Royal Highness

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"HRH" redirects here. For other uses, see HRH (disambiguation).

Royal Highness (abbreviation HRH) is a style (His Royal Highness or Her Royal Highness). It appears in front of the names of some members of some royal families other than the King or Queen.

The style His/Her Royal Highness ranks below His/Her Imperial Highness (referring to an Imperial House) but above His/Her Grand Ducal Highness, His/Her Highness, His/Her Serene Highness and some other styles (referring to Grand Ducal, Princely or Ducal Houses).

In the British monarchy the style of HRH is associated with the rank of prince or princess (although this has not always applied, the notable exception being Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who was given the style of HRH in 1947 but was not created a prince until 1958). This is especially important when a prince has another title such as Duke (or a princess the title of Duchess) by which he or she would usually be addressed. For instance HRH The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a prince and a member of the royal family while His Grace The Duke of Devonshire is a non-royal duke and not a member of the British Royal Family. The Lady Louise Windsor, daughter of the Earl of Wessex, is legally Her Royal Highness Princess Louise of Wessex but it was decided by her parents that she be styled as the daughter of a duke and not Her Royal Highness. This however is debatable as The Duke of Yorks daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie enjoy the style Her Royal Highness.

In the United Kingdom, a Letters Patent issued on 28 August 1996 states that a style received by a spouse of a member of the Royal Family on their marriage ceases at the point of divorce. For that reason Diana Spencer, when she and Charles, Prince of Wales divorced, ceased to be HRH.

[edit] See also

• Royal and noble styles
• Forms of Address in the United Kingdom
• List of British princes
• List of British princesses
• Use of courtesy titles and honorifics in professional writing

Styles used by monarchs and royalty

Reigning monarchs: Apostolic Majesty (HAM) • His Holiness (HH) • Imperial and Royal Majesty (HI&RM) • Imperial Majesty (HIM) • Majesty (HM) • Catholic Majesty (HCM) •Most Christian Majesty (HCM) • Most Faithful Majesty (HFM) • Royal Highness (HRH) • Highness (HH) • Serene Highness (HSH) Members of Royal Families: Imperial and Royal Highness (HI&RH) • Imperial Highness (HIH) • Royal Highness (HRH) • Grand Ducal Highness (HGDH) • Highness (HH) • Serene Highness (HSH) • Illustrious Highness (HIll.H)