Disclaimer: Entertainment about English country estates and the like have created a nostalgia for an age that wasn't too lovely for the vast majority of those who experienced it.
The aristocracy of Gilded Age was, although somewhat diminished political influence, rich and country house building all the way to Edwardian Age. The inheritance tax and Parliament Act of 1910.Besides democracy the other major challenge to the maintenance of this state is economic. As land ceases to be the principal source of wealth, the nobility would need to invest their capital in the factories and shipping companies which were the next generation of wealth-creation. In this world, the self-made men of the 19th century explosion in British commerce would be well-compensated employees, rich but never wealthy.
The question is how such a world could come about.
Disclaimer: Entertainment about English country estates and the like have created a nostalgia for an age that wasn't too lovely for the vast majority of those who experienced it.
That said, with a POD after the Great Reform Act, how can that world survive the rise of mass democracy?
Yes, the Aristocracy did survive Democracy. The House of Lords still exists, for goodness sake.
And magistrates, local militia, yeomanry or volunteer officers, members of local political committees, patrons of charities, endowers of churches, and dispensers of more minor and personal forms of local patronage. I've not seen Downton, but I can't imagine much of that makes good TV.Many aristocrats were actually maintained in positions of unofficial local influence by the fact that they were still, even when shorn of power, major land owners.
And magistrates, local militia, yeomanry or volunteer officers, members of local political committees, patrons of charities, endowers of churches, and dispensers of more minor and personal forms of local patronage. I've not seen Downton, but I can't imagine much of that makes good TV.
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The outcome of such a thought experiment (as I see it), is a world in which the vast majority of members of Parliament are younger or not-yet-titled sons of lords and voters essentially choose between the scions of prominent local families. Government, the military and commerce are controlled not merely by the rich (as today) but by the hereditary aristocracy. A simple conveyor belt from public school through Oxford/Cambridge to mastery of the world. No additional universities, instead vocational/technical colleges serve the educational needs of working classes.
Besides democracy the other major challenge to the maintenance of this state is economic. As land ceases to be the principal source of wealth, the nobility would need to invest their capital in the factories and shipping companies which were the next generation of wealth-creation. In this world, the self-made men of the 19th century explosion in British commerce would be well-compensated employees, rich but never wealthy.
The question is how such a world could come about.
The Junkers in Prussia had a good amount of influence until the end of WWI, so maybe make the British aristocracy pump out excellent military men at a good rate?
I'd suggest somehow butterflying away the Industrial Revolution, but my rusty British history tells me that is before the desired start date
It's perhaps unfair of me to be snide about a show I've never seen, but all I can say is that it doesn't make it into the trailers. We may be looking at this the wrong way: rather than trying to keep the aristocracy alive longer, why don't we try to make "democracy" (by which I assume we mean a vote for all adult males regardless of property ownership) come sooner?Strangely, Downton Abbey focuses rather heavily on stuff like that.
The outcome of such a thought experiment (as I see it), is a world in which the vast majority of members of Parliament are younger or not-yet-titled sons of lords and voters essentially choose between the scions of prominent local families. Government, the military and commerce are controlled not merely by the rich (as today) but by the hereditary aristocracy. A simple conveyor belt from public school through Oxford/Cambridge to mastery of the world. No additional universities, instead vocational/technical colleges serve the educational needs of working classes.
Besides democracy the other major challenge to the maintenance of this state is economic. As land ceases to be the principal source of wealth, the nobility would need to invest their capital in the factories and shipping companies which were the next generation of wealth-creation. In this world, the self-made men of the 19th century explosion in British commerce would be well-compensated employees, rich but never wealthy.
The question is how such a world could come about.
What's needed is to somehow segue from about 1910 to about 1980. The aristocracy were the perfect 1%ers. No need to bother with anything as dull as business when you can just employ a few clever bankers to sweat money out of your assets and a few tax lawyers to make sure you keep it.Maybe you could somehow do away with the upper-class horror at making your money through business, so that noblemen would be more willing to try building factories of their own.