▁former ▁case ▁but ▁not ▁the ▁latter ). ▁British ▁peer age ▁title ▁hold ers ▁are ▁term ed ▁pe ers ▁of ▁the ▁Real m . ▁The ▁peer age ' s ▁fundamental ▁roles ▁are ▁ones ▁of ▁government , ▁pe ers ▁being ▁el ig ible ▁( although ▁formerly ▁entitled ) ▁to ▁a ▁seat ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁L ords , ▁and ▁of ▁mer it ocracy , ▁the ▁receiving ▁of ▁any ▁peer age ▁being ▁the ▁highest ▁of ▁British ▁hon ours ▁( with ▁the ▁receiving ▁of ▁a ▁more ▁traditional ▁her edit ary ▁peer age ▁naturally ▁holding ▁more ▁weight ▁than ▁that ▁of ▁a ▁more ▁modern , ▁and ▁less ▁highly - reg arded , ▁life ▁peer age ). ▁▁▁ ▁Pe er ages ▁are ▁created ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁monarch , ▁like ▁all ▁Crown ▁hon ours , ▁being ▁aff ir med ▁by ▁Let ters ▁Pat ent ▁aff ixed ▁with ▁the ▁Great ▁Se al ▁of ▁the ▁Real m . ▁Her ▁Majesty ' s ▁Government ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁makes ▁recommend ations ▁to ▁the ▁S over eign ▁concerning ▁who ▁should ▁be ▁elev ated ▁to ▁the ▁peer age , ▁after ▁external ▁v et ting ▁by ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁L ords ▁App oint ments ▁Commission . ▁Under ▁present ▁custom , ▁the ▁only ▁new ▁her edit ary ▁peer ages ▁granted ▁are ▁to ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁royal ▁family ; ▁the ▁last ▁non - ro yal ▁aw arde es ▁of ▁her edit ary ▁titles ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁Th atch er ▁era . ▁ ▁Since ▁then , ▁r uling ▁parties ▁have ▁ref rained ▁from ▁recomm ending ▁any ▁others ▁to ▁be ▁elev