The title of Viscountess represents the fourth rank in the British peerage, situated above a Baroness and below a Countess. Historically, the title can be acquired in two primary ways: by marriage to a Viscount, or more rarely, as a 'suo jure' peeress if the letters patent creating the title allow for female succession. In the context of the House of Lords, it was only after the Life Peerages Act 1958 and the Peerage Act 1963 that women holding such titles were permitted to sit and vote in the upper chamber.
In heraldic terms, a Viscountess is entitled to a coronet of rank, which is uniquely characterized by a silver-gilt circlet supporting sixteen silver balls, or pearls, set directly upon the rim, of which only seven are visible in two-dimensional representations. When displayed as a coat of arms, the shield of a Viscountess is traditionally depicted on a lozenge rather than a heater shield if she is unmarried or a widow, and she may employ the use of supporters if the title is held in her own right.