Dukedoms of the British Isles by reign Churchill, 1st Earl of Marlborough, the excellent English general of Queen Anne's reign, won many a victory over the French King Louis XIV. He was rewarded with a dukedom, which by a special Act of Parliament passed to his daughters and their descendants when he died without surviving male issue. Created for politician John Manners, 9th Earl of Rutland. He was noted for being one of the first people in England to obtain a divorce, done by special act of Parliament. Like the Dukedom of Cornwall in England, Rothesay is automatically held by the eldest son of the Scottish monarch;
Representation of the People Act 1985 The percentage of votes needed to retain the deposit was lowered from 12½% to 5%. The deposit for election to the European Parliament were raised from £600 to £700. Representation of the People Act 1985 The Representation of the People Act 1985 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning British electoral law. The Act allows British citizens who are resident outside the United Kingdom to qualify as "overseas electors" in the constituency for which they were last registered for a period of five years after they have left (this was subsequently changed to 20 years and