peeress

A peeress is a woman who holds a peerage in her own right or is married to a peer. In the United Kingdom, a peerage is a rank of nobility, such as duke, marquess, earl, viscount, or baron. A woman can become a peeress through several means. She might inherit a peerage if the title is descendible to female heirs, a practice known as a special remainder. Alternatively, she can be created a peeress for life, although this is less common than for men. The most frequent way a woman becomes a peeress is by marrying a peer. In such cases, she is known as a peeress by marriage, but she does not hold the peerage in her own right. Her title and precedence are derived from her husband's rank. Peeresses in their own right, meaning those who hold a peerage independently, have the same rights and privileges as male peers, including the right to sit and vote in the House of Lords prior to its reforms. The term peeress is used to distinguish female holders of peerages from their male counterparts.