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104-615: Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford , (13 April 1732 – 5 August 1792), better known by his courtesy title Lord North , which he used from 1752 to 1790, was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782. He led Great Britain through most of the American Revolutionary War . He also held a number of other cabinet posts, including Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer . North's reputation among historians has varied wildly, reaching its lowest point in

208-720: A Whig , he did not closely align with any of the Whig factions in Parliament, and it became obvious to many contemporaries that his sympathies were largely Tory . He was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the 1st Somerset Militia on 23 June 1759 when it was embodied for fulltime service, and commanded it in the West Country for Earl Poulett , the colonel, who was also Lord Lieutenant of Somerset . However, North resigned in November 1761 and concentrated on his political career. In November 1763, he

312-697: A commission for the ancient office of Treasurer of the Exchequer . The board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury , the Second Lord of the Treasury , and four or more junior lords acting as whips in the House of Commons to whom this title is usually applied. It is commonly thought that the Lords Commissioners of HM Treasury serve as commissioners for exercising the office of Lord High Treasurer , however this

416-569: A Prime Minister serving without difficulty from the Lords as late as 1902. That Alec Douglas-Home , the last to assume the Premiership from the Lords in 1963, felt compelled to disclaim his peerage and take up a seat in the Commons shows that the convention had, by that time, become well-entrenched. Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries Prime Ministers would continue to be drawn regularly from

520-408: A Royal Warrant dated 30 April 2004, these children are now automatically entitled to the same styles and courtesy titles as their siblings. However, unlike biological children, they cannot inherit peerages from their parent (and thus, since they cannot be heirs, if a peer adopts a son and he is the oldest son, he would use the styles of younger sons). For example, actress Nimmy March , the daughter of

624-579: A ball in his breast", and exclaimed repeatedly "Oh God! It is all over!" North was the second British Prime Minister to be forced out of office by a motion of no confidence ; the first was Sir Robert Walpole in 1742. Lord North resigned on 20 March 1782 on account of the British defeat at Yorktown the year before. In an attempt to end the war, he proposed the Conciliation Plan, in which he promised that Great Britain would eliminate all disagreeable acts if

728-541: A courtesy title are not entitled to use their partner's title. Laird is a courtesy title for the owners of some long-established Scottish estates; the title is attached to the estate, not to the family of the owner. Traditionally, a laird is formally styled in the manner evident on the 1730 tombstone in a Scottish kirkyard (churchyard). It reads: " The Much Honoured John Grant Laird of Glenmoriston". The section titled Scottish Feudal Baronies in Debrett's states that

832-425: A daughter of George Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax and his first wife, Ricarda Posthuma Staltonstall, died in 1734. His father remarried, but his stepmother, Elizabeth Kaye, widow of George Legge, Viscount Lewisham, eldest son of William Legge, 1st Earl of Dartmouth and his wife, Lady Anne Finch, third daughter of Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Aylesford , died in 1745, when Frederick was thirteen. One of his stepbrothers

936-453: A government headed by the Whig magnate Charles Watson-Wentworth, Lord Rockingham came to power in 1765, North left his post and served for a time as a backbench MP . He turned down an offer by Rockingham to rejoin the government, not wanting to be associated with the Whig grandees that dominated the Ministry. He returned to office when Pitt returned to head a second government in 1766. North

1040-410: A marquess's wife "the marchioness ", an earl's wife "the countess ", a viscount's wife, "the viscountess " and a baron's wife "the baroness ". Despite being referred to as a "peeress", she is a peer by virtue of her marriage; however, this is considered a legal title, as it grants her a legal estate, unlike the social titles of a peer's children. The wives of eldest sons of peers hold their titles on

1144-526: A matter of law, acting in the office of Treasurer of the Exchequer. The Chancellor does so in reality, consulting the Prime Minister, and delegating parliamentary-level work to the other ministers in the Treasury, none of whom are Lords of the Treasury, who negotiate and formulate the rest of Treasury business. These junior ministerial positions are, in descending order of rank: Historically, the Chancellor of

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1248-426: A number of fields by professionals who do not hold doctoral degrees. It is commonly used in this manner by physicians, including dentists, unless their specialty is surgery). The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons also allows the use of "Doctor" as a courtesy title by its members, though they must make clear in writing that they are vets and not physicians of human medicine or holders of academic doctorates to ensure

1352-590: A perquisite to other ministers, along with the First Lordship itself. Other positions have been linked to the Prime Ministership as well. Continuously since 1968, when the position was created by Harold Wilson , the Prime Minister has also served as Minister for the Civil Service . The adoption of this additional position was directly linked to reforms to HM Treasury, being created when responsibilities for

