Styles in the United Kingdom

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Contents 1 Men 2 Women 3 Notes 4 Anomalies 5 External links

[edit] Men

• His Grace The Duke of London (Duke)
• The Most Hon. The Marquess of London (Marquess)
• The Rt Hon. The Marquess of London (Privy Counsellor who is a courtesy Marquess)
• The Marquess of London (courtesy Marquess)
• The Rt Hon. The Earl of London (Earl; Privy Counsellor who is a courtesy Earl)
• The Earl of London (courtesy Earl)
• The Rt Hon. The Viscount London (Viscount; Privy Counsellor who is a courtesy Viscount)
• The Viscount London (courtesy Viscount)
• The Rt Hon. The Lord London (Baron; Privy Counsellor who is a courtesy Baron)
• The Lord London (courtesy Baron)
• The Lord Edward Smith (younger son of a Duke or Marquess; male-line great-grandson of the Sovereign)
• The Rt Hon. The Lord Edward Smith (above who is a Privy Counsellor)
• Sir Edward Smith (Knight; Baronet)
• The Rt Hon. Sir Edward Smith (above who is a Privy Counsellor)
• The Hon. Sir Edward Smith ("Sir John Smith" above who is the son of a Viscount or Baron or the younger son of an Earl)
• The Rt Hon. Edward Smith (Privy Counsellor)
• The Hon. Edward Smith (son of a Viscount or Baron; younger son of an Earl)
• The Master of Edinburgh (heir apparent to a Scottish Viscounctcy or Lordship; heir presumptive to any Scottish peerage)
• Mr Justice Smith (High Court Judge)
• The Smith (Scottish chief)
• The Smith of Edinburgh (Scottish chief)
• Edward Smith of Edinburgh (Scottish chief; eldest son of Scottish chief whose first name is different from his father's first name)
• Edward Smith of Edinburgh, yr (eldest son of Scottish chief)

[edit] Women

Duchesses:

• Her Grace The Duchess of London (wife of a Duke; unremarried widow of a Duke whose heir is unmarried or whose title became extinct on his death; suo jure Duchess)
• Her Grace The Dowager Duchess of London (unremarried widow of a Duke (if no senior widow))
• Her Grace Elizabeth, Duchess of London (unremarried widow of a Duke)
• Elizabeth, Duchess of London (unremarried divorced wife of a Duke)
• The Rt Hon. Elizabeth, Duchess of London (Privy Counsellor who is the unremarried divorced wife of a Duke)

Marchionesses:

• The Most Hon. The Marchioness of London (wife of a Marquess; unremarried widow of a Marquess whose heir is unmarried or whose title became extinct on his death; suo jure Marchioness)
• The Most Hon. The Dowager Marchioness of London (unremarried widow of a Marquess (if no senior widow))
• The Most Hon. Elizabeth, Marchioness of London (unremarried widow of a Marquess)
• The Marchioness of London (wife of a courtesy Marquess; unremarried widow of a courtesy Marquess with no new married holder of the courtesy Marquessate)
• The Dowager Marchioness of London (unremarried widow of a courtesy Marquess (if no senior widow))
• Elizabeth, Marchioness of London (unremarried divorced wife of any Marquess; widow of a courtesy Marquess)
• The Rt Hon. The Marchioness of London (Privy Counsellor who is the wife of a courtesy Marquess; Privy Counsellor who is the unremarried widow of a courtesy Marquess with no new married holder of the courtesy Marquessate)
• The Rt Hon. The Dowager Marchioness of London (Privy Counsellor who is the unremarried widow of a courtesy Marquess (if no senior widow))
• The Rt Hon. Elizabeth, Marchioness of London (Privy Counsellor who is the unremarried widow of a courtesy Marquess; Privy Counsellor who is the unremarried divorced wife of any Marquess)

Countesses:

• The Rt Hon. The Countess of London (wife of an Earl; unremarried widow of an Earl whose heir is unmarried or whose title became extinct on his death; Privy Counsellor who is the wife of a courtesy Earl; Privy Counsellor who is the unremarried widow of a courtesy Earl with no new married holder of the courtesy Earldom; suo jure Countess)
• The Rt Hon. The Dowager Countess of London (unremarried widow of an Earl (if no senior widow); Privy Counsellor who is the unremarried widow of a courtesy Earl (if no senior widow))
• The Rt Hon. Elizabeth, Countess of London (unremarried widow of an Earl; Privy Counsellor who is the unremarried widow of a courtesy Earl; Privy Counsellor who is the unremarried divorced wife of any Earl)
• The Countess of London (wife of a courtesy Earl; unremarried widow of a courtesy Earl with no new married holder of the courtesy Earldom)
• The Dowager Countess of London (unremarried widow of a courtesy Earl (if no senior widow))
• Elizabeth, Countess of London (unremarried divorced wife of any Earl; widow of a courtesy Earl)

Viscountesses:

