Counting the cost of being a count
The media have finally discovered that many of our so-called peers are slimeballs, sleazeballs and scumbags of no merit whatsoever who have got their peerages by dodgy means: mainly by way of cheques made out to the Labour Party. Cheque book journalism meets cheque book peerages. Duh. Welcome to the real world.
Peerages go to villains who are well connected. Poorly connected villains go to prison. It has always been that way. Invade another country, kill lots of locals and get a peerage from the new Noramn king of England. Sleep with the king, and your bastard offspring get to be Dukes, courtesy of Charles II. If you live on a sink estate and you go round fornicating and killing people, go straight to jail, do not pass go and do not collect your peerage.
Of course, the Kostovs are the exception to this rule. And I totally deny those rumours about the 1748 massacres and the nocturnal habits of my great (eight times) grand mother Ivana, bless her. Everything was done in the true patriotic belief in Mother Russia.
So the only real question is: how much?
Llloyd George took a very pragmatic view and sold peerages openly. £20,000 got Vestey a peerage. In today's money that is about £900,000, which seems pretty close to the amount that Anthony Charles Trustme Blair is selling peerages for. The market economy is alive and well.
For cheapskates there are alternatives. Burkes Peerage offers right berks the right to pay for a title (http://www.burkes-peerage.com/acquisition.htm) . They are flogging Scottish titles at £50k to £100k and French titles at £30k to £70k. Distressingly, they assure you that you can become a Count for less than you can become a Maquis. They also do a nice line in German and Italian titles.
Fortunately, they offer no line in Russian titles. A Russian title is beyond price. At least the world knows that we are the real thing. Count Kostov, proud to be of service to you....
Peerages go to villains who are well connected. Poorly connected villains go to prison. It has always been that way. Invade another country, kill lots of locals and get a peerage from the new Noramn king of England. Sleep with the king, and your bastard offspring get to be Dukes, courtesy of Charles II. If you live on a sink estate and you go round fornicating and killing people, go straight to jail, do not pass go and do not collect your peerage.
Of course, the Kostovs are the exception to this rule. And I totally deny those rumours about the 1748 massacres and the nocturnal habits of my great (eight times) grand mother Ivana, bless her. Everything was done in the true patriotic belief in Mother Russia.
So the only real question is: how much?
Llloyd George took a very pragmatic view and sold peerages openly. £20,000 got Vestey a peerage. In today's money that is about £900,000, which seems pretty close to the amount that Anthony Charles Trustme Blair is selling peerages for. The market economy is alive and well.
For cheapskates there are alternatives. Burkes Peerage offers right berks the right to pay for a title (http://www.burkes-peerage.com/acquisition.htm) . They are flogging Scottish titles at £50k to £100k and French titles at £30k to £70k. Distressingly, they assure you that you can become a Count for less than you can become a Maquis. They also do a nice line in German and Italian titles.
Fortunately, they offer no line in Russian titles. A Russian title is beyond price. At least the world knows that we are the real thing. Count Kostov, proud to be of service to you....
posted by Count Kostov at
3:45 pm
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