Debrett’s is a publisher. Its history as a specialist publisher began in 1769, with the publication of the first edition of The New Peerage. This genealogical guide to the British aristocracy evolved into a keystone of British society and is published today under the name Debrett’s Peerage & Baronetage. In recent years, books such as Debrett’s Etiquette and Modern Manners and Debrett’s Forms of Address have appeared. Debrett's People of Today, an annual publication formerly known as Debrett's Distinguished People of Today, is a rival to Who's Who.

Further reading

• Hankinson, Cyril Francis James. My Forty Years with Debrett. London: R. Hale, 1963.

Appearances in popular culture

• Debrett's is referred to by Sherlock Holmes.
• An out-of-date Debrett's is a key plot element in an Elizabeth Mapp story.
• Debrett is mentioned once in the short story Lord Arthur Savile's Crime by Oscar Wilde.
• Debrett's Peerage is mentioned in P. G. Wodehouse novels (mainly Blandings stories), in which it is often referred to by Lord Emsworth.

English society | Genealogy | History of England | Peerage | Reference works