Peerage and Honours Act 2024

1     The London Gazette

1. The Head of State and the Prime Minister, or anyone to whom such duties are delegated, shall be charged with the upkeep of the London Gazette, which shall be an official list, consisting of the following categories:
   1. Official appointments, in the categories of Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Ministers of the Crown, Speaker of the House of Commons, Lord Speaker of the House of Lords, Lord President of the Supreme Court, Privy Councillors and King’s Counsels, which shall contain—
      1. the name of the appointee;
      2. the position of appointment;
      3. the date of appointment;
   2. Peerages, in the categories of the Royal Family, duchies, marquessates, earldoms, viscounties and baronies, which shall contain—
      1. the name of the person being granted a peerage title;
      2. the peerage title being granted to the person, and, if applicable, the distinct location of their peerage title;
      3. the reasons for the peerage being granted;
      4. the date of the grant;
   3. Honours, in the categories of each order and its classes, which shall contain—
      1. the name of the person being granted an honour;
      2. the honour order and class being granted to the person;
      3. the reasons for the honour being granted;
      4. the date of the grant;
2. A grant of peerage or honour shall not be considered effective until it has been listed in the London Gazette.

2     Peerage

1. There shall exist a peerage in the United Kingdom, consisting of, in the order of value from highest to lowest, the following ranks:
   1. The Royal Family
   2. Duke / Duchess
   3. Marquess / Marchioness
   4. Earl / Countess
   5. Viscount / Viscountess
   6. Baron / Baroness
2. Any member may hold more than one peerage rank and more than one peerage title within each peerage rank.
   1. The most senior peerage title granted to a person shall be defined as their substantive title, and if the person holds more titles of the same rank, the one awarded first shall be their substantive title; the other titles shall be defined as their subsidiary titles.
3. Peerage titles may be granted by the Head of State to members of the United Kingdom on the advice and recommendation of the Prime Minister.
   1. The title granted for each peerage shall be styled—
      1. for Dukes and Duchesses as "(The or [Name],) Duke / Duchess of [Place]";
      2. for Marquesses and Marchionesses as "(The or [Name],) Marquess / Marchioness of [Place]";
      3. for Earls and Countesses as "The Earl / Countess [Name]";
      4. for Viscounts and Viscountesses as "The Viscount / Viscountess [Name]";
      5. for Barons and Baronesses as "The Baron / Baroness [Name]";
      6. with "[Place]" being replaced with a place within the United Kingdom distinct to the creation and "[Name]" being the name of the person being granted peerage, as announced in the London Gazette.
   2. If a person is granted several peerage titles within one peerage rank—
      1. in the ranks of Duke / Duchess and Marquess / Marchioness, the place associated with the rank must be a different one;
      2. in the ranks of Earl / Countess, Viscount / Viscountess and Baron / Baroness, they may indicate by a number how many titles they have achieved within the rank such as "(The) [Ordinal number] [Rank] [Name]", with "[Ordinal number]" replacing how many times they have been awarded the peerage of the rank, "[Rank]" replacing the relevant peerage rank and "[Name]" replacing their name, but this shall only be for purposes of display and they shall not be addressed as such.
   3. A person holding a peerage title shall be entitled to be addressed as their substantive title.
   4. Peerage titles in the rank of Baron / Baroness may further be granted—
      1. temporarily for a person to take up a seat in the House of Lords as an employee, which shall expire upon the person leaving the House of Lords or employment at the United Kingdom, and grants which are temporary must be labeled so in the London Gazette;
      2. by the Cabinet Office and The Majesty’s Treasury on a valid purchase of said peerage rank, of a price determined by the Prime Minister on advice from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and grants due to purchase must be labeled so in the London Gazette.

3     Honours

1. There shall exist the following honours in the United Kingdom, in order of value from highest to lowest:
   1. Knight / Lady Companion (1st Class) in The Most Noble Order of the Garter; 
   2. Knight / Dame Grand Cross (1st Class) in The ​​Most Honourable Order of the Bath;
   3. Knight / Dame Grand Cross (1st Class) in The Royal Victorian Order;
   4. Knight / Dame Grand Cross (1st Class) in The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire;
   5. Knight / Dame Commander (2nd Class) in The ​​Most Honourable Order of the Bath;
   6. Knight / Dame Commander (2nd Class) in The Royal Victorian Order;
   7. Knight / Dame Commander (2nd Class) in The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire;
   8. Companion (3rd Class) in The ​​Most Honourable Order of the Bath;
   9. Commander (3rd Class) in The Royal Victorian Order;
   10. Commander (3rd Class) in The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire;
   11. Lieutenant (4th Class) in The Royal Victorian Order;
   12. Officer (4th Class) in The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire;
   13. Member (5th Class) in The Royal Victorian Order;
   14. Member (5th Class) in The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire;
   15. Companion of Honour (1st Class) in the Order of the Companions of Honour;
   16. Member of Honour (2nd Class) in the Order of the Companions of Honour;
2. Honours may be conferred by the Head of State to members of the United Kingdom on the advice and recommendation of the Prime Minister.
   1. Honours in the Order of the Companions of Honour may further be granted by the Cabinet Office and The Majesty’s Treasury on a valid purchase of said honour, of a price determined by the Prime Minister on advice from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and grants due to purchase must be labeled so.

4     Privileges

1. Schedule 1 of this Act shall outline the privileges that come with each peerage rank and honour, as well as additional privileges, but other privileges and entitlements may be elsewhere legislated.
2. The Prime Minister, or anyone to whom the Prime Minister delegates such responsibility, may establish clothing regulations to represent the different ranks of peerage and honours and the classes of them.

SCHEDULE 1: APPENDIX OF PRIVILEGES

1     Privileges of peers

1.  Peers shall be entitled to privileges in accordance with the following table:

2     Privileges of honours

1. Members of the honours shall be entitled to privileges in accordance with the following table:

3     Other privileges

1. Other privileges shall exist in accordance with the following table:

4     Post-nominal letters

1. Post-nominal letters shall be displayed in the order given in the tables from top to bottom in this schedule, and if having been granted several honours in the same order, only the post-nominal letters of the highest class in that order shall be displayed.