Aristocrats and hereditary titles... I'm curious

[Genvonklinkerhoffen]

I'm absolutely certain someone on here will know the answer and you will understand why I'm being vague!

I'm advertising externally for a fairly senior role in the public sector and have had an application from "Lady" Lasagne Snodgrass. Very excited me thought oh gosh, what an impressive CV and application form to make it through the first stage, within the information I'm privy to see at this stage, the individual is between 30 and 40 as an estimate (based on qualifications which changed recently).

How does one become a lady? Can you inherit the title? What "rank" or title would your parents need to be in order for you to inherit the title? Or could you become a lady in your own right by this age? How would you do this?

Rest assured, I completed the sift and have passed interviews on to a completely independent department so this can have zero bearing on the outcome. I'm just fascinated by it.

If it's an inherited title you should be able to find her on thepeerage.com/ even if she now uses her married name.

@Tripofalifetime343 I agree -so slightly different - a friend of DS works for Dame - she was given that title - didn't inherit it - she never uses it - just introduces herself as x first name x second name.

I also know a person who bought a Lady x name etc off the internet.

There are also "The Hon" titles

Personally I would think anyone in a job would not expect to refer to anyone as (eg) Lady Slaphead just call her by her every day name.

I worked with a hereditary ‘Honourable’ Jane Dazzlingly-Clever many years ago in the civil service. She was just Jane on a day to day basis. It was only some time after I’d met her that I saw on something official that her title was The Honourable. I imagine hereditary Ladies do the same.

When I used to be work in a designer clothes shop. I had a first time customer who asked me to hold something for her I said
"yes sure can I take a name?"
She said "it's Vicky"
When she came back to pay later I noticed her name on her card Lady Victoria posh- name.
I loved that she didn't give it large like some of the wags that used to come in.

Thank you (on behalf of republicans everywhere) for listening!

Lady Lasagne will have inherited her title as the daughter of a duke, earl or marquis.
Lady Snodgrass has either married a peer or been done as an honour.
You don't use your Christian name if you were not born blue-blooded, as it were.

Some people call their sons "Prince" which I find it ridiculous. To call a poor girl "Lady" is equally laughable

Ladies Edith, Mary, Sybil Crawley were the daughters of an Earl. Their mum was Cora, Lady Crawley, the Countess of Grantham as she married into the title.

Lady Sybil married a commoner so she became Lady Sybil Branston, but Tom did not gain a title.

I think anyway.

Lady Lasagne means daughter of Earl, Marquess or Duke if either unmarried or married to man with no title of his own . If married to a peer she would have taken his title ie Countess/Marchioness of Snodshire, Lady Snodgrass. If married to a Knight or Baronet she would be Lady Snodgrass, wife of Sir Pasta Snodgrass.
If divorced from a peer, knight or baronet she would have her first name ahead of title: Lasagne, Lady Snodgrass, Lasagne, Countess of Snodshire etc.
We do increasingly see wives of Knights using their first name as though an equivalent of husband’s title- Sir Pasta and Lady Lasagne Snodgrass. But this is incorrect.
Finally, if she is daughter of a peer she should be in Burke’s irrespective of who she married- there would be a hyperlink.
Hope this helps!

Used to be very annoying when media referred to Lady Cora and Lady Violet. Cora was Lady Grantham, Countess of Grantham and Violet was the Dowager Countess. Neither were Lady Forename Crawley.

Absolute goldmine. Thank you!!

It is interesting that this person included her title in a job application.

I know a couple of titled people who work in public services and they both just use Mrs/Dr and their name. In fact one (a friend who is a teacher in inner London) only uses half of her doubled barrelled name, as it’s quite recognisable otherwise. DH works in City law and I reckon his team (very socially and ethnically diverse) would find it quite amusing if someone applied using their hereditary title (William Wales was his classmate so DH is not easily dazzled).

Using “Lady” in a work context would be as odd as expecting colleagues to call you Ms/Mrs rather than using your first name. But as others have said, you’d only be Lady X if your father was an earl or higher. Or I think if you were the eldest daughter of a viscount.