Posted by Barbara on June 25, 1997 at 16:18:56:
In reply to Peerage posted by lucie on June 25, 1997 at 07:51:41
] If Darcy were to be given a title what would be the highest rank he could be given.
I think that the king (or queen) could create titles to a certain extent, such as Earl (others were hereditary). In the Barontage and Peerage (Sir Walter Elliot's favourite book!), it would say when the particular title was created. My great (4times) grandfather was created a baronet by George IV, after which the title became hereditary and was passed down in our family. I believe that Darcy technically could have been created an Earl, but such an honour was reserved for very special favourites of the monarcy, I believe, or those marrying into the royal family somehow. So it is more likely that baronet was about all he could hope for. In Persuasion Mary Musgrove speculates on whether Captain Wentworth might be a baronet one day.
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