1456-539: A style relating to her new husband. On 21 August 1996, letters patent changed titles of divorced wives of British princes , depriving their former wives of the style of Royal Highness . For this reason Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales after divorce became Diana, Princess of Wales . The same happened to Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York , who became Sarah, Duchess of York . Civil partners of someone using

1560-835: A surname or a territorial name. All Senators of the College have the honorific the Honourable before their titles, while those who are also Privy Counsellors or peers have the honorific the Right Honourable . Senators are made Privy Counsellors upon promotion to the Inner House. For example, Alexander Wylie is known as the Honourable Lord Kinclaven , while Ronald Mackay is known as the Right Honourable Lord Eassie . Some Senators also hold peerage titles, such as

1664-531: A theory compatible with the prince's reputation but supported by little else other than the circumstantial evidence. King George IV remarked that "either his royal grandfather or North's mother must have played her husband false", North's father, Francis North, 1st Earl of Guilford , was from 1730 to 1751 Lord of the Bedchamber to Frederick, Prince of Wales, who stood as godfather to the infant, christened Frederick, possibly in honour of his real father. North

1768-477: A very common practice for peeresses (not being peeresses in their own right) after marrying commoners to retain the title lost by such marriage. It is not a matter of right. It is merely a matter of courtesy, and allowed by the usages of society." The divorce court, in the above case, granted the earl an injunction preventing his former wife from using his title; however, this was overturned by the Court of Appeal , and this

1872-530: A week, the city was in the control of the mob until the military was called out and martial law imposed. Public opinion, especially in middle-class and elite circles, repudiated anti-Catholicism and violence, and rallied behind the North government. Demands were made for a London police force. Britain's fortunes in the war in America had temporarily improved following the failure of a Franco-American attack on Newport and

1976-408: A woman may keep the same style as during marriage or she may choose to assume the style "Mrs [ given name ] [ husband's surname ]". Regardless of what she chooses, she loses all precedence acquired from marriage and, because of the former option, there can be multiple Ladies John Smith at any one time. Until 2004, children who had been adopted by peers had no right to any courtesy titles. Pursuant to

2080-465: Is Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Pride and Prejudice , who married the untitled knight (or baronet) Sir Louis de Bourgh and, therefore, retains her courtesy style. The daughter of a viscount or baron who marries a commoner is styled "the Honourable [ given name ] [ husband's surname ]". Any woman who marries a peer uses the feminine version of his peerage title, even if her own precedence is higher than his, as in

2184-406: Is added before the person's given name, as in the examples Lady Diana Spencer and Lady Henrietta Waldegrave . Because it is merely a courtesy with no legal implications, the honorific persists after the death of the holder's father, but it is not inherited by her children. The style is never used immediately before the surname alone. "Lady" is also used before the first name of Ladies Companion of

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2288-418: Is not inherited by any of his children. The wife of the holder is entitled to the feminine form of her husband's style, which takes the form of "Lady" followed by her husband's given name and surname, as in the example of Lady Randolph Churchill . The holder is addressed as "Lord Randolph" and his wife as "Lady Randolph". The courtesy style of "Lady" is used for the daughters of dukes, marquesses, and earls. It

2392-572: Is not true. The confusion arises because both offices used to be held by the same individual at the same time. Strictly they are commissioners for exercising the office of Treasurer of the Exchequer of Great Britain and Lord High Treasurer of Ireland (similar to the status of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty exercising the office of Lord High Admiral until 1964, when the Queen resumed

2496-596: Is often referred to as John Smith, Esq., commonly called Lord John Smith ; the Hon. Mrs Smith would be called Mary Jane, Mrs Smith, commonly called the Hon. Mary Jane Smith . Only peers in attendance at Parliament enjoy statutory precedence. There is, however, official precedence accorded at the Court of St James's that results from being the wife or child of a peer, and to which social styles are attached. The wives of peers, however, are peeresses and legally enjoy their titles in exactly

2600-465: Is one) is not styled "Marquess of Westminster", as this would cause confusion between son and father, and so the former is styled "Earl Grosvenor" instead. The title used does not have to be exactly equivalent to the actual peerage. For example, the eldest son of the Duke of Wellington is usually styled " Marquess of Douro ", although the actual peerage possessed by his father is Marquess Douro (no "of" between

2704-402: Is placed at the end of his or her name (for example, John Smith of Edinburgh, Younger, or John Smith, Younger of Edinburgh). The wife of a Younger may herself place the title at the end of her name. The holder is addressed as the younger (for example, The Younger of Edinburgh). The courtesy prefix of "Maid" is granted to the eldest daughter of a Scottish baron . If the eldest daughter is also

