The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest institutions in the world, its origins lie in the early 11th century and the emergence of bicameralism in the 13th century.
Peerages in the United Kingdom form a legal system comprising both hereditary and lifetime titles, composed of various ranks, and within the framework of the Constitution of the United Kingdom form a constituent part of the legislative process and the British honours system. The British monarch is considered the fount of honour and is notionally the only person who can grant peerages, though there are many conventions about how this power is used, especially at the request of the British government. The term peerage can be used both collectively to refer to the entire body of titled nobility, and individually to refer to a specific title. British peerage title holders are termed peers of the Realm.
William Stephen Ian Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw,, was a British Conservative Party politician who served in a wide number of Cabinet positions, most notably as Home Secretary from 1979 to 1983 and as de facto Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1988. He was Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1991.
Baron Henley is a title that has been created twice: first in the Peerage of Great Britain and then in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in 1760 in favour of Sir Robert Henley, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, when he was created Lord Henley, Baron of Grainge, in the County of Southampton. In 1764 he was further honoured when he was made Earl of Northington. On the death of his son, the second Earl, both titles became extinct. Lady Elizabeth Henley, youngest daughter of the first Earl and co-heiress of the second Earl, married the diplomat Morton Eden. In 1799, the Henley title was revived when Eden was created Baron Henley, of Chardstock in the County of Dorset, in the Peerage of Ireland. Their son, the second Baron, assumed the surname of Henley in lieu of Eden and notably published a biography of his maternal grandfather. His son, the third Baron, sat as Liberal Member of Parliament for Northampton. In 1885 the Northington title was also revived when he was created Baron Northington, of Watford in the County of Northampton, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. This title gave the Barons an automatic seat in the House of Lords. The fourth baron Frederick Henley was an educated man who served as JP in Northamptonshire and married Augusta, daughter of Herbert Langham 12th baronet.
Bruce Joseph Grocott, Baron Grocott is a British politician who has been a Member of the House of Lords since 2001. A member of the Labour Party, he served as a Member of Parliament for four terms between 1974 and 2001, representing constituencies in Staffordshire and Shropshire.
Nicholas James Christopher Lowther, 2nd Viscount Ullswater, is a British hereditary peer and former member of the House of Lords who sat as a Conservative. He succeeded his great-grandfather in the viscountcy of Ullswater in 1949, being one of very few peers to have succeeded a great-grandfather in a title.
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the Dukedom of Edinburgh awarded for life to Prince Edward in 2023, all life peerages conferred since 2009 have been created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 with the rank of baron and entitle their holders to sit and vote in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as age and citizenship. The legitimate children of a life peer appointed under the Life Peerages Act 1958 are entitled to style themselves with the prefix "The Honourable", although they cannot inherit the peerage itself. Prior to 2009, life peers of baronial rank could also be so created under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 for senior judges.
John Julian Ganzoni, 2nd Baron Belstead, Baron Ganzoni, was a British Conservative politician and peer who served as Leader of the House of Lords under Margaret Thatcher from 1988 to 1990.
Ivon Anthony Moore-Brabazon, 3rd Baron Brabazon of Tara,, is a British Conservative politician.
Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Charles Ponsonby, 7th Baron de Mauley,, is a British hereditary peer, former Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and retired Territorial Army officer.
David Garro Trefgarne, 2nd Baron Trefgarne,, is a British Conservative politician. He is currently the longest-serving member of the House of Lords.
Bertram Stanley Mitford Bowyer, 2nd Baron Denham,, was a British Conservative politician, hereditary peer, writer and former member of the House of Lords. He was one of the few people to serve in the governments of five different prime ministers.
Malcolm Ian Sinclair, 20th Earl of Caithness,, is a Scottish Conservative politician and member of the House of Lords as one of the remaining hereditary peers. He is also 20th Lord Berriedale, 15th Baronet, of Canisbay, Co. Caithness, and chief of Clan Sinclair. He is the Chief Executive of the Clan Sinclair Trust.
Rodney Elton, 2nd Baron Elton, was a British Conservative politician and member of the House of Lords.
Roger Bootle-Wilbraham, 7th Baron Skelmersdale, was a British politician and Conservative member of the House of Lords.
Donald Euan Palmer Howard, 4th Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal,, was a British Conservative politician.
John Derek Taylor, Baron Taylor of Holbeach, is a British Conservative politician and former Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords.
John Gardiner, Baron Gardiner of Kimble is a British politician. He is a life peer, and has served as Senior Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords since May 2021.
James Edward George Younger, 5th Viscount Younger of Leckie, is an elected hereditary peer who sits on the Conservative benches in the House of Lords.
Thomas Henry Ashton, 4th Baron Ashton of Hyde,, is a British hereditary peer and former insurance broker who served as Chief Whip of the House of Lords and Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms from 2019 to 2022. He succeeded to his family's peerage title on 2 August 2008.
