The Most Illustrious Explained

The Most Illustrious (Spanish: Ilustrísimo Señor (male) or Ilustrísima Señora (female), literally "Illustrious Sir/Mister") is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in Spain and certain Spanish-speaking countries. It is a lower version of the prefix The Most Excellent (Excelentísimo/a Señor/a), and was traditionally applied to non-Grandee titled nobles in Spain, but is now used for a series of other offices.^{[1] [2]}

In the Kingdom of Spain

The following State and Government officials receive the style "The Most Illustrious":

Constitutional court and judiciary

• The President of the Economic Administrative Central Court^[3]
• The Lawyers of the Spanish Council of State^[4]

Central government

• The Finance Delegates^[5]

Local authorities

• The Headmasters of Secondary State Schools^[6]

Diplomacy

• The Embassy Counsellors^[7]
• The Ministers Plenipotentiary of 3rd class

Other institutions

• The Director of the Spanish Academy of Rome^[8]
• The Director of the Spanish Agency of Data Protection^[9]

Nobility

• Non-Grandee titleholders, their spouses and heirs
• Non-firstborn children of Grandees

Other countries

Reference to a Duke in the UK's upper house of Parliament The House of Lords historically employed the prefix "the illustrious Duke"^[10] in the late 1800s. In the 21st century, it has been replaced by the generic prefix "the noble Duke"^[11] which is customarily used for all members of the House of Lords, irrespective of their rank.
In other countries, "The Most Illustrious" is rarely used, but rather "Illustrious Highness"

See also

• The Most Excellent

Notes and References

1. Los subsecretarios, secretarios generales, directores generales, secretarios generales técnicos, los secretarios generales y jefes de Gabinete Técnico de las Delegaciones del Gobierno, los subdelegados del Gobierno, los delegados insulares del Gobierno, el interventor general de la Administración del Estado, los jefes superiores de Administración Civil y asimilados y los delegados regionales y provinciales de los distintos Ministerios. Todos ellos por ser jefes superiores de Administración, art. 7º Real Decreto de 18 de junio de 1852, conforme al cual tendrían el mismo tratamiento que los consejeros reales, los cuales tenían tratamiento de Ilustrísima.
2. https://www.um.es/documents/3239701/10856944/Tratamientos_Oficiales.pdf/7eb33f92-793e-4185-a5bd-f4bf20dd7fe5 Tratamientos oficiales del Reino de España
3. Art. 29.2 RD 520/2005, por tener la condición de director general del Ministerio de Economía y Hacienda.
4. Real Decreto 1674/1980.
5. Real Orden Circular de 14 de mayo de 1927.
6. Real Decreto de 22 de mayo de 1859.
7. Art. 33 del Reglamento Orgánico de la Carrera Diplomática de 15 de julio de 1955.
8. Art. 8.3 Real Decreto 813/2001.
9. Art. 14.2 RD 428/1993.
10. https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/1831-10-17/debates/c0f2fb7d-566a-4b3d-9dd9-930eb5819bd2/Explanation%E2%80%94BankruptcyCourtBill
11. https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2022-10-31/debates/41D46B76-DB0F-4628-9435-BB237A184321/details#contribution-EC43770F-E643-4D92-ACD1-C74FD76B5E53