2808-531: Is styled Lord Dyson . Wives of male Supreme Court justices are styled as if they were wives of peers. Nicholas Wilson, Lord Wilson of Culworth , appointed to the Supreme Court on 26 May 2011, was the first person to use a territorial name with his judicial courtesy title, adopting reference to Culworth in Northamptonshire. The title of " Doctor " (or the abbreviation "Dr") is used as a courtesy title in

2912-522: Is styled " Lord North ". The eldest son of the Earl of Huntingdon , who has no subsidiary titles, is styled " Viscount Hastings " to avoid confusion with Lord Hastings , a substantive peer. The heir of Earl Castle Stewart uses the style "Viscount Stewart" to avoid confusion with Lord Stewart, the eldest son of Viscount Castlereagh (the eldest son of the Marquess of Londonderry ). The courtesy style of "Lord" before

3016-463: Is used is a matter of family tradition. For instance, the eldest son of the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry is styled " Earl of Dalkeith ", even though the duke is also Marquess of Dumfriesshire , a title that outranks the earldom. Similarly, the eldest son of the Marquess of Londonderry is styled " Viscount Castlereagh ", even though the marquess is also Earl Vane . In a few houses, successive heirs alternate between two courtesy titles. Heirs to

3120-808: The Battle of Lexington . Following the Boston Tea Party in 1773, Lord North proposed a number of legislative measures that were supposed to punish the Bostonians. These measures were known as the Coercive Acts in Great Britain, while dubbed the Intolerable Acts in the colonies. By shutting down the Boston government and cutting off trade, he hoped they would keep the peace and dispirit the rebellious colonists. Instead,

3224-517: The Duke of Norfolk is also Earl of Arundel and Baron Maltravers . His eldest son is, therefore, styled "Earl of Arundel" ("the" does not precede it, as this would indicate a substantive title). Lord Arundel's eldest son (should he have one during his father's lifetime) would be styled "Lord Maltravers". However, only the Duke of Norfolk is actually a peer; his son Lord Arundel and his hypothetical grandson Lord Maltravers are not. Courtesy titles are used by

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3328-678: The Falklands Crisis in 1770, in which Great Britain faced down a Spanish attempt to seize the Falkland Islands , nearly provoking a war. Both France and Spain had been left unhappy by Great Britain's perceived dominance following the British victory in the Seven Years War . Spanish forces seized the British settlement on the Falklands and expelled the small British garrison. When Britain opposed

3432-519: The First British Empire expand to a peak by taking in vast new territories on several continents. Circumstances forced him to keep many members of the previous cabinet in their jobs, despite their lack of agreement with him. In contrast to many of his predecessors, North enjoyed a good relationship with George III, partly based on their shared patriotism and desire for decency in their private lives . North's ministry had an early success during

3536-418: The Marquess of Lansdowne are alternately "Earl of Kerry" and "Earl of Shelburne", whereas heirs to the Earl of Jersey are alternately "Viscount Grandison" and "Viscount Villiers". Titles with the same name as a peer's main title are not used as courtesy titles. For instance, the Duke of Westminster is also Marquess of Westminster and Earl Grosvenor (among other titles). The duke's heir apparent (when there

3640-582: The Order of the Garter and Ladies of the Order of the Thistle who do not hold another, higher title or style. The spouse of a woman with a courtesy style does not hold any courtesy style in right of their spouse; neither does the husband of a person with any style or title (including the husband of a peer). Younger sons of earls, along with all sons and daughters of viscounts, barons and lords of parliament, are accorded

3744-642: The Republic of Corsica , a British ally, during the Corsican Crisis two years earlier. Using his newly found popularity, North took a chance and appointed Lord Sandwich to the cabinet as First Lord of the Admiralty . Most of North's government was focused first on the growing problems with the American colonies. Later on, it was preoccupied with conducting the American War of Independence that broke out in 1775 with

3848-576: The Thirteen Colonies . In 1779, Great Britain was faced with the prospect of a major Franco-Spanish invasion, but the Armada of 1779 was ultimately a failure. Several peace initiatives fell through, and an attempt by Richard Cumberland to negotiate a separate peace with Spain ended in frustration. The country's problems were augmented by the First League of Armed Neutrality , which was formed to counter

3952-415: The heir presumptive she may either hold the title "Younger" or the title "Maid". The title is customary and not automatically given. The title is placed at the end of the name (for example, Miss Alice Joy, Maid of Newcastle). The holder is addressed as "The Maid of [ Barony ]". The courtesy titles and styles of children of peers are social, not legal. For this reason, in official documents, Lord John Smith

4056-623: The (legally non-existent) Premiership was particularly strong because all Prime Ministers up to Lord Salisbury , apart from Lord Chatham , had been First Lords. Accordingly, when the Prime Minister sat in the Lords, the Chancellor assumed the Second Lordship. The constitutional entrenchment of this principle began in 1841 with the appointment of the Second Peel ministry . Being a viscount, Lord Melbourne (the outgoing Prime Minister) had not been able to be Chancellor as well, but nevertheless assumed

