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| Become a Lord for $76 |
| From correspondents in London December 14, 2004 |
THE British aristocracy has long been an exclusive club but now anyone can become
a Lord or Lady - for as little as £30 ($76). A raft of British websites are offering one square foot of the Glencairn Estate in north-east Scotland and with it, access to the prestigious-sounding title of Lord/Laird and Lady of Glencairn. Buyagift.co.uk is offering the "fun" title as the "ideal gift for anyone who aspires to greatness" for £29.99 ($76). The "gift" includes a deed of ownership, a map of the Glencairn estate and a card which proves their title. One incensed aristocrat is fighting back at what he sees is a scam and is warning potential shoppers that buying the title of Lord, Viscountess, Baron or Earl is meaningless. The Earl of Bradford, whose own title dates from the 1800s, set up www.faketitles.com after someone fraudulently passed himself off as Lord Newport, which is his son's title. "I will put it very simply: You cannot purchase a genuine British title," he warns on the site. REUTERS |