False titles of nobility or royal title scams are claimed titles of social rank that have been fabricated or assumed by an individual or family without recognition by the authorities of a country in which titles of nobility exist or once existed. They have received an increasing amount of press attention, as more schemes that purport to confer or sell such honorifics are promoted on the internet.[1] Concern about the use of titles which lack legal standing or a basis in tradition has prompted increased vigilance and denunciation,[1] although under English common law a person may choose to be known by any name they see fit as long as it is not done to "commit fraud or evade an obligation".[2]
- ^ a b Cramb, Austan (11 December 2004). "How to lord it over your friends for only £29.99". The Telegraph. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
- ^ Archives, The National. "The Discovery Service". www.nationalarchives.gov.uk.