Manners and Rules of Good Society Part 8

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 t.i.tle 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 cla.s.ses.

A foreign princess, also bearing the t.i.tle of serene highness, should be styled "Princess" when addressed colloquially by the upper cla.s.ses, but not as "Ma'am"; and as "Your Serene Highness" by all other cla.s.ses.

An English duke should be addressed as "Duke" by the aristocracy and gentry, and not as "Your Grace" by members of either of these cla.s.ses.

All other cla.s.ses should address him colloquially as "Your Grace."

An English d.u.c.h.ess should be addressed as "d.u.c.h.ess" by all persons conversing with her belonging to the upper cla.s.ses, and as "Your Grace"

by all other cla.s.ses.

A marquess, colloquially, should be addressed as "Lord A."

A marchioness should be addressed as "Lady A." by the upper cla.s.ses. It would be a mistake to address an English marquess as "Marquess," or a marchioness as "Marchioness," colloquially speaking. All other cla.s.ses 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 cla.s.ses, and as "My Lord" or "Your Lordship" by all other cla.s.ses.

A countess should be addressed as "Lady B." by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other cla.s.ses.

A viscount should be addressed as "Lord C." by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "My Lord" or "Your Lordship" by all other cla.s.ses.

A viscountess should be addressed as "Lady C." by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other cla.s.ses.

A baron should be addressed as "Lord D." by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "My Lord" or "Your Lordship" by all other cla.s.ses.

A baroness should be addressed as "Lady D." by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other cla.s.ses.

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 cla.s.ses, and as "My Lord" or "Your Lordship" by all other cla.s.ses.

The wife of the eldest son of a duke should be addressed as "Lady A." by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other cla.s.ses.

The younger sons of a duke should be addressed as "Lord John E." or "Lord Charles E." by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "My Lord" or "Your Lordship" by all other cla.s.ses. Persons well acquainted with them would address them colloquially by their t.i.tle 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 cla.s.ses, and as "My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other cla.s.ses.

The daughters of a duke should be addressed as "Lady Mary A." or "Lady Elizabeth B." by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "Lady Mary" and "Lady Elizabeth" by those intimate with them, and as "My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other cla.s.ses.

The eldest son of a marquess should be addressed as "Lord A." by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "My Lord" or "Your Lordship" by all other cla.s.ses.

The wife of the eldest son of a marquis should be addressed as "Lady A."

by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other cla.s.ses.

The younger sons of a marquis should be addressed as "Lord Henry B."

and "Lord Frederick B." by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "My Lord" or "Your Lordship" by all other cla.s.ses.

The wives of the younger sons of a marquis should be addressed as "Lady Henry B." and "Lady Frederick B." by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "My Lady"

or "Your Ladyship" by all other cla.s.ses.

The daughters of a marquis should be addressed as "Lady Florence B." and "Lady Sarah B." by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other cla.s.ses.

The eldest son of an earl should be addressed as "Lord C." by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "My Lord" or "Your Lordship" by all other cla.s.ses.

The wife of the eldest son of an earl should be addressed as "Lady C."

by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other cla.s.ses.

The daughters of an earl should be addressed as "Lady Blanche" and "Lady Evelyn" by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other cla.s.ses.

The younger sons of earls, and both eldest and younger sons of viscounts and barons, only bear the courtesy t.i.tle of honourable. The daughters of viscounts and barons also bear the courtesy t.i.tle of honourable. This t.i.tle 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 t.i.tle and surname, as Sir John Blank, by the upper cla.s.ses, and by their t.i.tles and christian names only by all other cla.s.ses.

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 cla.s.ses, 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 cla.s.ses.

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 cla.s.ses, and as "My Lady" or "Your Ladyship" by all other cla.s.ses.

=In addressing Foreigners of Rank colloquially=, the received rule is to address them by their individual t.i.tles and surnames.

A prince or princess should be addressed by their full t.i.tle: thus, "Prince Munich," or "Princess Munich," by the upper cla.s.ses. 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 t.i.tle 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 t.i.tle of "Princess," by the aristocracy and gentry, and as "Your Serene" or "Your Imperial Highness," according to their birth and t.i.tle, by all other cla.s.ses.

A French duke should be addressed by his surname, with the addition of monsieur: thus, "Monsieur de Rouen," by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "Monsieur le Duc" by all other cla.s.ses.

A French d.u.c.h.ess should be addressed by her surname, with the addition of madame: thus, "Madame de Rouen" by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "Madame la d.u.c.h.esse" by all other cla.s.ses.

A marquis should be addressed by his surname, with the addition of monsieur: thus, "Monsieur de Harfleur" by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "Monsieur le Marquis" by all other cla.s.ses.

A marquise should be addressed by her surname, with the addition of madame: thus, "Madame la Harfleur" by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "Madame la Marquise" by all other cla.s.ses.

A comte should be addressed by his surname, with the addition of monsieur: thus, "Monsieur de Montpellier" by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "Monsieur le Comte" by all other cla.s.ses.

A comtesse should be addressed by her surname, with the addition of madame: thus, "Madame de Montpellier" by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "Madame la Comtesse" by all other cla.s.ses.

A vicomte should be addressed by his surname, with the addition of monsieur: thus, "Monsieur de Toulouse" by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "Monsieur le Vicomte" by all other cla.s.ses.

A vicomtesse should be addressed by her surname, with the addition of madame: thus, "Madame de Toulouse" by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "Madame la Vicomtesse" by all other cla.s.ses.

A baron should be addressed by his surname, with the addition of monsieur: thus, "Monsieur d'Avignon" by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "Monsieur le Baron" by all other cla.s.ses.

A baronne should be addressed by her surname, with the addition of madame: thus, "Madame d'Avignon" by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "Madame la Baronne" by all other cla.s.ses.

A young unmarried lady should be addressed as "Mademoiselle d'Avignon"

by the upper cla.s.ses, and as "Mademoiselle" by all other cla.s.ses.