All posts tagged: Hereditary

U.K. Parliament abolishes hereditary lords : NPR

U.K. Parliament abolishes hereditary lords : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Charles Courtenay, the 19th Earl of Devon, pictured outside his family seat of Powderham Castle in Devon, England. The Earl is one of the 92 remaining hereditary peers in the upper house of the U.K. Parliament, the House of Lords. Under new legislation, they are losing their right to inherit these seats. Susannah Ireland for NPR hide caption toggle caption Susannah Ireland for NPR POWDERHAM CASTLE, Devon, England — In his 20s, Charles Courtenay left the drizzly English countryside where he grew up, and moved to California. He met his first wife in a bar in Las Vegas, and didn’t tell her much about his background. He just took her home to England, about two months into dating, and drove up the driveway of his family home — a 12th century castle. Beyond the moat, there’s a sign at the entrance that reads, “Long Live the Earl” — as in, Courtenay. Because the man who learned to surf at L.A.’s Topanga Beach, and insists “just call me Charlie,” is also the 19th Earl of Devon. …

Britain’s Parliament boots last hereditary Lords after 700 years : NPR

Britain’s Parliament boots last hereditary Lords after 700 years : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

King Charles III reads the King’s Speech in July 2024 as Queen Camilla sits beside him during the State Opening of Parliament in the House of Lords in London. Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP hide caption toggle caption Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP LONDON — Centuries of British political tradition will end within weeks after Parliament voted to remove hereditary aristocrats from the unelected House of Lords. On Tuesday night members of the upper chamber dropped objections to legislation passed by the House of Commons ousting dozens of dukes, earls and viscounts who inherited seats in Parliament along with their aristocratic titles. Government minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said the change put an end to “an archaic and undemocratic principle.” “Our parliament should always be a place where talents are recognized and merit counts,” he said. “It should never be a gallery of old boys’ networks, nor a place where titles, many of which were handed out centuries ago, hold power over the will of the people.” The House of Lords plays an important role in Britain’s parliamentary democracy, scrutinizing legislation passed by …

The House | Meet Hereditary Peer Lord Hampton – The Only Serving Teacher In Parliament

The House | Meet Hereditary Peer Lord Hampton – The Only Serving Teacher In Parliament

Published by Sam Flores

Lord Hampton (Photography by Dinendra Haria) 7 min read1 hr Lord Hampton, believed to be the only serving teacher in Parliament, tells Matilda Martin of a life divided between the work bench and the crossbenches Richly varied peers’ backgrounds may be, but not many start their day keeping order outside the boys’ toilets at an east London state secondary. For while members of the Upper Chamber often claim they bring real world experience to their role, Lord Hampton has the receipts. It is believed the 61-year-old is the only serving teacher in Parliament, working as he does one day a week in the design and technology department of Mossbourne Community Academy, Hackney. He is – perhaps inevitably – a hereditary. “It’s only really the hereditary system by which a teacher… can get into the House of Lords. Nobody’s going to appoint us.” Hampton, who joined the Lords after a by-election in 2022, was working as head of department at the time but has had to slowly whittle down his hours to juggle the …

From A24, Another ‘Hereditary’ Clone

From A24, Another ‘Hereditary’ Clone

Published by Daniella Wilson

Did Hereditary ruin horror movies? Artful and dreadfully compelling as that film is, Ari Aster’s most enduring work to date (from 2018) has had a significant, and increasingly deleterious, effect on the genre. In the years since Hereditary made its cultural mark, we have seen myriad imitators angling for the same elegant shocks, attempting to do the Aster thing of stripping grief down to its starkest terror and evoking (and sometimes inventing) their own obscure ancient demons. Last October saw perhaps the nadir of this trend in the form of Shelby Oaks, which shifts from a Blair Witch-y found-footage pastiche to a shockingly unabashed Hereditary rip-off. Now there is another flagrant Hereditary borrower: Undertone, a gloomy, conceit-heavy picture that loses itself in its influences. Or, perhaps, never knew itself at all.  Undertone The Bottom Line Another limp attempt to remaster Ari Aster. Venue: Sundance Film Festival (Midnight) Director and writer: Ian TuasonCast: Nina Kiri, Adam DiMarco, Michèle Duquet, Keana Lyn Bastidas, Jeff Yung 1 hour 33 minutes Written and directed by debut filmmaker Ian Tuason, …