Was any of the main *Pride and Prejudice* characters (Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, Lady Catherine de Bourgh) anything more than [gentry][1]? Did any of them have [peerage][2]? Was there any **formal difference in the rank** between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bennet? I guess not, based on what Elisabeth said: >He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman's daughter; so far we are equal.<br> >*Chapter 56* So was the superiority felt and expressed by Mr. Darcy and Lady Catherine based *only* on the difference in the scale of property? BTW, was any of the relevant Jane Austen's characters a British peer? [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landed_gentry [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peerages_in_the_United_Kingdom