E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Prince’s Peers.
A term of contempt applied to peers of low birth. The son of Charles VII. of France (afterwards Louis XI.), in order to weaken the influence of the aristocracy, created a host of riff-raff peers, such as tradesmen, farmers, and mechanics, who were tools in his hands.
