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Encyclopedia > Forms of Address in the United Kingdom

Forms of address used in the United Kingdom are given below.


Several terms have been abbreviated in the table below. The forms used in the table are given first, followed by alternative acceptable abbreviations in parentheses.

Contents

Abbreviations

Look up majesty in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Majesty is an English word rooting in the Latin Maiestas, meaning literally, Greatness. ... HRH is an acronym for His Royal Highness or Her Royal Highness. ... His Grace or Her Grace was the style used to address the monarch of Scotland up to the Act of Union of 1707, which merged the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland. ... The prefix The Most Honourable is a title of quality attached to the names of marquesses in the United Kingdom. ... The Right Honourable (abbreviated The Rt Hon. ... The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable ( or formerly The Honble) is a title of quality attached to the names of certain classes of persons. ... The Most Reverend (Most Rev. ... The Right Reverend (Rt. ... The Very Reverend is a style given to certain religious figures. ... The Reverend is an honorary prefix added to the names of Christian clergy and ministers. ... A Stained Glass image of Venerable Father Samuel Mazzuchelli in St. ...

Royalty

Position On envelopes Salutation in letter Oral address
King HM The King Your Majesty Your Majesty, and thenceforward as "Sir/Sire"
Queen HM The Queen Your Majesty Your Majesty, and thenceforward as "Ma'am"
Prince of Wales HRH The Prince of Wales Your Royal Highness Your Royal Highness, and thenceforward as "Sir"
Wife of the Prince of Wales HRH The Princess of Wales Your Royal Highness Your Royal Highness, and thenceforward as "Ma'am"
Princess Royal HRH The Princess Royal Your Royal Highness Your Royal Highness, and thenceforward as "Ma'am"
Royal Peer HRH The Duke of London (eg. HRH The Duke of Kent Your Royal Highness Your Royal Highness, and thenceforward as "Sir"
Royal Peeress HRH The Duchess of London (eg. HRH The Duchess of Kent Your Royal Highness Your Royal Highness, and thenceforward as "Ma'am"
Sovereign's son
(unless a peer)		 HRH The Prince John, eg. HRH The Prince Edward Your Royal Highness Your Royal Highness, and thenceforward as "Sir"
Sovereign's son's wife
(unless a peeress)		 HRH The Princess John Your Royal Highness Your Royal Highness, and thenceforward as "Ma'am"
Sovereign's daughter
(unless a peeress)		 HRH The Princess Mary,eg. HRH The Princess Anne Your Royal Highness Your Royal Highness, and thenceforward as "Ma'am"
Sovereign's son's son,
Prince of Wales's eldest son's eldest son
(unless a peer)		 HRH Prince John of London, eg Prince Michael of Kent Your Royal Highness Your Royal Highness, and thenceforward as "Sir"
Sovereign's son's son's wife
(unless a peeress)		 HRH Princess John of London, eg Princess Michael of Kent Your Royal Highness Your Royal Highness, and thenceforward as "Ma'am"
Sovereign's son's daughter
(unless a peeress)		 HRH Princess Mary of London, eg Princess Beatrice of York Your Royal Highness Your Royal Highness
Sovereign's son's son's son
(unless a peer)		 The Lord John Windsor, eg Lord Nicholas Windsor Dear Lord John Lord John
Sovereign's son's son's son's wife
(unless a peeress)		 The Lady John Windsor,eg Lady Nicholas Windsor Dear Lady John Lady John
Sovereign's son's son's daughter
(unless a peeress)		 The Lady Mary Windsor, eg Lady Helen Taylor Dear Lady Mary Lady Mary

