▁Once ▁created , ▁a ▁peer age ▁dign ity ▁continues ▁to ▁exist ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁there ▁are ▁surv iving ▁legit imate ▁descend ants ▁( or ▁legit imate ▁ag n atic ▁descend ants ) ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁holder , ▁unless ▁a ▁contrary ▁method ▁of ▁descent ▁is ▁specified ▁in ▁the ▁letters ▁pat ent . ▁Once ▁the ▁he irs ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁peer ▁die ▁out , ▁the ▁peer age ▁dign ity ▁becomes ▁ext inct . ▁In ▁former ▁times , ▁peer age ▁dign ities ▁were ▁often ▁for fe it ▁by ▁Act s ▁of ▁Parliament , ▁usually ▁when ▁pe ers ▁were ▁found ▁guilty ▁of ▁tre ason . ▁O ften , ▁however , ▁the ▁fel on ious ▁peer ' s ▁descend ants ▁successfully ▁pet ition ed ▁the ▁S over eign ▁to ▁restore ▁the ▁dign ity ▁to ▁the ▁family . ▁Some ▁dign ities , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁D uk edom ▁of ▁Nor folk , ▁have ▁been ▁for fe it ▁and ▁restored ▁several ▁times . ▁Under ▁the ▁Pe er age ▁Act ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁an ▁individual ▁can ▁disc laim ▁his ▁peer age ▁dign ity ▁for ▁his ▁own ▁lifetime ▁within ▁one ▁year ▁of ▁inher iting ▁it . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁holder ▁of ▁a ▁peer age ▁succeed s ▁to ▁the ▁throne , ▁the ▁dign ity ▁" mer ges ▁in ▁the ▁Crown " ▁and ▁ce ases ▁to ▁exist . ▁ ▁All ▁her edit ary ▁pe ers ▁in ▁the ▁Pe er ages ▁of ▁England , ▁Scotland , ▁Great ▁Britain , ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁were ▁entitled ▁to ▁sit ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁L ords