THE COLLOQUIAL APPLICATION OF TITLES
The colloquial application of titles differs materially from the
application of titles when not used colloquially, and many persons are
in doubt as to whether they should or should not make use colloquially
of titles in full.
His Majesty the King should be addressed as "Sir" by all those who come
in social contact with him; and by all others as "Your Majesty."
Her Majesty Queen Mary should be addressed as "Ma'm" by all those who
come in social contact with her; and by all others as "Your Majesty."
Her Majesty Queen Alexandra should be addressed as "Ma'm" by all those
who come in social contact with her; and by all others as "Your
Majesty."
The Prince of Wales, the Duke of Connaught, and all princes of the blood
royal, should be addressed by the upper classes as "Sir."
The princesses of the blood royal, should be addressed as "Ma'm" by the
upper classes. The wives of the princes of the blood royal should also
be addressed as "Ma'm" by the upper classes.
All crowned heads visiting England should be addressed as "Sir" by those
socially known to them, and as "Your Majesty" by all others. The Royal
ladies, their wives, should be addressed as "Ma'm" by those personally
known to them, and as "Your Majesty" by all others.
A foreign prince bearing the title of Serene Highness should be
addressed as "Prince," and not as "Sir," by the aristocracy and gentry,
and as "Your Serene Highness" by all other classes.
A foreign princess, also bearing the title of serene highness, should be
styled "Princess" when addressed colloquially by the upper classes, but
not as "Ma'am"; and as "Your Serene Highness" by all other classes.
An English duke should be addressed as "Duke" by the aristocracy and
gentry, and not as "Your Grace" by members of either of these classes.
All other classes should address him colloquially as "Your Grace."
An English duchess should be addressed as "Duchess" by all persons
conversing with her belonging to the upper classes, and as "Your Grace"
by all other classes.
A marquess, colloquially, should be addressed as "Lord A."
A marchioness should be addressed as "Lady A." by the upper classes. It
would be a mistake to address an English marquess as "Marquess," or a
marchioness as "Marchioness," colloquially speaking. All other classes
should address them either as "My Lord" or "Your Lordship," "My Lady" or
"Your Ladyship."
An earl should be addressed as "Lord B." by the upper classes, and as
"My Lord" or "Your Lordship" by all other classes.
A countess should be addressed as "Lady B." by the upper classes, and as
"My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other classes.
A viscount should be addressed as "Lord C." by the upper classes, and as
"My Lord" or "Your Lordship" by all other classes.
A viscountess should be addressed as "Lady C." by the upper classes, and
as "My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other classes.
A baron should be addressed as "Lord D." by the upper classes, and as
"My Lord" or "Your Lordship" by all other classes.
A baroness should be addressed as "Lady D." by the upper classes, and as
"My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other classes.
In strictly official or business intercourse a marquess, an earl, a
viscount, a baron, and a younger son of a duke or marquis, should be
addressed as "My Lord."
The eldest son of a duke should be addressed as "Lord A." by the upper
classes, and as "My Lord" or "Your Lordship" by all other classes.
The wife of the eldest son of a duke should be addressed as "Lady A." by
the upper classes, and as "My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other
classes.
The younger sons of a duke should be addressed as "Lord John E." or
"Lord Charles E." by the upper classes, and as "My Lord" or "Your
Lordship" by all other classes. Persons well acquainted with them would
address them colloquially by their title and christian name, as "Lord
John" or "Lord Charles." The same remark applies to their wives, who are
often colloquially addressed as "Lady Alfred" or "Lady Edward."
The wives of the younger sons of a duke should be addressed as "Lady
John E." or "Lady Charles E." by the upper classes, and as "My Lady" or
"Your Ladyship" by all other classes.
The daughters of a duke should be addressed as "Lady Mary A." or "Lady
Elizabeth B." by the upper classes, and as "Lady Mary" and "Lady
Elizabeth" by those intimate with them, and as "My Lady" or "Your
Ladyship" by all other classes.
