"Courtenay inherited the earldom through a mostly male bloodline that goes back to the Crusades. Even though he has three older sisters, he gets the title and castle."
"Parliament passed the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act of 2026, which abolishes those 92 inherited seats. Some will stay in Parliament until they die, but cannot pass their seats down."
"Eleanor Doughty states, 'It is seemingly so wild that anybody in this day and age could inherit the right to legislate. It's quite bonkers!'"
Charles Courtenay, the 19th Earl of Devon, moved from England to California in his 20s. He inherited the earldom and Powderham Castle after his father's death in 2015. Despite having three older sisters, he received the title due to a male lineage. The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act of 2026 will abolish inherited seats in the House of Lords, allowing some lords to remain until death but preventing them from passing titles to descendants. Many view this change as overdue, questioning the legitimacy of inherited legislative power.
Read at www.npr.org
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