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Singer Lorde can change her name to “Lady Lorde” on official documents such as her passport after she was given an aristocratic title, it was claimed today.

The 17-year-old New Zealander, whose interest in aristocrats helped inspire her hit single Royals, was presented with the title during a TV appearance this week. Her first response was: “Is this real?”

The BBC’s The One Show presenter Matt Baker told the singer, whose real name is Ella Yelich-O’Connor, that it came with a two-foot dedication of land in the Lake District.

Lorde said: “That’s my first two feet of land. That’s really nice, thank you.” The singer-songwriter has previously said of her stage name: “I wanted an aristocratic title, but I wanted it to look feminine, like, aesthetically.”

So as a surprise, the programme went to a London business which sells titles to anyone who wants to buy one for as little as £18.95.

Paul Heading, who runs Lordtitles.co.uk, arranged the title and produced the certificate after being contacted by a researcher for the programme on Friday.

Mr Heading, 38, from Crouch End, said: “It’s a legal English title and dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086. If she wanted, she could update her passport, credit cards, some people do that but for most people it’s for fun.”