The eldest son of a marquess should be addressed as "Lord A." by the
upper classes, and as "My Lord" or "Your Lordship" by all other classes.
The wife of the eldest son of a marquis should be addressed as "Lady A."
by the upper classes, and as "My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other
classes.
The younger sons of a marquis should be addressed as "Lord Henry B."
and "Lord Frederick B." by the upper classes, and as "My Lord" or "Your
Lordship" by all other classes.
The wives of the younger sons of a marquis should be addressed as "Lady
Henry B." and "Lady Frederick B." by the upper classes, and as "My Lady"
or "Your Ladyship" by all other classes.
The daughters of a marquis should be addressed as "Lady Florence B." and
"Lady Sarah B." by the upper classes, and as "My Lady" or "Your
Ladyship" by all other classes.
The eldest son of an earl should be addressed as "Lord C." by the upper
classes, and as "My Lord" or "Your Lordship" by all other classes.
The wife of the eldest son of an earl should be addressed as "Lady C."
by the upper classes, and as "My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other
classes.
The daughters of an earl should be addressed as "Lady Blanche" and "Lady
Evelyn" by the upper classes, and as "My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all
other classes.
The younger sons of earls, and both eldest and younger sons of viscounts
and barons, only bear the courtesy title of honourable. The daughters of
viscounts and barons also bear the courtesy title of honourable. This
title should never be used colloquially, "The Hon. Cecil Blank," "The
Hon. Mrs. Cecil Blank," and "The Hon. Mary Blank," should be styled
"Mr., Mrs., and Miss Mary Blank."
Baronets should be addressed by their full title and surname, as Sir
John Blank, by the upper classes, and by their titles and christian
names only by all other classes.
Baronets' wives should be addressed as "Lady B." or "Lady C," according
to the surnames of their husbands: thus, "Sir John Blank's" wife should
be addressed as "Lady Blank" by the upper classes, not as "Lady John
Blank"--to do so would be to give her the rank of the wife of the
younger son of a duke or marquis instead of that of a baronet's wife
only--and as "My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other classes.
The wives of knights should be addressed as "Lady B." or "Lady C.,"
according to the surnames of their husbands: thus, "Sir John Blank's"
wife should be addressed as "Lady Blank" by the upper classes, and as
"My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other classes.
=In addressing Foreigners of Rank colloquially=, the received rule is to
address them by their individual titles and surnames.
A prince or princess should be addressed by their full title: thus,
"Prince Munich," or "Princess Munich," by the upper classes. Persons
intimate with them usually address them as "Prince" or "Princess," as
the case may be.
In the case of a prince being a younger son, and not the reigning head
of the house, his christian name is generally used after his title when
addressing him: thus, "Prince Louis," in lieu of "Prince" only. The same
remark applies to the unmarried daughters of princes. They also should
be addressed by their christian name, in addition to their title of
"Princess," by the aristocracy and gentry, and as "Your Serene" or "Your
Imperial Highness," according to their birth and title, by all other
classes.
A French duke should be addressed by his surname, with the addition of
monsieur: thus, "Monsieur de Rouen," by the upper classes, and as
"Monsieur le Duc" by all other classes.
A French duchess should be addressed by her surname, with the addition
of madame: thus, "Madame de Rouen" by the upper classes, and as "Madame
la Duchesse" by all other classes.
A marquis should be addressed by his surname, with the addition of
monsieur: thus, "Monsieur de Harfleur" by the upper classes, and as
"Monsieur le Marquis" by all other classes.
A marquise should be addressed by her surname, with the addition of
madame: thus, "Madame la Harfleur" by the upper classes, and as "Madame
la Marquise" by all other classes.
A comte should be addressed by his surname, with the addition of
monsieur: thus, "Monsieur de Montpellier" by the upper classes, and as
"Monsieur le Comte" by all other classes.
A comtesse should be addressed by her surname, with the addition of
madame: thus, "Madame de Montpellier" by the upper classes, and as
"Madame la Comtesse" by all other classes.
