Forms of Address in the United Kingdom
|
|
Forms of address used in the United Kingdom are given below.
| Contents |
Notes
The forms given under "Salutation in Letter" is for use in social correspondence only. In formal letters, "Sir" or "Madam" would be used instead.
Several terms have been abbreviated in the table below. The forms used in the table are given first, followed by alternative acceptable abbreviations in parantheses.
- Her Majesty: HM
- His Royal Highness: HRH
- Her Royal Highness: HRH
- Most Honourable: Most Hon. (Most Honble)
- Right Honourable: Rt Hon. (Rt Honble)
- Honourable: Hon. (Honble)
- Most Reverend: Most Rev. (Most Revd)
- Right Reverend: Rt Rev. (Rt Revd)
- Very Reverend: Very Rev. (Very Revd)
- Reverend: Rev. (Revd)
- Venerable: Ven. (Venble)
| Position | On Envelopes | Salutation in Letter | Oral Address |
|---|---|---|---|
Royalty | |||
| 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 | Your Royal Highness | Your Royal Highness, and thenceforward as "Sir" |
| Royal Peeress | HRH The Duchess of London | Your Royal Highness | Your Royal Highness, and thenceforward as "Ma'am" |
| Sovereign's son (unless a peer) | HRH The Prince John | 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 | Your Royal Highness | Your Royal Highness, and thenceforward as "Ma'am" |
| Sovereign's son's son (unless a peer) | HRH Prince John | Your Royal Highness | Your Royal Highness, and thenceforward as "Sir" |
| Sovereign's son's son's wife (unless a peeress) | HRH Princess John | Your Royal Highness | Your Royal Highness, and thenceforward as "Ma'am" |
| Sovereign's son's daughter (unless a peeress) | HRH Princess Mary | Your Royal Highness | Your Royal Highness |
| Sovereign's son's son's son (unless a peer) | The Lord John Windsor | Dear Lord John | Lord John |
| Sovereign's son's son's son's wife (unless a peeress) | The Lady John Windsor | Dear Lady John | Lady John |
| Sovereign's son's son's daughter (unless a peeress) | The Lady Mary Windsor | Dear Lady Mary | Lady Mary |
Nobility | |||
| Peers and Peeresses | |||
| Duke | His Grace The Duke of London | Dear Duke of London | Your Grace or Duke |
| Duchess | Her Grace The Duchess of London | Dear Duchess of London | Your Grace or Duchess |
| Marquess | The Most Hon. The Marquess of London | Dear Lord London | My Lord or Lord London |
| Marchioness | The Most Hon. The Marchioness of London | Dear Lady London | My Lady or Lady London |
| Earl | The Rt Hon. The Earl of London | Dear Lord London | My Lord or Lord London |
| Countess | The Rt Hon. The Countess of London | Dear Lady London | My Lady or Lady London |
| Viscount | The Rt Hon. The Viscount London | Dear Lord London | My Lord or Lord London |
| Viscountess | The Rt Hon. The Viscountess London | Dear Lady London | My Lady or Lady London |
| Baron Lord of Parliament | The Rt Hon. The Lord London | Dear Lord London | My Lord or Lord London |
| Baroness (in her own right) | The Rt Hon. The Baroness London or The Rt Hon. The Lady London | Dear Baroness London or Dear Lady London | My Lady or Baroness London or Lady London |
| Baroness (in her husband's right) Lady of Parliament (in her or her husband's right) | The Rt Hon. The Lady London | 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 | Dear Lord London | My Lord or Lord London |
| Courtesy Marchioness | Marchioness of London | Dear Lady London | My Lady or Lady London |
| Courtesy Earl | Earl of London | Dear Lord London | My Lord or Lord London |
| Courtesy Countess | Countess of London | Dear Lady London | My Lady or Lady London |
| Courtesy Viscount | Viscount London | Dear Lord London | My Lord or Lord London |
| Courtesy Viscountess | Viscountess London | Dear Lady London | My Lady or Lady London |