4160-638: The 19th century, these positions became sinecure positions, with the First Lord serving almost invariably as Prime Minister , the Second Lord invariably as Chancellor of the Exchequer , and the junior lords serving as whips in Parliament . As an office in commission, technically all Lords Commissioners of the Treasury are of equal rank, with their ordinal numbers connoting seniority rather than authority over their fellow Lords Commissioners. However, from at least

4264-669: The British blockade strategy, and threatened British naval supplies from the Baltic . With severe manpower shortages, North's government passed an act abandoning previous statutes placing restrictions on Catholics serving in the military. This provoked an upsurge of anti-Catholic feelings and the formation of the Protestant Association that led to the Gordon Riots in London in June 1780. For around

Frederick North, Lord North - Misplaced Pages Continue

4368-499: The Chancellorship. Thus the Chancellor, Henry Goulburn , became the first Chancellor to be Second Lord of the Treasury whilst the First Lord was also in the Commons. From that point onwards, the Second Lordship, save on the rare occasion that the Prime Minister holds both 10 and 11 Downing Street , has been permanently vested in the Chancellor. Since the evolution of the position, the Prime Minister has also served as First Lord of

4472-531: The Commons as well. He continued to serve when Pitt was succeeded by Grafton in October. When the Duke of Grafton resigned as Prime Minister, North formed a government on 28 January 1770. His ministers and supporters tended to be known as Tories, though they were not a formal grouping and many had previously been Whigs. He took over with Great Britain in a triumphant state following the Seven Years' War , which had seen

4576-422: The Duke and Duchess of Richmond, was immediately elevated to Lady Naomi Gordon-Lennox on 30 April 2004. Scottish peerages' rules for courtesy titles and styles differ. Occasionally, a peer succeeds to a peerage upon the death of a relative who is not one of his or her parents. When this happens, the relatives of the new peer may be allowed to use the courtesy titles or styles which would have been accorded them if

4680-500: The Earl of Sandwich. The British naval victory at the Battle of the Saintes took place after the government's fall. Despite predictions that Gibraltar 's fall was imminent, that fortress managed to hold out and was relieved . Great Britain was able to make a much more favourable peace in 1783 than had appeared likely at the time when North had been ousted. In spite of this, North was critical of

4784-458: The Exchequer was also the First Lord of the Treasury, and usually by extension Prime Minister as well. However the increasing sophistication of government spending led to the development of the chancellorship into a more refined position of finance minister, and so gradually particularised the office in a way less suitable for headship of the ministry overall. The last Chancellor-Prime Minister was Stanley Baldwin in 1923, and then only very briefly –

4888-401: The First Lordship pursuant to his premiership in the usual way for premiers from the peerage. However, when Sir Robert Peel returned to office for his non-consecutive second term he elected to be First Lord of Treasury, a title he had naturally assumed in his first ministry wherein he had also served as Chancellor. But despite being a Member of Parliament (i.e. not a Lord), Peel did not assume

4992-574: The French allied themselves with the American rebels, and Spain joined the war in 1779 as an ally of France, followed by the Dutch Republic in 1780. The British found themselves fighting a global war on four continents without a single ally. After 1778, the British switched the focus of their efforts to the defence of the West Indies , as their sugar wealth made them much more valuable to Great Britain than

5096-542: The House of Commons or Leader of the House of Lords depending on the chamber in which they sat. As the power of the executive swelled, the need to have a legislative-oriented office receded. In 1942 during the Second World War Winston Churchill had made himself Minister of Defence, a title Prime Ministers would hold for thirteen years thereafter, but with the decline of defence as an urgent policy area this

5200-679: The Marchioness of London" becomes "The Most Hon. the Dowager Marchioness of London". If a widowed peeress's son predeceases her, her daughter-in-law does not use the title of Dowager, but is styled, for instance, "The Most Hon. Mary, Marchioness of London" until her mother-in-law dies, at which point she may use the title of "Dowager Marchioness". In more recent times, some widows have chosen to be styled with their first names, instead of as Dowager – for example, "Octavia, Lady Baden-Powell" ("Lady Octavia Baden-Powell" would incorrectly imply that she

5304-527: The Prime Minister over the Civil Service, it is a constitutional convention that the Ministry would always be held by the Prime Minister. Though the Civil Service Department was abolished by Margaret Thatcher in 1982, the title was retained. Whereas the First Lordship of the Treasury has been a complete sinecure for some time, the functions of the Minister for the Civil Service have at times required

