The present Lord Howard de Walden’s first name is not Howard. It’s Peter, for the 11th Baron is the film-maker Peter Czernin. In 2004, the barony of Howard de Walden was called out of abeyance in favour of the 9th Baron’s eldest daughter, who married Joseph Czernin.

All this spoils it for the Financial Times, which refers to peers according to this pattern: Lord Peter Mandelson. That is not English. Lord Peter Mandelson would be the son of a duke or marquess, like Lord Peter Wimsey, the younger son of the Duke of Denver.

My husband has been driven to incoherent rage by wireless announcers talking of Lady Victoria Starmer, the wife of the former PM, and making things worse by referring to her as the First Lady. In America the First Lady is the wife of the head of state. In Britain, the head of state’s wife is the Queen. The wife of a knight called Sir Keir Starmer is of course Lady Starmer. I noticed sadly that Sir Richard Branson’s late wife was referred to, in reports of an inquest, as Lady Joan Branson.

As for peers, not even all of those in the Lords fit the formula Lord Firstname Peerage. The present Duke of Wellington was one of the hereditaries entitled to sit in the Lords, having been elected in 2015 to replace Lord Luke on his retirement. Then the Hereditary Peers Act came into force on 29 April 2026, chucking out all but life peers.

But on 1 June the Duke was created a life peer as Baron Wellington of Stratfield Saye, and was readmitted to the House. As he is still the Duke of Wellington, that is how he is addressed by civilised people. He is not Lord Arthur Wellington, as in the FT formula, nor even Lord Arthur Wellesley, his family name.

Another hereditary to be created a life peer is the 3rd Viscount Stansgate who became Baron Stansgate of Holland Park. His father started all the trouble by renouncing his title in 1963, becoming plain Tony Benn.