| Courtesy Baron Courtesy Lord of Parliament | Lord London | Dear Lord London | My Lord or Lord London |
| Courtesy Baroness Courtesy Lady of Parliament | Lady London | 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 | Dear Mr Smith | Mr Smith |
| Scottish Peer's heiress-apparent or heiress-presumptive | The Mistress of Edinburgh | Dear Miss Smith | Miss Smith |
| Sons of peers | |||
| Duke's younger son Marquess's younger son | The Lord John Smith | Dear Lord John | Lord John |
| Duke's younger son's wife Marquess's younger son's wife | The Lady John Smith | Dear Lady John | Lady John |
| Earl's younger son Viscount's son Baron's son Lord of Parliament's son | The Hon. John Smith | Dear Mr Smith | 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 | Dear Mrs Smith | 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 | Dear Lady Mary | Lady Mary |
| Viscount's daughter Baron's daughter Lord of Parliament's daughter (unmarried) | The Hon. Mary Smith | Dear Miss Smith | Miss Smith |
| Viscount's daughter Baron's daughter Lord of Parliament's daughter (married to a commoner) | The Hon. Mrs Smith | Dear Mrs Smith | Mrs Smith |
Gentry | |||
| Baronets | |||
| Baronet | Sir John Smith, Bt | Dear Sir John Smith | Sir John |
| Baronetess in her own right | Dame Mary Smith, Btss | Dear Dame Mary Smith | Dame Mary |
| Baronet's wife | Lady Smith | Dear Lady Smith | Lady Smith |
| Knights | |||
| Knight (of any Order) | Sir John Smith | Dear Sir John Smith | Sir John |
| Lady (of the Order of the Garter or the Thistle) | Lady Mary Smith | Dear Lady Mary Smith | Lady Mary |
| Dame (of an Order other than the Garter or the Thistle) | Dame Mary Smith | Dear Dame Mary Smith | Dame Mary |
| Knight's wife | Lady Smith | Dear Lady Smith | Lady Smith |
| Scottish Feudal Barons, Lairds and Chiefs | |||
| Feudal Baron | John Smith of Edinburgh or The Baron of Edinburgh | Dear Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| Laird | John Smith of Edinburgh or The Laird of Edinburgh | Dear Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| Chief | John Smith of Edinburgh or The Smith of Edinburgh | Dear Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| Feudal Baroness Lady Female Chief Chief's wife | Madam Smith of Edinburgh or Lady Edinburgh | Dear Madam Smith of Edinburgh or Dear Lady Edinburgh | Madam Edinburgh or Lady Edinburgh |
| Feudal Baron's heir-apparent Laird's heir-apparent Chief's heir-apparent | John Smith of Edinburgh, younger or John Smith, younger of Edinburgh | Dear Younger of Edinburgh or Dear Young Edinburgh | Younger of Edinburgh or Young Edinburgh |
| Feudal Baron's heir-apparent's wife Laird's heir-apparent's wife Chief's heir-apparent's wife | Mrs Smith of Edinburgh, younger | Dear Mrs Edinburgh | Mrs Edinburgh |
| Feudal Baron's eldest daughter Laird's eldest daughter Chief's eldest daughter | The Maid of Edinburgh or Mary Smith, Maid of Edinburgh or Miss Smith of Edinburgh | Dear Miss Smith of Edinburgh | Miss Smith of Edinburgh |
Clergy | |||
| Church of England | |||
| Archbishop | The Most Rev. and Rt Hon. The Lord Archbishop of London | Dear Archbishop | Your Grace or Archbishop |
| Diocesan Bishop | The Rt Rev. The Lord Bishop of London | Dear Bishop | Bishop |
| Bishop | The Rt Rev. The Bishop of London | Dear Bishop | Bishop |
| Dean | The Very Rev. The Dean of London | Dear Dean | Dean |
| Provost | The Very Rev. The Provost of London | Dear Provost | Provost |
| Archdeacon | The Ven. The Archdeacon of London | Dear Archdeacon | Archdeacon |
| Canon | The Rev. John Smith | Dear Canon | Canon |
| Vicar Rector | The Rev. John Smith | Dear Mr Smith or Dear Father Smith | Mr Smith or Father Smith |
| 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 or Dear Father Smith | Mr Smith or Father Smith |