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5408-482: The Prime Minister to discharge policy and be held accountable for it. For instance, it was occupying this role which saw the Prime Minister sued for her policies in Council of Civil Service Unions v Minister for the Civil Service . Other offices have historically been linked to the Prime Ministership but are no longer. Until Clement Attlee became Prime Minister, the vast majority of premiers had served as either Leader of

5512-630: The Right Honourable the Lady Clark of Calton , and these would be used in place of judicial titles. On creation of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom on 1 October 2009, the first Justices already held life peerages as Lords of Appeal in Ordinary , and continued to hold them. The government announced that future appointees would not be created peers. The first non-peer appointed to the Supreme Court

5616-421: The Treasury in all but two cases. The initial linkage of the two offices is not surprising, since at the formation of the office the First Lord of the Treasury did indeed take part in running the Treasury, and as First Lord was the most senior person so tasked. Since control of money usually granted most power, it is not surprising that such a person would head the government as a whole. Indeed, even after decades of

5720-577: The Treasury is suitably flexible for the government's whip operation because it has no fixed number of office-holders. However, the Chief Whip is not personally a lord of the Treasury, instead having the similar, but discrete, position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury , which is also a sinecure used to procure paid membership among the members of the Government. The lords of the Treasury nominally head HM Treasury. They do so by virtue of office and as

5824-402: The acts further inflamed Massachusetts and the other colonies, eventually resulting in open war during the Boston campaign of 1775–76. North delegated the overall strategy of the war to his key subordinates Lord George Germain and the Earl of Sandwich. Despite a series of victories and the capture of New York and Philadelphia , the British were unable to secure a decisive victory. In 1778,

5928-453: The brother of the present Marquess of Tweeddale , Lord Alistair Hay , has the title Master of Tweeddale . Holders of courtesy titles do not, at the Court of St James's , have their title preceded by "the": "Earl of Arundel" rather than "the Earl of Arundel", for instance. Wives are entitled to use the feminine forms of their husbands' courtesy titles. Thus, the wife of an Earl of Arundel would be styled "Countess of Arundel" (again, without

6032-438: The case of Sir Robert Walpole as the inaugural holder), it has been typical for the incumbent to assume also the position of First Lord of the Treasury. None of the other lords of the Treasury work for the Treasury in a substantive sense. Rather they are government whips, given nominal positions in the Treasury to enable them to be suitably remunerated for facilitating the function of His Majesty's Government . The Commission of

6136-450: The case of a duke's daughter marrying a baron, because a peerage is a substantive title, the usage of which is preferred to any courtesy style – unless she marries into the British royal family . If a woman marries a younger son of a duke or marquess, she becomes "Lady [ husband's full name ]". If she marries a younger son of an earl, or any son of a viscount or a baron, she becomes "the Hon. Mrs [ husband's full name ]". In cases of divorce,

6240-438: The colonies ended the war. The colonies rejected the plan, as their goal had become full independence. In April 1782, it was suggested in cabinet by Lord Shelburne that North should be brought to public trial for his conduct of the American War, but the prospect was soon abandoned. Ironically, the war began to turn in Great Britain's favour again in 1782 through naval victories, owing largely to policies adopted by Lord North and

6344-475: The courtesy style of " the Honourable " before their name; one example is Vita Sackville-West . This is usually abbreviated to "the Hon.". The style persists after the death of the holder's father, but it may not be inherited by the holder's children. It is used only in third person reference, not in speaking to the person. A daughter of a duke, marquess or earl who marries an untitled man becomes "Lady [ given name ] [ husband's surname ]"; an example from fiction

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6448-482: The definite article in front). The children (either male or female) of holders of courtesy titles bear the styles as would be theirs if their fathers actually held the peerages by which they were known; for example, Serena Stanhope , daughter of Viscount Petersham (heir to the Earl of Harrington ), had the style of the Honourable , which is reserved for daughters of viscounts and barons, a title which her father held by courtesy only. The actual courtesy title which

6552-400: The eldest son of an earl, though he may be a courtesy peer, she may keep her rank until the son inherits the earldom, when she must drop to the rank of countess. In Scotland, Senators of the College of Justice (the judges of the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary as well as the Chairman of the Scottish Land Court ) traditionally use the title Lord or Lady along with

6656-454: The emergence of the Premiership, William Pitt the Younger proffered that the Prime Minister "ought to be the person at the head of the finances ." The two exceptions were Lord Chatham and Lord Salisbury. During Chatham's ministry of 1766–68 he occupied the office of Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal instead. Lord Salisbury became First Lord neither during his first term (1885–1886) nor his third (1895–1902), though he did become First Lord for

6760-403: The entire war effort. North was born in London on 13 April 1732 at the family house at Albemarle Street , just off Piccadilly . He spent much of his youth at Wroxton Abbey in Oxfordshire . North's strong resemblance to King George III suggested to contemporaries that George III's father, Frederick, Prince of Wales , might have been North's real father, making North the king's half-brother,

