Etiquette for Addressing British Peers

    

Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Governor General of Australia. He was also the uncle of Queen Elizabeth II. Photo circa 1945 

— Public domain image, Wikipedia 

British Peerage and Individuals

THE PEERAGE
A DUKE, NON-ROYAL writing to His Grace, the Duke of Norfolk, K.G. Local address Letter opening: Sir: (business) Dear Duke: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Your Grace. In prolonged conversation, Sir introducing or referring to The Duke of Norfolk note: In England invitations are never addressed jointly (on the envelope) to husband and wife but to the wife alone. Christmas cards may be ad- dressed jointly, however. (See “The British Use of Esquire.”) In this case the form would be: Their Graces, the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk.


THE ELDEST SON OF A DUKE AND HIS WIFE note: The eldest son of a Duke has the highest family title below his father's, such as Marquess. His wife has the corresponding title, such as Marchioness.


THE YOUNGER SONS OF A DUKE note: The younger sons of a Duke have the title Lord with their Christian and family names. writing to The Lord James Beaumont Local address Letter opening: Sir: (business) Dear Lord James: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Lord James introducing or referring to Lord James Beaumont note: The terms “My Lord” and “My Lady” are forms of address used mainly by servants and tradesmen, although the usage is not necessarily menial.


THE DAUGHTERS OF A DUKE note: The daughters of a Duke take the title Lady with their Christian and family name. writing to Lady Bridget Beaumont Local address Letter opening: Madam: (business) Dear Lady Bridget: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Lady Bridget introducing or referring to Lady Bridget Beaumont


THE WIFE OF THE YOUNGER SON OF A DUKE note: The wife of the younger son of a Duke has the title Lady with her husbands full name or Christian name but not with his surname only. writing to Lady James Beaumont Local address Letter opening: Madam (business) Dear Lady James: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Lady James introducing or referring to Lady James Beaumont


A MARQUESS writing to The Most Honourable the Marquess of Remington, or The Marquess of Remington (less formal) Local address Letter opening: Sir: (business) Dear Lord Remington: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Lord Remington introducing or referring to The Marquess of Remington, or Lord Remington (less formal)


A MARCHIONESS writing to The Most Honourable the Marchioness of Remington, or The Marchioness of Remington (less formal) Local address Letter opening: Madam: (business) Dear Lady Remington: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Lady Remington introducing or referring to The Marchioness of Remington, or Lady Remington (less formal)


THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF A MARQUESS note: The eldest son of a Marquess has the highest family tide below his father's such as Earl his wife has the corresponding title such as Countess. The younger son and daughter of a Marquess take the title Lord or Lady, respectively. The wife of the younger son of a Marquess has the title Laay combined with her husband's full name.


AN EARL writing to The Right Honourable the Earl of Leeds, G.C., V.O., C.M.G. (business) or The Earl of Leeds (social) Local address Letter opening: Sir: (business) Dear Lord Leeds: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Lord Leeds introducing or referring to The Earl of Leeds or Lord Leeds (less formal)


A COUNTESS, WIFE OF AN EARL writing to The Right Honourable the Countess of Leeds (business) or The Countess of Leeds (social) Local address Letter opening: Madam: (business) Dear Lady Leeds: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Lady Leeds introducing or referring to The Countess of Leeds or Lady Leeds (less formal)


THE ELDEST SON OF AN EARL AND HIS WIFE note: The eldest son of an Earl has the highest family title below his father's such as Viscount. His wife takes the corresponding title such as Viscountess. The younger sons of an Earl and their wives have the title Honourable. Writing to The Honourable George Bird Local address Letter opening: Sir: (business) Dear Mr. Bird: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Mr. Bird introducing or referring to Mr. Bird writing to The Honourable Mrs. George Bird Local address Letter opening: Madam: (business) Dear Mrs. Bird: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Mrs. Bird


INTRODUCING OR REFERRING TO Mrs. Bird note: The daughters of an Earl have the title Lady combined with their Christian and family names.


A VISCOUNT writing to The Right Honourable the Viscount Bemis (business) or The Vis- count Bemis (social) Local address Letter opening: Sir: (business) Dear Lord Bemis: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Lord Bemis introducing or referring to Viscount Bemis or Lord Bemis (less formal)


A VISCOUNTESS writing to The Right Honourable the Viscountess Bemis (business) or The Viscountess Bemis (social) Local address Letter opening: Madam: (business) Dear Lady Bemis: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Lady Bemis introducing or referring to Viscountess Bemis or Lady Bemis (less formal)


THE FAMILY OF A VISCOUNT note: The eldest son of a Viscount and also his wife have the title Honourable. writing to The Honourable Thomas Bemis Local address Letter opening: Sir: (business) Dear Mr. Bemis: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Mr. Bemis


INTRODUCING OR REFERRING TO Mr. Bemis writing to The Honourable Mrs. Bemis Omission of husbands Christian name indicates she is wife of eldest son. Local address Letter opening: Madam (business) Dear Mrs. Bemis: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Mrs. Bemis introducing or referring to Mrs. Bemis note: The younger sons of a Viscount and their wives also have the title Honourable. The daughters of a Viscount take the title Honourable with their Christian and family names. whiting to The Honourable Gladys Bemis Local address Letter opening: Madam: (business) Dear Miss Bemis: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Miss Bemis


