|
Because Downton Abbey has been in the news a bit lately, here's a question involving the intricacies of British nobility (a field full of traps for the unwary writer).
The Barony of Haden-Guest is currently held by the 5th Baron, Christopher Haden-Guest, better known as Christopher Guest (actor, screenwriter, and husband of Jamie Lee Curtis, among other accomplishments).
The current Lord Haden-Guest inherited the title from his father, although he has an older half-brother (by the same father). And although Lord Haden-Guest has two children, the heir-presumptive to the title is his younger brother rather than his son.
These two sideways paths are caused by two different quirks of succession rules. What are they?
|