When I heard that the actor Maggie Smith had died, on September 27th, an image from a television programme popped into my head. There was the Dowager Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey”, leaning on a cane as she flayed some upstart with a few words. Her poshness and refusal to move with the times was her appeal. Like many British people, I am obsessed with social class and with the elite; I also feel pleased that dowager countesses are no more. So I was delighted to read a book about how the British elite has changed.

“Born to Rule”, by the sociologists Aaron Reeves and Sam Friedman, is superb. In clear English (other academics, please take note) it describes how the horse- and hunting-obsessed elite of the late 19th century gave way to the hard-working elite of today. Britain’s elite is becoming more like China’s, maintaining its position through education rather than country piles. But I couldn’t help wondering: has it become less fun?