By the material of the British press, the article examines linguistic techniques to manipulate public opinion concerning the aristocracy. Journalists refer to generally accepted conceptions of a typical aristocrat confirming or denying them depending on their purpose. Linguistic means allow journalists to appeal to readers’ emotions rather than to the reason and to conceal the fact of manipulation. The paper reveals the role of publicistic discourse in the process of constructing and reproducing the British people’s conceptions of social inequality.