A vicomte should be addressed by his surname, with the addition of
monsieur: thus, "Monsieur de Toulouse" by the upper classes, and as
"Monsieur le Vicomte" by all other classes.
A vicomtesse should be addressed by her surname, with the addition of
madame: thus, "Madame de Toulouse" by the upper classes, and as "Madame
la Vicomtesse" by all other classes.
A baron should be addressed by his surname, with the addition of
monsieur: thus, "Monsieur d'Avignon" by the upper classes, and as
"Monsieur le Baron" by all other classes.
A baronne should be addressed by her surname, with the addition of
madame: thus, "Madame d'Avignon" by the upper classes, and as "Madame la
Baronne" by all other classes.
A young unmarried lady should be addressed as "Mademoiselle d'Avignon"
by the upper classes, and as "Mademoiselle" by all other classes.
In German titles the distinction of "Von" before the surname is seldom
used colloquially, the title and surname being used without the prefix
of "Von." Thus, "Count von Ausberg" should be addressed as "Count
Ausberg" in conversation, and not as "Monsieur le Comte."
Foreign ladies of rank should be addressed by their title and surname,
and not by their title only, and the prefix "Von" should be omitted; but
in the case of a French or Italian title the "de" or "de la" before the
surname should on no account be omitted.
When Englishmen are extremely intimate with foreigners of rank they
would, in conversation, probably address them by their surnames; but
only thorough intimacy and friendship warrants this familiarity.
=As regards addressing the Clergy=, an archbishop should be addressed
colloquially as "Archbishop" by the upper classes, and as "Your Grace"
by the clergy and all other classes.
A bishop should be addressed colloquially as "Bishop" by the upper
classes, and as "My Lord" by the clergy and all other classes.
A dean should be styled "Dean Blank" or "Dean," by the upper classes,
and as "Mr. Dean" by the clergy.
An archdeacon should be addressed as "Archdeacon Blank," and a canon as
"Canon Blank."
The wives of archbishops, bishops, and deans should be respectively
addressed as "Mrs. A.," "Mrs. B.," or "Mrs. C." They take no title from
the spiritual rank of their husbands.
=Officers in the Army= should be respectively addressed as "General A.,"
"Colonel B.," "Major C.," or "Captain D.," and not as "General,"
"Colonel," or "Major," except by their very intimate friends.
The wives of officers should be addressed as "Mrs. A.," "Mrs. B.," "Mrs.
C.," or "Mrs. D." They should never be addressed as "Mrs. General A.,"
"Mrs. Colonel B.," "Mrs. Major C.," or "Mrs. Captain D."
A lady should not address her husband colloquially by his surname only,
as "Jones," "Brown," or by whatever his surname might be, or speak of
him without the prefix of "Mr."
The usual rule is for a wife to speak of her husband as "Mr. Brown," or
"My husband," except to intimate friends, when the christian name only
is frequently used, and to address him by his christian name only.
A wife should not address her husband by the initial letter of his
surname, as "Mr. B." or "Mr. P."; neither should a husband address his
wife by the initial letter of his surname.
When intimate friends address each other by the initial letter of their
names it is by way of pleasantry only, and such cases, of course, do not
come within the rules of etiquette.
Peeresses frequently address their husbands, and speak of them, by the
name attached to their title, in place of using their christian or
family name. Thus, the "Earl of Blankshire" would be styled "Blankshire"
by his wife, without the prefix of "Lord," and his usual signature would
be "Blankshire," without the addition of any christian name.
Baronets' wives should not address their husbands by their surnames, but
by their christian names, and should speak of them as "Sir George" or
"Sir John."
The wives of knights also should not address their husbands by their
surnames, but by their christian names, and should speak of them as "Sir
George" or "Sir John."
The Lord Mayor should be addressed as "Lord Mayor," colloquially, and
the Lady Mayoress as "Lady Mayoress," unless the Lord Mayor during
office is created a baronet or receives the honour of knighthood, when
he should be addressed as "Sir John" or "Sir Henry," and his wife as
"Lady A."