INTRODUCING OR REFERRING TO Miss Bemis


A BARON note: A Baron is addressed as “Lord” never as Baron. writing to The Right Honourable the Lord Lancer (business) or The Lord Lancer (social) Local address Letter opening: Sir: (business) Dear Lord Lancer: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Lord Lancer introducing or referring to Lord Lancer


A BARONESS note: A Baroness in her own right has the title Baroness but may also be addressed as Lady. The wife of a Baron who is not a Baroness in her own right is addressed only as Lady. writing to The Right Honourable the Baroness Lancer (business) or The Baroness Lancer or The Lady Lancer: (social) Letter opening: Madam: (business) Dear Baroness (or Lady) Lancer: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social)


A BARONESS (not in her own right) writing to The Right Honourable the Lady McGuiness (business) or The Lady McGuiness (social) Local address Letter opening: Madam: (business) Dear Lady McGuiness: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Lady McGuiness introducing or referring to Lady Mc Guiness


CORRESPONDENCE THE CHILDREN OF A BARON note: All the sons of a Baron and their wives have the title Honourable. The daughters of a Baron also have the title Honourable.


A BARONET note: A Baronet has the title Sir and the abbreviation for Baronet (Bart, or Bt.) follows his name. writing to Sir Thomas Riddle, Bart. Local address Letter opening: Dear Sir: (business) Dear Sir Thomas: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Sir Thomas introducing or referring to Sir Thomas Riddle


THE WIFE OF A BARONET note: The wife of a Baronet has the title Lady with her husband's surname only. writing to Lady Riddle Local address Letter opening: Dear Madam: (business) Dear Lady Riddle: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Lady Riddle introducing or referring to Lady Riddle note: The sons and daughters of a Baronet have no title.


DOWAGER note: The term “Dowager” is used as part of a title in England to indicate the earliest surviving widow of a preceding peer. She is known as the Dow- ager Duchess of Wickham. A later surviving widow who might be the widow of the first earl's son, nephew, etc. would be known as Mary, Duchess of Wickham, retaining this usage for life even if the Dowager dies.


A KNIGHT note: A Knight has the title Sir and the initials of his order or orders of knighthood, if any, follow his name. writing to Sir John Waugh, G.C. M.G. Local address
Letter opening: Dear Sir: (business) Dear Sir John: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Sir John introducing or referring to Sir John Waugh


THE WIFE OF A KNIGHT note: The wife of a Knight has the title Lady with her husband's surname only. writing to Lady Waugh Local address


Letter opening: Dear Madam: (business) Dear Lady Waugh: (social) Closing: Yours very truly (business) Yours sincerely (social) speaking to Lady Waugh


INTRODUCING OR REFERRING TO Lady Waugh


—From “Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette : A Guide to Gracious Living,” 1957

👑Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Etiquette of Meeting and Seating Royals

Original seating chart for the State Dinner held on November 23, 1934 in honor of a royal visit by Prince Henry, The Duke of Gloucester

This is a fun and wonderful piece of history that I found on Ebay several years ago. It had evidently been folded up and stuck in an Australian drawer for over 60 years. I was actually looking for vintage Australian etiquette books on Ebay Australia when I stumbled upon the listing.

It is the original seating chart for the State Dinner held on November 23, 1934 in honour of a royal visit by Prince Henry, The Duke of Gloucester. He was in Australia from October 4th until December 11th of that year, and when I researched it later, I found it had been an important state visit by the Duke at the time. I was the only bidder on the item and won it for about $4.50 total. I had it framed and it hangs in my dining room.

Prince Henry, the Duke of Gloucester ~ “Generally, the people found him, as they found his brother the Duke of York, a little shy and somewhat embarrassed at the overwhelming nature of his reception.”

You may be wondering, "Who is Prince Henry?" or, "Huh?" if you are here with me in the United States. He was the Queen’s uncle, and his son, the late Prince William of Gloucester, who died young in 1972, is who the Duke of Cambridge (aka the current Prince William) was named.

The Aussies know very well who he is however, so over the years I have been tempted to send this interesting historic document back to them. It should possibly be in a museum or with a historical group in Australia. Or, maybe mine is one of several copies they made for the 1934 event. Either way, I enjoy it and find it fascinating. Like I wrote in my book on mango forks, the Australians are the nicest people to do business with on Ebay, so I keep thinking I may just pop on over to visit there myself some day.

Note the "Capt. S.S. Bonham Carter" at Seat 2, a distant relative of actress Helena Bonham Carter. He was later "Admiral Sir Stuart Bonham Carter", and had served in the Royal Navy in both World Wars and rose to the rank of Vice Admiral. 

I find it interesting who sat where at this dinner. Of course the Duke was seated in the center at the head table, labeled "A", along with local Australian dignitaries flanking him on either side. The Consul-General from Germany was at Seat 8 at Table B, and fairly far from the center of Table A, where the Duke sat. But he was 4 seats away to his left from the Consul from Poland and 4 seats away to his right from Captain S.S. Bonham Carter. Behind him, to his left just 2 seats away, seated at Table C was the Consul-General to France. In just 5 years time, Great Britain and France would be declaring war on Germany, due to its invasion of Poland.