Nobility

Peers and peeresses
Duke His Grace The Duke of London My Lord Duke or
Dear Duke (of London)		 Your Grace or
Duke
Duchess Her Grace The Duchess of London Madam or
Dear Duchess (of London)		 Your Grace or
Duchess
Marquess or Marquis The Most Hon. The Marquess of London My Lord Marquess or
Dear Lord London		 My Lord or
Lord London
Marchioness or Marquise The Most Hon. The Marchioness of London Madam or
Dear Lady London		 My Lady or
Lady London
Earl The Rt Hon. The Earl of London My Lord or
Dear Lord London		 My Lord or
Lord London
Countess The Rt Hon. The Countess of London Madam or
Dear Lady London		 My Lady[citation needed]or
Lady London
Viscount The Rt Hon. The Viscount London My Lord or
Dear Lord London		 My Lord or
Lord London
Viscountess The Rt Hon. The Viscountess London Madam or
Dear Lady London		 My Lady or
Lady London
Baron
Lord of Parliament		 The Rt Hon. The Lord London My Lord or
Dear Lord London		 My Lord or
Lord London
Baroness (in her own right) The Rt Hon. The Lady London or
The Rt Hon. The Baroness London		 Madam or
Dear Lady London or
Dear Baroness London		 My Lady or
Lady London or
Baroness London
Baroness (in her husband's right)
Lady of Parliament (in her or her husband's right)		 The Rt Hon. The Lady London Madam or
Dear Lady London		 My Lady or
Lady London

Eldest sons of dukes, marquesses and earls
(Eldest sons of dukes, marquesses and earls use their fathers' highest secondary titles as courtesy titles. Eldest daughters do not have courtesy titles; all courtesy peeresses are wives of courtesy peers.)
Courtesy Marquess Marquess of London My Lord Marquess or
Dear Lord London		 My Lord or
Lord London
Courtesy Marchioness Marchioness of London Madam or
Dear Lady London		 My Lady or
Lady London
Courtesy Earl Earl of London My Lord or
Dear Lord London		 My Lord or
Lord London
Courtesy Countess Countess of London Madam or
Dear Lady London		 My Lady or
Lady London
Courtesy Viscount Viscount London My Lord or
Dear Lord London		 My Lord or
Lord London
Courtesy Viscountess Viscountess London Madam or
Dear Lady London		 My Lady or
Lady London
Courtesy Baron
Courtesy Lord of Parliament		 Lord London My Lord or
Dear Lord London		 My Lord or
Lord London
Courtesy Baroness
Courtesy Lady of Parliament		 Lady London Madam or
Dear Lady London		 My Lady or
Lady London

Heirs-apparent and heirs-presumptive of Scottish peers
(Heirs-apparent and heirs-presumptive of Scottish peers use the titles "Master" and "Mistress"; these are substantive, not courtesy titles. If, however, the individual is the eldest son of a Duke, Marquess or Earl, then he uses the appropriate courtesy title, as noted above.)
Scottish peer's heir-apparent or heir-presumptive The Master of Edinburgh Sir or
Dear Master of Edinburgh		 Sir or
Master
Scottish peer's heiress-apparent or heiress-presumptive The Mistress of Edinburgh Madam or
Dear Mistress of Edinburgh		 Madam or
Mistress

Sons of peers
Duke's younger son
Marquess's younger son		 The Lord John Smith My Lord or
Dear Lord John (Smith)		 My Lord or
Lord John
Duke's younger son's wife
Marquess's younger son's wife		 The Lady John Smith Madam or
Dear Lady John		 My Lady or
Lady John
Earl's younger son
Viscount's son
Baron's son
Lord of Parliament's son		 The Hon. John Smith Sir or
Dear Mr Smith		 Sir or
Mr Smith
Earl's younger son's wife
Viscount's son's wife
Baron's son's wife
Lord of Parliament's son's wife		 The Hon. Mrs John Smith Madam or
Dear Mrs Smith		 Madam or
Mrs Smith

Daughters of peers
(If a peer's daughter marries another peer or courtesy peer, she takes her husband's rank. If she marries anyone else, she keeps her rank and title, using her husband's surname instead of her maiden name.)
Duke's daughter
Marquess's daughter
Earl's daughter
(unmarried or married to a commoner)		 The Lady Mary Smith (if unmarried) Lady Mary Brown (Husband Surname, if Married) Madam or
Dear Lady Mary		 My Lady or
Lady Mary
Viscount's daughter
Baron's daughter
Lord of parliament's daughter
(unmarried)		 The Hon. Mary Smith Madam or
Dear Miss Smith		 Madam or
Miss Smith
Viscount's daughter
Baron's daughter
Lord of parliament's daughter
(married to a commoner)		 The Hon. Mrs Brown (Husband Surname) Madam or
Dear Mrs Brown		 Madam or
Mrs Brown

