WOMEN PEERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 March 1940, Page 8

WOMEN PEERS

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

One dukedom, five earldoms, one viscountcy, and 15 baronies are held by women. Eighteen women are peeresses of the United Kingdom, and four hold Scottish titles. These women peers, because of their high rank, the highest in the land, are debarred from many of the privileges enjoyed by women of lesser rank.

For instance, politics are absolutely forbidden to them. Peers have no vote, but if they are males they enjoy the privilege of sitting in the House of Lords. Not so. however, the women peers. Efforts have been made to obtain for them equality with male peers, but the portals of the Lords still remain (irmly closed. A peer’s wife may contest an election for the House of Commons, -and some are members, but a peeress in her own right may not do so.

In marriage, too, there is a certain disadvantage. She cannot raise hethusband to her rank, though when a peer marries his wife becomes a peeress. But the husband of a woman peer remains plain “mister” or whatever his own rank may be, as in the case of the Countess of Seafield and Mr. Derek Studley-Herbert, though in the old days the husband used to succeed to the title in lieu of the wife.

At State functions the husband is allowed to escort his peeress-wife. Because she is a peer of the realm she cannot sponsor presentations at Court. She is a peer of the realm, and peers cannot make presentations. If there is someone she wishes to present, someone, generally a relative, must make the presentation.

Only one peeress has married a peer of equal rank. Baroness Beaumont, who is the wife of Baron Howard of Glossop. Being of equal rank, they are known by their own titles. They have eight children, who take their father’s surname. The eldest son is heir to both baronies.

If a title is conferred by writ of summons in the United Kingdom a female can inherit the title without it falling into abeyance. There is no abeyance in the Scottish peerage, and the eldest daughter, if there is no son, succeeds to the title. , <