Britannic Majesty
His Britannic Majesty, or Her Britannic Majesty, depending on the sex of the monarch, is a formal, or official, term for the sovereign power of the United Kingdom in diplomacy, the law of nations, and international relations.
For example, in the Mandate for Palestine of the League of Nations, it was His Britannic Majesty who was designated as the Mandatory for Palestine.
Britannic Majesty is used in all British passports, where the following sentence is used:
Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State Requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.
This is a reduced version of the wording on this British passport, issued in 1979:
Her Britannic Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.
Another use of the term is on envelopes used for official correspondence being sent abroad: instead of the familiar endorsement "On Her Majesty's Service" used on mail sent within the UK, the endorsement "On Her Britannic Majesty's Service" is used.
See also
- Forms of address in the United Kingdom
- Style of the British Sovereign
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