Gentry

Baronets
Baronet (The Hon)Sir John Smith, Bt (or Bart.) Sir or
Dear Sir John (Smith)		 Sir or
Sir John
Baronetess in her own right Dame Mary Smith, Btss Madam or
Dear Dame Mary (Smith)		 Madam or
Dame Mary
Baronet's wife Lady Smith Madam or
Dear Lady Smith		 My Lady or
Lady Smith

Knights
Knight (of any order) Sir John Smith Sir or
Dear Sir John (Smith)		 Sir or
Sir John
Lady (of the Order of the Garter or the Thistle) Lady Mary Smith Madam or
Dear Lady Mary (Smith)		 My Lady or
Lady Mary
Dame (of an order other than the Garter or the Thistle) Dame Mary Smith Madam or
Dear Dame Mary (Smith)		 Madam or
Dame Mary
Knight's wife Lady Smith Madam or
Dear Lady Smith		 My Lady or
Lady Smith

Scottish chiefs, lairds and feudal barons
Chief John Smith of Smith or
John Smith of Edinburgh or
John Smith of that Ilk or
The Smith of Smith or
The Smith of Edinburgh or
The Smith
(varies according to family)		 Sir or
Dear Smith (if placename in title) or
Dear Smith (otherwise)		 Edinburgh (if placename in title) or
Smith (otherwise)

Feudal Baron		 John Smith of Edinburgh Sir or
Dear Edinburgh		 Edinburgh or Baron

Female Chief, laird or feudal baron
Chief, Laird or Feudal Baron's wife		 As Chief/Laird/feudal Baron,
substituting "Mrs" or "Madam"
for first name or "The"		 Madam or
as on envelope		 Madam or
as on envelope
Chief (etc.)'s heir-apparent John Smith of Edinburgh, yr or
John Smith, yr of Edinburgh or
John Smith of Edinburgh or
(last only if different first name to father)		 Sir or
Dear Mr Smith of Edinburgh		 Sir or
Mr Smith of Edinburgh
Chief (etc.)'s heir-apparent's wife Mrs Smith of Edinburgh, yr or
Mrs Smith, yr of Edinburgh		 Madam or
Dear Mrs Smith of Edinburgh		 Madam or
Mrs Smith of Edinburgh
Chief (etc.)'s eldest daughter (if none senior) Miss Smith of Edinburgh Madam or
Dear Miss Smith of Edinburgh		 Madam or
Miss Smith of Edinburgh
Chief (etc.)'s younger daughter Miss Mary Smith of Edinburgh Madam or
Dear Miss Smith of Edinburgh		 Madam or
Miss Smith of Edinburgh

Clergy

Church of England

Similar styles are also applied to clergy of equivalent status in other religious organisations. This article is about the monarchy of the United Kingdom, one of sixteen that share a common monarch; for information about this constitutional relationship, see Commonwealth realm; for information on the reigning monarch, see Elizabeth II. For information about other Commonwealth realm monarchies, as well as other relevant articles, see... This article is about the monarchy of the United Kingdom, one of sixteen that share a common monarch; for information about this constitutional relationship, see Commonwealth realm; for information on the reigning monarch, see Elizabeth II. For information about other Commonwealth realm monarchies, as well as other relevant articles, see... This article is about the title Prince of Wales. ... Princess Anne, the current Princess Royal Princess Royal is a style customarily (but not automatically) awarded by a British monarch to his or her eldest daughter. ... This article is about the present Duke of Kent. ... Prince Michael of Kent, GCVO (Michael George Charles Franklin Windsor; born 4 July 1942) is a member of the British Royal Family, a grandson of King George V and Queen Mary. ... Princess Michael of Kent (née Baroness Marie-Christine Agnes Hedwig Ida von Reibnitz, 15 January 1945), is a member of the British Royal Family. ... “Princess Beatrice” redirects here. ... The Lord Nicholas Windsor is a member of the British Royal Family. ... Lady Nicholas Windsor (née Paola Doimi di Delupis, previously Paola Doimi de Frankopan; born 7 August 1969) is the wife of Lord Nicholas Windsor, the younger son of the Duke and Duchess of Kent. ... Lady Helen Marina Lucy Taylor (born 28 April 1964), a member of the British royal family, The House of Windsor. ... This article is about the nobility title. ... This article is about the nobility title. ... This article is about a title of nobility. ... For people, see Earl (given name) and Earl (surname). ... For other uses, see Baron (disambiguation). ... A Lord of Parliament is a member of the lowest rank of Scottish peerage, ranking below a viscount. ... Baroness could refer to: Female equivalent of Baron. ... A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used by children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. ... For the brush-footed butterfly species, see Euthalia nais. ... The insignia of a knight of the Order of the Garter. ... James VII ordained the modern Order. ...