6864-433: The father continues to be the substantive holder of the peerage title, and the son is using the title by courtesy only, unless issued a writ of acceleration . The eldest son of the eldest son of a duke or marquess may use a still lower title, if one exists. In legal documents, the courtesy title is implied, but not used directly – that is, the name of the person is given, followed by "commonly called [ title ]". For example,

6968-516: The first two years of his second ministry (1886–1892). Since Salisbury, the two roles have become completely concomitant, so much so that the Prime Minister's official residence, 10 Downing Street , is in fact the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury, which title is named on the letter box. Salisbury, as a marquess of vast independent wealth, had no use of an official residence, instead living in his grander town house at 20 Arlington Street in St James's , and could instead bestow it as

7072-422: The given name is accorded to younger sons of dukes and marquesses. It is always added before the person's given name and surname , as in the example of Lord Randolph Churchill , although conversational usage drops the surname on secondary reference. It is never used before the person's surname alone, and is not considered a "title" under peerage law. The title persists after the death of the holder's father, but

7176-418: The husband of Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone has no courtesy title; he was simply called "Mr Peter Bottomley " until he was knighted and became "Sir Peter Bottomley". In 2012, Conservative MP Oliver Colvile put forward a Ten Minute Rule bill to allow the spouse of a woman who holds an honour, if he or she enters civil partnership or marriage, to assume the style the Honourable . This bill stalled, and

7280-412: The incident. It had successfully managed to drive a wedge between France and Spain and demonstrated the power of the Royal Navy , although it was suggested by critics that this gave Lord North a degree of complacency and an incorrect belief that the European powers would not interfere in British colonial affairs. This was contrasted with the previous administration's failure to prevent France from annexing

7384-413: The last substantive overlap was William Gladstone in 1880–1882. A more immediately significant trend though was the rebalancing of the powers of the Houses of Parliament in favour of the lower house. From the Glorious Revolution and onwards it had become increasingly constitutionally untenable for the person setting fiscal policy (i.e. the Chancellor) to reside in the House of Lords , a principle which

7488-506: The late 19th century, when he was depicted as a creature of the king and an incompetent who lost the American colonies. In the early 20th century, a revised view emerged which emphasised his strengths in administering the Treasury, handling the House of Commons , and in defending the Church of England . Historian Herbert Butterfield , however, argued that his indolence was a barrier to efficient crisis management; he neglected his role in supervising

7592-576: The ministry fell in December 1783. One of the major achievements of the coalition was the signing of the Treaty of Paris , which formally ended the American War of Independence . The new Prime Minister, William Pitt the Younger , was not expected to last long, and North, a vocal critic, still entertained hopes of regaining high office. In this, he was to be frustrated, as Pitt dominated the British political scene for

7696-452: The new peer had succeeded a parent or grandparent in the title. For instance, Rupert Ponsonby, 7th Baron de Mauley succeeded his childless uncle in 2002. His brother George had no title, as their father was only a younger son of a peer and never inherited (as heir presumptive ) the Baron de Mauley title. However, in 2003, George was granted, by warrant of precedence from Queen Elizabeth II ,

7800-518: The next twenty years, leaving both North and Fox in the political wilderness. North was an active speaker until he began to go blind in 1786. He succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of Guilford on 4 August 1790 and entered the House of Lords , by which time he had entirely lost his sight. Lord Guilford died in Mayfair , England (now part of London), and was buried at All Saints' Church, Wroxton (Oxfordshire), near his family home of Wroxton Abbey . His memorial

7904-483: The office). These offices (excluding Lord High Treasurer of Ireland, which went into commission in 1817) have continually been in commission since the resignation in 1714 of Charles, Duke of Shrewsbury , who was appointed to the office by Queen Anne on her deathbed. Until the 19th century, this commission made most of the economic decisions of Great Britain ( England , before the Act of Union 1707 ). However, starting during

8008-411: The pay and management of the civil service was transferred from the Treasury to a new Civil Service Department. Since the Prime Minister was a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, prior to the reform he had had ex officio oversight of these portfolios, but it was felt more proper for the civil service to be held outside of a particularised department. Nevertheless, in recognition of the primary authority of

8112-490: The peer's eldest living son, and the eldest son's eldest living son, and so forth, only; other descendants are not permitted to use the peer's subsidiary titles . Only the heir apparent (and heir apparent to the heir apparent, and so on) may use them. An heir presumptive (for instance, a brother, nephew, or cousin) does not use a courtesy title. However, Scottish practice allows the style Master/Mistress of X to an heir presumptive as well as to an heir apparent; for example,

