House of Lords

The House of Lords is a component of the Parliament of the United

Kingdom, which also includes the Sovereign and the House of
Commons. The House of Lords is an unelected body, consisting of
26 senior clerics of the Church of England (the "Lords Spiritual"), as
well as 669 members of the Peerage (the "Lords Temporal"). Lords
Spiritual serve as long as they continue to occupy their
ecclesiastical positions, but Lords Temporal serve for life.
Members of the House of Lords are known as "Lords of Parliament".
The House of Lords originated in the 14th century and has been in
almost continuous existence since. It was abolished in 1649 by the
revolutionary government that came to power during the English
Civil War, but was restored in 1660.
The House of Lords (the "Upper House") was once more powerful than the elected House of
Commons (the "Lower House"). Since the 19th century, however, the powers of the House of
Lords have been steadily declining; now, the Upper House is far weaker than its
parliamentary counterpart.