Archbishop The Most Rev. and Rt Hon. The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Dear Archbishop Your Grace or
Archbishop
Archbishop that is not in Privy Council The Most Rev. John Smith Dear Archbishop Your Grace or
Archbishop
Diocesan bishop in Privy Council The Rt Rev. and Rt Hon. The Lord Bishop of London Dear Bishop My Lord or
Bishop
Diocesan bishop The Rt Rev. The Lord Bishop of London Dear Bishop My Lord or
Bishop
Bishop The Rt Rev. The Bishop of London or
The Rt Rev. The Lord Bishop of London		 Dear Bishop My Lord or
Bishop
Dean The Very Rev. The Dean of London Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms Dean Dean
Provost The Very Rev. The Provost of London Dear Provost Provost
Archdeacon The Ven. The Archdeacon of London Dear Archdeacon Archdeacon
Prebendary The Rev. Prebendary Smith Dear Prebendary Smith Prebend
Canon The Rev. Canon John Smith Dear Canon Canon
Priest The Rev. John Smith or Father John Smith Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms Smith or
Dear Father Smith		 Mr/Mrs/Ms Smith or
Father John Smith/John/Smith or
Vicar/Rector/Curate/Chaplain &c. as applicable
Deacon The Rev. Deacon John Smith or
The Rev. John Smith
Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms Smith or
Dear Deacon Smith		 Deacon Smith or Mr/Mrs/Ms Smith

The usage 'Lord' as applied to a bishop pre-dates the United Kingdom, and is a well-established convention.

Church of Scotland
Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly His Grace The Lord High Commissioner Your Grace Your Grace
Clergy The Rev. John Smith Dear Mr Smith Mr Smith

As the Sovereigns personal representative Lord High Commissioners were appointed to the Parliament of the Kingdom of Scotland between 1603 and 1707. ...

Notes

  1. The forms given under "Salutation in Letter" is for use in social correspondence only. In formal letters, "Sir" or "Madam" would be used instead.
  2. "London" represents any peerage title.
  3. "Smith" represents any surname.
  4. "Edinburgh" represents any Scottish place name.
  5. "of" may be omitted in the form of Marquessates and Earldoms and included in the form of Scottish Viscountcies. It is never present in peerage Baronies and Lordships of Parliament and always present in Dukedoms and Scottish feudal Baronies.
  6. Some sources do not recommend the use of the definite article before certain courtesy titles (particularly those who have prospects of promotion within the family's titles), but it is used by official Court publications such as the Court Circular (see below).
  7. The exact form of a Scottish chief's style varies from family to family, and is generally based on tradition rather than formal rules.
  8. Some styles that could represent more than one class of person are clarified by the use of post-nominal letters. For instance:
    1. Knights and Baronets are distinguished by the use of "Bt" (or, archaically, "Bart") after the latter's names (and by the use of the appropriate post-nominal letters if the former are members of an Order of Chivalry). Knights bachelor have no post-nominal letters.
    2. Substantive peers below the rank of Marquess and courtesy peers who are Privy Counsellors (both of whose titles are preceded by "The Rt Hon.") are distinguished by the use of "PC" after the former's names.
  9. If the definite article is not used before courtesy peerages (see above) and The Hon. Elizabeth Smith marries Sir William Brown, she becomes The Hon. Lady Brown, but if she marries the higher-ranked Lord Brown, a courtesy Baron, she becomes only Lady Brown. If this Sir William Brown's father is created Earl of London and Baron Brown, as a result of this ennoblement his wife's style will actually decrease, from "The Hon. Lady Brown" to "Lady Brown".
For other uses, see Peerage (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ... The Peerage of Scotland is the division of the British Peerage for those peers created in the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707. ... The Court Circular is the official record of all the engagements carried out by the British Royal Family, as well as appointments to their staff and to the court. ...

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