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When the House of Lords Act 1999 was passed, women's presence almost doubled overnight from 8.8% to 15.8%. Yet almost a decade later, the increases have been nominal, reaching 19.9% in December 2008. This article examines the feminisation of the House of Lords in terms of numbers from the point of reform to the present day to account for increases in women's representation, and why the increases are so modest. The article identifies clear facilitators and constraints to women's presence in the Lords. Individuals with the capacity to feminise are critical to the increased presence of women, yet peerages also compensate and correct women's low representation in other political arenas. Constraints on women's representation are largely due to historical, systemic and cultural factors with the outcome that one-fifth of the House's membership is effectively reserved for male peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]