Old Mr. Grace
07-20-2005, 09:42 AM
SACRAMENTO, California (AP) -- Retired grocery clerk Bill Capell woke up to a phone call from a British reporter last month informing him that a cousin had died. He told his wife to go back to bed, gave the reporter a comment and was snoozing minutes later.
Capell's cousin was the 10th Earl of Essex. His death puts Capell, a born-and-bred Californian, one step away from the title. But he was largely unimpressed by the news that he might become a nobleman.
"I'm a pretty laid-back guy," Capell, 52, said from his Yuba City home on Tuesday. "I've known since way back in 1966, as a teenager, when my dad got a call. It's always been on the back burner, sure, but I never really thought about it."
As the Right Honorable Lord William Capell, Capell would be entitled to put his name forward as a candidate, should one of the 95 hereditary members of the House of Lords die. He says Queen Elizabeth II would formally address him as "Our right trusty and entirely beloved cousin."
"But that's about it," Capell said. "You get the title, there's no money."
Now that he's in line to be the next Earl of Essex, Capell -- who recently had knee replacement surgery after 27 years of standing behind a grocery counter -- admits it's been hard not to daydream about a potential retirement amid the British gentry.
"There's times when I think, I could be sitting in the House of Lords and making decisions that affect the country," he said, adding that he has started reading the Telegraph, a British newspaper, online.
There are a few hitches, however.
First, Capell says he would have to give up his American citizenship, something he's not sure he's willing to do.
"I really don't want to give up my the citizenship I've had for 52 years," he said.
And before he can assume the title, he must wait for the cousin who became the 11th Earl of Essex to die. Paul Capell, a 61-year-old childless bachelor, inherited the title from his father in June.
In the meantime, Capell has been searching the Internet for details on the title and his family history. He and his wife, Sandra, are planning their first trip to England to see what they think of the place -- and what the British think of him, he said.
"I'm not sure they'll like an American as an earl," he said.
In Great Britain, earls are the third-highest rank among the "five grades of peerage," a title topped only by duke and marquess. The titles can only be inherited or bestowed by the state, and typically are passed on to an oldest son, according to Burke's Peerage and Gentry Guide, a guide to British gentry that confirmed Capell's claim.
Capell said he hopes news of his distinguished lineage won't change the way people in Yuba City treat him.
"I'm not going to go around advertising it," he said, noting that until recently he had only told one neighbor.
"She thought it was neat," he said.
No money? What's the use of being an Earl and sitting on the House of Lords if you don't get any money?
Capell's cousin was the 10th Earl of Essex. His death puts Capell, a born-and-bred Californian, one step away from the title. But he was largely unimpressed by the news that he might become a nobleman.
"I'm a pretty laid-back guy," Capell, 52, said from his Yuba City home on Tuesday. "I've known since way back in 1966, as a teenager, when my dad got a call. It's always been on the back burner, sure, but I never really thought about it."
As the Right Honorable Lord William Capell, Capell would be entitled to put his name forward as a candidate, should one of the 95 hereditary members of the House of Lords die. He says Queen Elizabeth II would formally address him as "Our right trusty and entirely beloved cousin."
"But that's about it," Capell said. "You get the title, there's no money."
Now that he's in line to be the next Earl of Essex, Capell -- who recently had knee replacement surgery after 27 years of standing behind a grocery counter -- admits it's been hard not to daydream about a potential retirement amid the British gentry.
"There's times when I think, I could be sitting in the House of Lords and making decisions that affect the country," he said, adding that he has started reading the Telegraph, a British newspaper, online.
There are a few hitches, however.
First, Capell says he would have to give up his American citizenship, something he's not sure he's willing to do.
"I really don't want to give up my the citizenship I've had for 52 years," he said.
And before he can assume the title, he must wait for the cousin who became the 11th Earl of Essex to die. Paul Capell, a 61-year-old childless bachelor, inherited the title from his father in June.
In the meantime, Capell has been searching the Internet for details on the title and his family history. He and his wife, Sandra, are planning their first trip to England to see what they think of the place -- and what the British think of him, he said.
"I'm not sure they'll like an American as an earl," he said.
In Great Britain, earls are the third-highest rank among the "five grades of peerage," a title topped only by duke and marquess. The titles can only be inherited or bestowed by the state, and typically are passed on to an oldest son, according to Burke's Peerage and Gentry Guide, a guide to British gentry that confirmed Capell's claim.
Capell said he hopes news of his distinguished lineage won't change the way people in Yuba City treat him.
"I'm not going to go around advertising it," he said, noting that until recently he had only told one neighbor.
"She thought it was neat," he said.
No money? What's the use of being an Earl and sitting on the House of Lords if you don't get any money?