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seats in the House of Commons is the prime minister. Parliament’s other chamber, the House of Lords, revises and approves legislation. It has approximately 825 members (the exact number can vary at any given time). In the past, the House of Lords was the exclusive domain of the aristocracy: only those with an inherited title of nobility had seats. Today, most members of the House of Lords are appointed and have “life peerages”—titles, conferred by the monarch for exception- al achievement, that cannot be passed on to children. The Aristocracy Throughout history, monarchs governed countries with the help of family members and a small class of wealthy elites, known as the aristocracy. The aristocracy, which was usually made up of the hereditary nobility, might manage estates, con- trol the military, or collect taxes. Other nobles served as advis- ers to the monarch or helped deal with affairs of the country, including its finances, foreign relations, defense, and laws. This ruling class, along with the king’s advisers and courtiers, made up the royal court. A monarch typically “held court” at the sovereign’s official residence, the palace. But pol- itics was not the only focus. Royal courts were also places where new ideas in literature, science, and fashion would be discussed and displayed. Royal families and the aristocracy also established rites and rituals that formed the traditions of a monarchy.

Symbols, Rites, and Rituals One of the most important traditions for the British royal fam-

Traditions of the Monarchy

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