Page "Privilege of peerage" Paragraph 20
from
Wikipedia
Fanciful tales of peers with whimsical privileges circulate, such as that of the right to wear a hat in the presence of the Sovereign.
The most persistent example of such a legend is that of the Kingsale hat.
According to the fable John de Courcy, Earl of Ulster, obtained from King John the privilege of remaining covered in the presence of the Sovereign.
Though the tale is untrue — de Courcy was never made an earl and did not receive such a privilege — several authorities on the peerage have seen fit to repeat it.
A 19th-century edition of Burke's Peerage suggests the origins of the privilege:
Page 1 of 1.
2.445 seconds.