8216-463: The prosecution of a Southern strategy that saw the capture of Charleston, South Carolina and its garrison. During 1780 and 1781, the North government gained strength in the House of Commons. In October 1781, British forces under Lord Cornwallis surrendered at the conclusion of the Siege of Yorktown , dealing a crushing blow to British morale. When the news reached North, he took it "as he would have taken

8320-533: The public are not misled. The title of Captain is used as a courtesy title by shipmasters in the merchant navy who do not hold the military rank of captain. It is also used in oral address for naval officers below the rank of captain who are in command of a ship. Lord of the Treasury In the United Kingdom there are at least six Lords (or Lady) Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury , serving as

8424-402: The rank and place). If a peer of the rank of earl or above does not have any subsidiary titles of a name different from his main title, his eldest son usually uses an invented courtesy title of "Lord [ surname ]". For instance, the eldest son of the Earl of Devon is styled " Lord Courtenay ", even though the earl has no barony of that name; similarly, the eldest son of the Earl of Guilford

8528-469: The reign of Queen Anne , de facto power has rested with the top-numbered Lords. The current Lords Commissioners of the Treasury were appointed by letters patent dated 16 July 2024. Of all the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, typically the only one who actually works in HM Treasury is the Second Lord, as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Since the formation of the office of Prime Minister (including in

8632-468: The same basis as their husbands – that is, by courtesy. Thus, the wife of the person known as Marquess of Douro is known as "Marchioness of Douro". In the case of a woman who is a substantive peer in her own right, by succession or by first creation (that is, ennoblement, most commonly in recent times under the Life Peerages Act 1958 ), her husband acquires no distinction in right of his wife . Thus,

8736-410: The same manner as peeresses in their own right. Children of peers can outrank certain actual peers. For instance, the daughter of a duke outranks a countess. However, if the daughter of a duke marries an earl, she drops to the rank of countess, because her courtesy title is subsumed in his substantive title; however, if that same daughter marries a commoner, she retains her rank. If that daughter marries

8840-577: The seizure, Spain sought backing from her ally France. King Louis XV of France did not believe his country was ready for war, however, and in the face of a strong mobilisation of the British fleet, the French compelled the Spanish to back down. Louis also dismissed the Duc de Choiseul , the hawkish Chief Minister of France, who had advocated war and a large invasion of Great Britain by the French. The British government's prestige and popularity were enormously boosted by

8944-477: The style and precedence that would have been his, had his father survived to inherit the barony, becoming the Honourable George Ponsonby . Precedence in such circumstances is usually granted, but is not automatic. The wife of a substantive peer is legally entitled to the privileges of peerage: she is said to have a "life estate" in her husband's dignity. Thus, a duke's wife is titled "the duchess ",

9048-609: The terms agreed by the Shelburne government which he felt undervalued the strength of the British negotiating position. In April 1783, North returned to power as Home Secretary in an unlikely coalition with the radical Whig leader Charles James Fox known as the Fox–North Coalition under the nominal leadership of the Duke of Portland . King George III , who detested the radical and republican Fox, never forgave this supposed betrayal, and North never again served in government after

9152-424: The title, styled with her forename prefixed to the title (without the definite article). Her forename is used primarily to differentiate her from any new wife of her former husband; however, should the former husband remain unmarried, then the former wife may continue to use the title without her forename attached. Should a former wife of a peer remarry, then she would lose the style of a divorced peeress and take on

9256-456: The twentieth century, and women who remarry now ordinarily take a new married name and do not retain their former title. The College of Arms , acting on an opinion of the Lord Chancellor , holds that divorced peeresses "cannot claim the privileges or status of Peeresses which they derived from their husbands". While a divorced former wife of a peer is no longer a peeress, she may still use

9360-401: The upper house. In circumstances where the Prime Minister was a peer it was felt appropriate for the head of the ministry overall to take the primus inter pares position on the commission as First Lord, even if through constitutional convention he couldn't serve as the Chancellor, who was otherwise First Lord by virtue of his office. The office of First Lord thus became strongly intertwined with

9464-403: The use of the prefix "The Much Hon." is correct, but that "most lairds prefer the unadorned name and territorial designation ". The wife of a laird is traditionally accorded the courtesy title of Lady . A form of courtesy title granted is the suffix of " the Younger " (also written as Yr or yr ) at the end of the name. This title is granted to the heir apparent of a Scottish baron and

9568-487: Was Sir John Dyson , who took office on 19 April 2010. By royal warrant dated 10 December 2010, all Justices of the Supreme Court who are not already peers are granted the style Lord or Lady followed by a surname, territorial designation or a combination of both, for life. This decision avoided any distinction from the Scottish Senators of the College of Justice (see section above). Accordingly, Sir John Dyson

