The Aristocracy - Letting in the Hoi Polloi: 1945-1970 4th part 

In 2004, after this series was filmed, a Royal Warrant was issued granting the adopted children of peers the right to be called "The Honourable (first name)(last name)." June, Marchioness of Aberdeen, thus saw this recognition of her and the Marquess's children before she died in 2009.

"from the wrong side of the sheets" so true. So VERY true.

Awesome insight on the very different lives of the aristocracy!

Thank you, thank you for posting this wonderful series. Was it made in about 1990-1995, with footage shot in the 1980's? I love seeing the young Andrew Devonshire and the Lygon sisters as old ladies. So many of these people have died, so I'm glad this documentary captured some of them on film while there was still time.

What a lovely historical account about a historical account.

The Duchess of Cambridge has a "secret" ancestor who was a member of the aristocracy. With all the talk of her miner ancestors from her mother, not much light has been shined on her father's ancestors. She had a grandmother who attended coronations in her coronet.

My God I was there in London in the 60's and what a time that was!

This segment offers a great deal of "clarity" into the society and times. The *"Earl of Litchfield"* is actually the Definition of Class - in its most positive of meaning - *"Class is truly a Grace one can not buy, and in many cases - can't be born into."* Socal Class due to financial wealth and with all the training and education that affords, still truly falls short of *"Individual that has Class"* The later has everything to do with the essence of one Character and Conscious Application of Mature Thought, with Dignity, Integrity, and a Standard of Ethics. Most of the Aristocracy in these clips are "stale snobs" and I mean this with a degree of empathy, not at all as a personal insult. In every Socio-Economic Class and every Country - there exists those with *Real Class* and it doesn't require a Title - it always makes its own statement. USA - "a Sociologist/Journalist"

It's amazing to think that Andrew Carnegie, who was born into a poor family of weavers, left Scotland aged 14, went to America, and became one of the wealthiest people of all time, maybe even the wealthiest, with his personal fortune overshadowing the wealthiest people of today. And yet many of these aristocrats who were born with silver spoons in their mouths were a waste of time and can only be described as oxygen thieves.

Diana Spencer had a longer and just as illustrious pedigree as the present Royal family and look how badly that coupling ended. The odd shot of 'pleb' can be an advantage. So far the Duchess of Cambridge hasn't put a foot wrong, if you overlook the topless episode................

Amazing people I hope indeed they survive 🇬🇧

The law has been changed so that adopted children may use the courtesy honorific of Lord or Lady, or Hon., but not inherit the title or estate.

Fascinating series! The idea of "breeding" is valid in fact, if one is referring to characteristics, both physical and temperament and personal qualities. I have seen this after engaging in genealogical research into my own very ordinary family though the direct male line whereby I have so far managed to reach back to the 16th century with good accuracy and further with perhaps doubtful accuracy. What is obvious from this is the drive and ambition to succeed in their endeavours which my own male ancestors mostly exhibited. Many did succeed through their own efforts in trade and commerce, some succeeded handsomely, other not so much, but all set out with ambition and purpose. So the concept of primogeniture being valid for the aristocracy is probably a good concept and practice as pointed out in this video, especially for keeping country houses and estates together to be passed down complete and not broken up. The entire question of "privilege" as it is seen today it another issue, often debated but not resolved. Where is the privilege I wonder in feeling duty bound to battle to maintain a falling down mansion?

0:14 That's not Ray Davies, that's his brother Dave Davies.

Conclusion: the aristocracy in the United Kingdom was indescribably lucky, there are no "Resilient people" to the guillotine. They were lucky that social conflicts were never as intense as in France or Russia, and mostly the social environment (as with the monarchy) enabled them to survive. Nothing more. The great historical tectonic movement has erased UK aristocracy in another part of the world: Ireland, the USA, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Canada. From the end of the Xviii century aristocracy and monarchy live in the mercy of British people. That is true, not some abstract resilience of bloodline.

The 6th Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair sounds very Scottish, doesn't he?

I heard that some scottish peerage allow people born illegitimate but their blood parents later married to inherit titles

Yes, that is really shocking, as this system actually goes against the law of the land. The adopted family must not be undermined in this way, it is intolerably cruel. By rights, the family could bring the issue of inheritance to court.

A lot tougher & more resilient than they're given credit for ? They can't even make their own meals.

A lot of this so called ‘resilience’ comes down to holding onto everything at all costs. Anyone regardless of class would do the same. . It has nothing whatsoever to do with class or breeding. They tell themselves this but they are delusional.

The rise of the trite

The obsession with succession by blood is disgusting and offensive. Your child is your child is your child. The rearing produces the individual, not the blood. So stupid and ignorant and small-minded.

Good bye and good riddance to the so called "aristocracy".

I agree it should go through blood lines. Believe me adopted children are trouble. There are exceptions of course best to avoid them.