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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
Last updated: 06-02-2005 21:31:59
Last updated: 08-16-2005 23:08:34