The House of Lords is partially elected and partially appointed. The twenty University Lords sit in the House of Lords by virtue of their office, whilst the fifty Vocational Lords are elected by guilds and workers' unions. The nobility, by virtue of their status, retain the right to elect from amongst themselves fifty Hereditary Peers for an indefinite term; receivers of the Grand Ribbon of the Order of the Emerald retain a similar right, but their number in the House of Lords is limited to twenty-five. The Countess of Rockall can, on request, appoint individuals to the crossbench. These include former viscounts, former barons, former baronets, and people who have provided exceptional services to their fields of expertise; as of 2016, there were 218 such appointed Lords. Lastly, former Mar