The younger sons of Dukes. The younger sons of Marquises. Bishop of Durham. Bishop of Winchester. All other Bishops according to seniority of consecration. The Vice Chamberlain. Secretary of State, being under the degree of Baron. The younger sons of Earls. The eldest sons of Barons. * Any peer, being principal secretary of state, shall take precedence of all other peers of his degree. But the priority of signing treaties, or instruments, by public ministers, is always enjoyed by rank of place, and not by title. It was confirmed by stat. 5 Anne, chap. 8, That all peers of Scotland shall be peers of Great Britain, and have rank next after the peers of the same degree in England, at the date of the union, May 1, 1707. By Act 39 & 40 Geo. III. cap. 67, it is enacted, That the lords of Parliament on the part of Ireland shall have the same privileges as the lords of Great Britain; and all the lords spiritual of Ireland shall rank next after the lords spiritual of Great Britain, and shall enjoy the same privileges, except that of sitting in the House of Lords. The temporal peers of Ireland have rank next after the peers of the same rank in Great Britain created before the union. All peerages of Ireland and Great Britain created since the union have rank according to creation, and are considered in all respects as peerages of the United Kingdom, and enjoy the same privileges, excepting those peers of Ireland who have not sittings in the House of Lords. + Knights of the Thistle and of St. Patrick have no precedence, under the statutes of their orders, and would be placed according to their rank irrespective of their knighthood. Chancellor of the Exchequer. Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. Judges and Barons of the degree of the Coif of the said Courts according to seniority, and Judges of the Court of Review. Commissioners of the Court of Bankruptcy. Bannerets made under the Royal banner, in open war, and the The youngers sons of Barons. Knights Grand Crosses of St. Michael and St. George. Knights Commanders of St. Michael and St. George. Companions of St. Michael and St. George. The eldest sons of Bannerets. The eldest sons of Knights of the Garter. Gentlemen entitled to bear arms. Clergymen, Barristers at Law, Officers in the Navy and Army who are Gentlemen by profession. Table of Precedency among Women. THE QUEEN (Regnant or Consort, as the case may be). The Queen Dowager. Princess of Wales. Princesses, daughters of the King or Queen Regnant. Princesses and Duchesses, wives of the King's or Queen Regnant's younger sons. King's or Queen Regnant's granddaughters. Wives of the King's or Queen Regnant's grandsons. King's sisters. Wives of the King's or Queen Regnant's brothers. Wives of the King's uncles. Daughters of the King's or Queen Regnant's brothers' of sisters' sons. Wives of the King's nephews. Marchionesses. Wives of the eldest sons of Dukes. Wives of the eldest sons of Marquises. Wives of the younger sons of Dukes. Wives of the younger sons of Marquises. Wives of the eldest sons of Viscounts. Wives of the younger sons of Earls. Wives of Knights of the Garter. Wives of Baronets. Wives of Bannerets not made by the King in person. Wives of Knights Grand Crosses of St. Michael and St. George. Wives of Knights Commanders of St. Michael and St. George. Wives of Knights Bachelors. Wives of Companions of the Bath. Wives of Companions of St. Michael and St. George. Wives of the eldest sons of Knights of the Garter. Wives of Gentlemen. Wives of Clergymen, Barristers at Law, and Officers in the Navy and Army. The Great Officers of State, and of THE LORD HIGH STEWARD. THE power and influence of the lord high steward, anciently the first great officer of state, were in former times so exorbitant, that after the elevation of Henry of Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, to the throne, when the office came into the hands of the crown, it was not thought prudent to intrust it again in the person of a subject. Since that time, therefore, there has not been any lord high steward in England, except to officiate pro tempore at a coronation, or for the arraignment of a peer or peeress for a capital crime. THE LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR. Formerly the second, now the first, great officer of the crown, is the lord high chancellor, or keeper of the great seal, which are the same in authority, power, and precedence. They are appointed by the sovereign's delivery of the great seal to them, and by taking the oath of office. They differ only in this point that the lord chancellor has also letters patent, whereas the lord keeper has none. He is an officer of very great power, no patents, writs, or grants being valid, until he affixes the great seal thereto. Among the many great prerogatives of his office, he has a power to judge according to equity, conscience, |