• The Rt Hon. The Viscountess London (wife of a Viscount; unremarried widow of a Viscount whose heir is unmarried or whose title became extinct on his death; Privy Counsellor who is the wife of a courtesy Viscount; Privy Counsellor who is the unremarried widow of a courtesy Viscount with no new married holder of the courtesy Viscountcy; suo jure Viscountess)
• The Rt Hon. The Dowager Viscountess London (unremarried widow of a Viscount (if no senior widow); Privy Counsellor who is the unremarried widow of a courtesy Viscount (if no senior widow))
• The Rt Hon. Elizabeth, Viscountess London (unremarried widow of a Viscount; Privy Counsellor who is the unremarried widow of a courtesy Viscount; Privy Counsellor who is the unremarried divorced wife of any Viscount)
• The Viscountess London (wife of a courtesy Viscount; unremarried widow of a courtesy Viscount with no new married holder of the courtesy Viscountcy)
• The Dowager Viscountess London (unremarried widow of a courtesy Viscount (if no senior widow))
• Elizabeth, Viscountess London (unremarried divorced wife of any Viscount; widow of a courtesy Viscount)

"Baronesses":

• The Rt Hon. The Baroness London (suo jure Baroness (generally only used by life Baronesses))

"Ladies" (with a peerage title in their styles):

• The Rt Hon. The Lady London (wife of a Baron; unremarried widow of a life Baron; unremarried widow of a hereditary Baron whose heir is unmarried or whose title became extinct on his death; Privy Counsellor who is the wife of a courtesy Baron; Privy Counsellor who is the unremarried widow of a courtesy Baron with no new married holder of the courtesy Barony; suo jure Baroness (especially if a hereditary Baroness))
• The Rt Hon. The Dowager Lady London (unremarried widow of a hereditary Baron (if no senior widow); Privy Counsellor who is the unremarried widow of a courtesy Baron (if no senior widow))
• The Rt Hon. Elizabeth, Lady London (unremarried widow of a hereditary Baron; Privy Counsellor who is the unremarried widow of a courtesy Baron; Privy Counsellor who is the unremarried divorced wife of any Baron)
• The Lady London (wife of a courtesy Baron; unremarried widow of a courtesy Baron with no new married holder of the courtesy Viscountdom)
• The Dowager Lady London (unremarried widow of a courtesy Baron (if no senior widow))
• Elizabeth, Lady London (unremarried divorced wife of any Baron; widow of a courtesy Baron)
• The Lady Elizabeth London (daughter of a Duke, Marquess or Earl who is the wife, unremarried widow or unremarried divorced wife of a courtesy peer whose father is outranked by her father)

"Ladies" (with no peerage title in their styles):

• The Lady Elizabeth Smith (daughter of a Duke, Marquess or Earl; male-line great-granddaughter of the Sovereign)
• The Rt Hon. The Lady Elizabeth Smith (above who is a Privy Counsellor)
• The Lady Edward Smith (wife of a younger son of a Duke or Marquess; wife of a male-line great-grandson of the Sovereign)
• The Rt Hon. The Lady Edward Smith (above who is a Privy Counsellor)
• Lady Smith (wife of a Baronet; wife, widow or divorced wife of a Knight; widow of a Baronet whose heir is unmarried)
• The Rt Hon. Lady Smith (above who is a Privy Counsellor)
• The Hon. Lady Smith ("Lady Smith" above who is the daughter of a Viscount or Baron or whose husband is the son of a Viscount or Baron or a younger son of an Earl)
• Elizabeth, Lady Smith (widow or divorced wife of a Baronet)
• Dowager Lady Smith (widow of a Baronet (if no senior widow))
• Lady Elizabeth Smith (Lady of the Garter or of the Thistle)

Other styles:

• The Rt Hon. Elizabeth Smith (Privy Counsellor)
• The Hon. Elizabeth Smith (unmarried daughter of a Viscount or Baron; divorced daughter of a Viscount or Baron who has reverted to her maiden surname)
• The Hon. Mrs Smith (married, divorced or widowed daughter of a Viscount or Baron)
• The Hon. Mrs Edward Smith (wife, unremarried widow or unremarried divorced wife of a son of a Viscount or Baron or of a younger son of an Earl)
• The Mistress of Edinburgh (heiress presumptive to a Scottish peerage (N.B. not the wife of a Master of Edinburgh))
• Dame Elizabeth Smith (suo jure Dame; technically could be the wife, widow or divorced wife of a Knight or Baronet; suo jure Baronetess)
• Mrs/Madam Smith of Edinburgh (female Scottish chief; wife, unremarried widow or unremarried divorced wife of Scottish chief)
• Mrs Edward Smith of Edinburgh, yr (wife of eldest son of Scottish chief)
• Mrs Edward Smith of Edinburgh (wife of eldest son of Scottish chief whose first name is different from his father's first name)
• Miss Smith of Edinburgh (unmarried eldest daughter of Scottish chief)
• Miss Elizabeth Smith of Edinburgh (unmarried younger daughter of Scottish chief)

[edit] Notes

1. "London" represents any peerage title.
2. "Smith" represents any surname.
3. "Edinburgh" represents any Scottish place name.
4. "of" may be omitted in the form of Marquessates and Earldoms and included in the form of Scottish Viscountcies. It is never present in Baronies and Lordships of Parliament and always present in Dukedoms.
5. 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).
6. The exact form of a Scottish chief's style varies from family to family, and is generally based on tradition rather than formal rules.
7. 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.

[edit] Anomalies

1. 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".

[edit] External links

• Forms of Address for use orally and in correpondence, prepared by the Crown Office – UK Department for Constitutional Affairs