Seated at tables C, D, E, F & G, were Consul-Generals from China, Spain, Norway, The Netherlands, Finland, Brazil, Paraguay, Czecho-Slovakia, Italy and Denmark, along with the U.S. and other assorted countries. Representatives from the church, Reuters, The Telegraph, The Sun, Labor Daily, and others were also seated throughout the mix. Some printed names had been crossed out, with new names written in by hand. Others were just listed as "Official." Notably absent? Women!

I love this photo of a young Prince Henry at Eton. What a charming looking young chap!

Now back to the Duke... In 1934, the Duke of Gloucester was Prince Henry. Born on March 31, 1900, he was "Henry William Frederick Albert". He was the third son of George V and Queen Mary, thus he was the uncle of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Australian National Archives has a wonderful page devoted to him and his 1934 visit. The following are a few passages I found interesting...

Prime Minister Lyons first announced news of the tour in Parliament:

“I have great pleasure in intimating that since the last meeting of this Parliament His Majesty the King has graciously given his consent to the visit to Australia of a member of the royal family on the occasion of the centenary of the state of Victoria. As honourable members are probably aware, His Majesty in the first instance approved of his son, Prince George [the Duke of Kent], visiting Australia. Later however, advice was received to the effect that His Majesty felt that Prince George, after a strenuous tour of South Africa, should not, in the same year, undertake another tour. Consequently, His Majesty approved of the substitution of His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester.”

From the Courier-Mail’s reporting of the event, it would appear that the Duke’s visit to Queensland at least was a wild success:

“A dignified figure in a cavalcade of pomp and pageantry that struck an Imperial note, the Duke, his face browned with Queensland’s sunshine, made a truly Royal progress through bannered streets that echoed with the crash of band music and the skirl of bagpipes, and in which cheering thousands formed living colonnades, so densely packed that they seemed a solidified mass, vital and vivid with its pulsating loyalty, pouring forth with mighty voice its affection for the King’s son.”

I was especially amused by this passage:

It would seem that the only negative incident of the Duke’s tour took place during his visit to Toowoomba:

A remarkable incident was associated with the Duke of Gloucester’s final hour in Toowoomba, when, at supper at the Citizen’s Ball, he was requested by a fireman to cease smoking a cigarette! The Duke was momentarily dismayed by the unusual nature of the request…The incident, which was witnessed by a number of people near the principal table, was exceedingly regretted, as it was the only unfortunate happening in what was regarded as the most brilliant social gathering ever held in Toowoomba...When seen later, the Mayor said it was the most monstrous incident of which he had ever heard.

Under the heading of "General Correspondence relating to the Royal Visit, Canberra 1934-1935" you will find this recollection: 

"In Queensland, the Courier Mail compiled a list of hints for citizens planning to celebrate the Duke’s arrival in the city. The newspaper stated, ‘Police and ambulance officers, remembering incidents of other royal visits and experiences in southern capitals, have issued these “Don’ts” to Brisbane citizens who will be in the city to welcome the Duke today.’

The list of ‘Don’ts’ include the following suggestions:

• Don’t let your pet dog follow you to town where he may be hurt or lost in the crowd
• Don’t let your youngsters wander away from you – if you can help it
• Don’t go out without your hat
• Don’t expect the conductors to change a pound note.


When Prince Henry's brother, George VI, came to the throne in 1936, Henry was required to stay in the United Kingdom. He had been appointed a potential regent for his niece, so until she came of age, in case her father died, Henry was needed there if she ascended the throne as a minor.

He was also the 11th Governor-General of Australia, from 1945 to 1947 and when he died in 1974, he was the last surviving Knight of the “Order of St. Patrick” and the longest surviving child of George V and Mary of Teck.

In 1934, the Duke and Australian Prime Minister Lyons, and Mrs. Lyons

The Current Duke of Gloucester is a grandson of George V and a first cousin to The Queen. He became heir to his father's titles following the death of his elder brother, Prince William of Gloucester, in a flying accident on 28 August 1972. He succeeded his father in June 1974.

Born Prince Richard of Gloucester on 26 August 1944 at Northampton, he was christened Richard Alexander Walter George. When he was four months old he was taken by his parents to Australia, where for two years (1945-47) his father was Governor-General.

The current Duke – HRH Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester

Modern Etiquette for Meeting Royalty-

• There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms.

• For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way.

• On presentation to The Queen, the correct formal address is 'Your Majesty' and subsequently 'Ma'am'.

• For male members of the Royal Family the same rules apply, with the title used in the first instance being 'Your Royal Highness' and subsequently 'Sir'.

• For other female members of the Royal Family the first address is conventionally 'Your Royal Highness' followed by 'Ma'am' in later conversation.

Portions of this post were first published in 2012 by Site Editor, Maura J. Graber, on her personal blog site, https://theetiquettesleuth.blogspot.com/

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber of The RSVP Institute of Etiquette, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia