"Vital Lampada": Preserving the Elite

Abstract

The element of traditionalism in British culture has for a century and a half received strong support from the "public school" system. A study of British army officer cadets shows that, despite public statements to the contrary, the proportion of cadets with a public school background has not changed substantially over the past 20 years. Indeed, the association between elite schools and elite regiments has become more pronounced. While the British army recruits a larger proportion of technically able cadets, the elite has protected its traditional preserves and thereby the route to senior command.