9672-759: Was William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth , who remained a close friend for life. He was educated at Eton College between 1742 and 1748 and at Trinity College, Oxford , where in 1750 he was awarded an MA . After leaving Oxford , he travelled in Europe on a Grand Tour with Lord Dartmouth. They stayed in Leipzig for nearly nine months, studying under the constitutional scholar Johann Jacob Mascov . They continued through Austria and Italy, staying in Rome from December 1752 to Easter 1753, then through Switzerland to Paris , returning to England in early 1754. On 15 April 1754, North, then 22,

9776-447: Was a daughter of a duke, a marquess or an earl, or a Lady Companion of the Order of the Garter or a Lady of the Order of the Thistle without a higher style). It used to be customary for women with higher titles from one marriage to retain them even on subsequent remarriage. As Lord Macnaughten put it, in the case of Earl Cowley v Countess Cowley [1901] AC 450: "...everybody knows that it is

9880-485: Was abandoned by Sir Anthony Eden when he came to office in 1955. Boris Johnson held the position of Minister for the Union , which he created to display his commitment to strengthening the bond of the four nations of the United Kingdom. This role was retained by his successor Liz Truss. Accordingly, the First Lord of the Treasury is the title most associated with the Prime Ministership. Seven Prime Ministers saw fit to occupy

9984-542: Was appointed Joint Paymaster of the Forces in Pitt's ministry and became a Privy Counsellor . As Pitt was constantly ill, the government was effectively run by Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton , with North as one of its most senior members. In December 1767, he succeeded Charles Townshend as Chancellor of the Exchequer . With the resignation of the secretary of state Henry Seymour Conway in early 1768, North became Leader of

10088-412: Was chosen to speak for the government concerning radical MP John Wilkes . Wilkes had made a savage attack on both the Prime Minister and the king in his newspaper The North Briton , which many thought libellous. North's motion that Wilkes be expelled from the House of Commons passed by 273 votes to 111. Wilkes' expulsion took place in his absence, as he had already fled to France following a duel. When

10192-490: Was confirmed by the House of Lords , on the grounds that ordinary courts of law lacked any jurisdiction in matters of honour. The same practice was followed by widows who remarried. A prominent example was Catherine Parr , the last wife of Henry VIII , who continued to be known as Queen Catherine even after her marriage to Thomas, Baron Seymour of Sudeley (and, indeed, she disputed precedence with Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset on this basis). This usage died out later in

10296-466: Was descended from Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester , paternal uncle of Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich and was related to Samuel Pepys and the 3rd Earl of Bute . He at times had a slightly turbulent relationship with his father Francis North, yet they were very close. In his early years, the family was not wealthy, though their situation improved in 1735 when his father inherited property from his cousin. Frederick's mother, Lady Lucy Montagu,

10400-575: Was elected unopposed as the member of parliament for the constituency of Banbury . He served as an MP from 1754 to 1790 and joined the government as a junior Lord of the Treasury on 2 June 1759 during the Pitt–Newcastle ministry (an alliance between the Duke of Newcastle and William Pitt the Elder ). He soon developed a reputation as a good administrator and parliamentarian and was generally liked by his colleagues. Although he initially considered himself

10504-495: Was embedded permanently in the constitution from 1718 with the resignation of Lord Stanhope (note this excepts the brief tenures of certain Lord Chief Justices , who historically assumed the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer pro tempore during vacancies, and who were often peers). That notwithstanding, the constitutional convention mandating that the Prime Minister reside in the Commons became embedded much later, with

10608-468: Was not passed by the end of the Parliament. In 2013, there was a private member's bill in the House of Lords introduced by Conservative excepted hereditary peer Lord Lucas to the same effect, which was similarly not passed. If a prince or peer dies, his wife's style does not change unless the new peer is a married man (or a woman, if the succession permits). Traditionally, the widowed peeress puts " Dowager " in her style – for example, "The Most Hon.

10712-771: Was sculpted by John Flaxman RA. His son George North, Lord North , took over the constituency of Banbury, and in 1792 acceded to his father's title. Wroxton Abbey is now owned by Fairleigh Dickinson University , ironically an American college, and the modernised abbey serves as a location for American students to study abroad in England. Lord North is today predominantly remembered as the Prime Minister "who lost America". Both Lord North Street and Guilford Street in London are named after him. On 20 May 1756 Lord North married Anne Speke (before 1741 – 1797), daughter of George Speke MP, of Whitelackington in Somerset. She

10816-596: Was the sole heiress of the Devonshire estates of the Drake family of Ash , which subsequently were sold piecemeal by Lord North. By Anne he had seven children: Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom If a peer of one of the top three ranks of the peerage (a duke , a marquess or an earl ) has more than one title, his eldest son – himself not a peer – may use one of his father's lesser titles "by courtesy". However,

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