When women are allowed to inherit a peerage

sir – In her column making the case for women having equal rights to inherit peerages (Comment, October 29), Kinvara Balfour could have strengthened her cause by mentioning that a number of peerages, particularly Scottish, do go through the female line without causing any outrage. Some of the most ancient titles have survived so long for this reason.

If the eldest daughter automatically succeeded this would also prevent titles going into abeyance where there is more than one daughter (because, to add insult to injury, women not only take precedence behind men, they have none between each other).

Some peerages, though – for example, Mountbatten – were created with a special remainder enabling succession through the elder daughter.

The recent death of the Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava (Obituaries, October 28) reminds us that when her husband died without a male heir in 1988, the marquisate, two earldoms, one viscountcy and a barony were all extinguished.

David Vaudrey Doynton, Gloucestershire

sir – Audley End House, to which Kinvara Balfour refers, is owned by English Heritage and open to the public. This has been the case since 1948, when it was sold to the Ministry of Works. As such, it can hardly be inherited by the 11th Baron Braybrooke as the author asserts.

Having visited several times to admire the house and gardens, I can thoroughly recommend it.

Richard Braybrooke Richmond, Surrey