There’s a New Lord of Balls, at Least on Paper
A Briton paid nearly $16,000 at an auction of feudal titles today for the privilege of being called Lord of Balls.
The Lordship of Balls lies in southern England and comes with mineral and fishing rights on the River Ouse. The mystery buyer is believed to be a local resident.
Robert Smith, chairman of the Manorial Society of Great Britain, said the new Lord of Balls had netted a bargain.
“There was worldwide interest in the title, and I thought it might go for a silly price, perhaps 30,000 pounds ($60,000).”
British aristocrats, whose bank balances do not usually match the wealth of their pedigrees, have been selling their ancestral titles for the last decade. The titles give anyone the right to become lord of a piece of land--but only on paper.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
