"It wouldn't be true to say that the press has stopped covering the aristocracy, since the Telegraph diligently covers the great estates, but the discussion now comes framed by the idea of meritocracy, which is objectively pretty ridiculous. So the Hon Nick Howard told the Telegraph a fortnight ago, If my son wants to take over [Castle Howard], he'll have to pass an interview, while other great estate owners stress their role as rewilders, ecowarriors or, at their most traditional, conservationists."
"When she had her coming-out ball in the 1950s, a young Queen Elizabeth attended, since the whole point was to be presented to the queen it was social death for a debutante if she wasn't. In the 1960s, she lent her name to Annabel's, the nightclub set up by her first husband, Mark Birley, for poshos in London's Berkeley Square."
The British aristocracy has become less publicly visible and is now discussed through a meritocracy lens that often feels absurd. Newspapers like the Telegraph continue to report on major estates, but owners increasingly present themselves as rewilders, ecowarriors, or conservationists. Some estate heirs say successors must pass interviews to inherit responsibilities, reframing inheritance as merit-based. Public pride in heritage is discouraged. Lady Annabel Goldsmith exemplified an earlier era of conspicuous aristocratic life: she inherited a title at 15, was presented to Queen Elizabeth, lent her name to the nightclub Annabel's, and was linked to social aphorisms around marriage and status.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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