different professions. I suppose the eldest will eventually have to.

I'm not culturally British (family background not from the West at all) but I've grown up here and from my perspective as a 'foreigner' what I like about the aristocracy was that they were (supposed to be) raised with the idea of "noblesse oblige" - Ie economic or social strata equality will never be possible but the privileged have an obligation to help those better off than them.

It's vastly different to say, America, where it's very much an "each man for himself" mentality, especially once they've climbed to the top of the heap. It's why the hereditary House of Lords was in theory a good idea - it was in many way a-party-political and an effective check on the lower chamber.

On the flip side, the concept of class here is mad. I've encountered posh people over the years and it's an incredibly cliquey club. They could tell from my name, school and even hair (frizzy) that I wasn't one of them and would treat me accordingly (ie ignore me).