Forms of address used in the United Kingdom are given below.
Several terms have been abbreviated in the tables below. The forms used in the table are given first, followed by alternative acceptable abbreviations in parentheses. The punctuation of each abbreviation depends on the source. For example, the punctuation of "The Rt Hon" is not consistent throughout sources. The Gazette favours "The Rt. Hon.", while the government usually prefers "The Rt Hon" or "The Rt Hon."
HM (TM)
HRH (TRH)
HG (TG)
The Most Hon (The Most Honble)
The Rt Hon (The Rt Honble)
The Hon (The Honble)
The Much Hon (The Much Hon'd)
The Most Rev (The Most Revd or The Most Rev'd)
The Rt Rev (The Rt Revd or The Rt Rev'd)
The Very Rev (The Very Revd or The Very Rev'd)
The Rev (The Revd or The Rev'd)
The Ven (The Venble)
"The Most Noble", which is an abbreviation of "The Most High, Potent, and Noble",[1] is rarely used by Dukes and Duchesses; when used, the forenames of the peer or peeress can be used after "His Grace" but before "The Duke of [...]". This style is also sometimes used without "His Grace".
In regards to the nobility, Mary Brown represents a woman who married John Brown, while Jane Smith represents an unmarried woman.
| Position | On envelopes | Salutation in letter | Oral address | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King | HM The King | Your Majesty | Your Majesty, and thereafter as "Sir" (or the archaic "Sire") | |
| Queen | HM The Queen | Your Majesty, and thereafter as "Ma'am" (to rhyme with "jam")[2] [3] | ||
| Prince of Wales | HRH The Prince of Wales HRH The Duke of Rothesay (in Scotland) | Your Royal Highness | Your Royal Highness, and thereafter as "Sir" (for males) or "Ma'am" (for females) | |
| Princess of Wales | HRH The Princess of Wales HRH The Duchess of Rothesay (in Scotland) | |||
| Princess Royal | HRH The Princess Royal | |||
| Royal peer | HRH The Duke/etc. of London, e.g. HRH The Duke of Edinburgh | |||
| Royal peeress | HRH The Duchess/etc. of London, e.g. HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh | |||
| Sovereign's son (unless a peer)Spouse to Queen suo jure (in the case of Prince Philip) | HRH The Prince John | |||
| Sovereign's son's wife (unless a peeress) | HRH The Princess John | |||
| Sovereign's daughter (unless a peeress) | HRH The Princess Mary | |||
| Sons of the Prince of Wales (unless a peer) | HRH Prince John of Wales, e.g.HRH Prince George of Wales | |||
| Daughters of the Prince of Wales (unless a peer) | HRH Princess Mary of Wales, e.g.HRH Princess Charlotte of Wales | |||
| Sovereign's son's son Prince of Wales's eldest son's sons (unless a peer) | HRH Prince John of London, e.g. HRH Prince Michael of Kent | |||
| Sovereign's son's son's wife (unless a peeress) | HRH Princess John of London, e.g. HRH Princess Michael of Kent | |||
| Sovereign's son's daughter Prince of Wales's eldest son's daughters if unmarried (unless a peeress) | HRH Princess Mary of London, e.g. HRH Princess Lilibet of Sussex | |||
| Sovereign's son's daughter Prince of Wales's eldest son's daughters if married (unless a peeress) | HRH Princess Mary, Mrs John Brown, e.g. HRH Princess Beatrice, Mrs Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi | |||
| Sovereign's son's son's son (unless a peer) (except sons of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) | The Lord John Windsor, e.g. The Lord Nicholas Windsor | Dear Lord John | Lord John | |
| Sovereign's son's son's son's wife (unless a peeress) | The Lady John Windsor, e.g. The Lady Nicholas Windsor | Dear Lady John | Lady John | |
| Sovereign's son's son's daughter (unless a peeress) (except daughters of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) | The Lady Mary Windsor, e.g. The Lady Helen Taylor | Dear Lady Mary | Lady Mary |
The preposition of may be omitted in the form of Marquessates and Earldoms and included in the form of Scottish Viscountcies. It is not often present in peerage Baronies and Lordships of Parliament, though always present in Dukedoms and Scottish feudal Baronies.
The definite article the in the middle of two or more titles is sometimes capitalized, as in these tables. However this is controversial: traditional British guides use the lower-case the. As a single example, Debrett's gives "Major-General the Lord ...",[4] and Pears' Cyclopaedia in the section on Modes of Address gives several examples where the definite article interior to a list of honours is lower case.[5]
| Position | On envelopes | Salutation in letter | Oral address | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | (The Most Noble) (His Grace) The Duke of London | My Lord Duke or Dear Duke (of London) | Your Grace or Duke[6] | |
| Duchess | (The Most Noble) (Her Grace) The Duchess of London | Madam or Dear Duchess (of London) | Your Grace or Duchess[7] | |
| Marquess | (The Most Hon) The Marquess (of) London | My Lord Marquess or Dear Lord London | My Lord or Your Lordship or Lord London | |
| Marchioness | (The Most Hon) The Marchioness (of) London | Madam or Dear Lady London | My Lady[8] or Your Ladyship or Lady London | |
| Earl | (The Rt Hon) The Earl (of) London | My Lord or Dear Lord London | My Lord or Your Lordship or Lord London | |
| Countess | (The Rt Hon) The Countess (of) London | Madam or Dear Lady London | My Lady or Your Ladyship or Lady London | |
| Viscount | (The Rt Hon) The Viscount (of) London | My Lord or Dear Lord London | My Lord or Your Lordship or Lord London | |
| Viscountess | (The Rt Hon) The Viscountess (of) London | Madam or Dear Lady London | My Lady or Your Ladyship or Lady London | |
| Baron Lord of Parliament | (The Rt Hon) The Lord London | My Lord or Dear Lord London | My Lord or Your Lordship or Lord London | |
| Baroness (in her own right) | (The Rt Hon) The Baroness London or (The Rt Hon) The Lady London | Madam or Dear Lady London | My Lady or Your Ladyship 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 | Madam or Dear Lady London | My Lady or Your Ladyship or Lady London |
See also: Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom. Eldest sons of dukes, marquesses and earls use their father's most senior subsidiary title as courtesy titles: note the absence of "The" before the title. If applicable, eldest sons of courtesy marquesses or courtesy earls also use a subsidiary title from their (great) grandfather, which is lower ranking than the one used by their father. Eldest daughters do not have courtesy titles; all courtesy peeresses are wives of courtesy peers.
| Position | On envelopes | Salutation in letter | Oral address | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courtesy marquess | Marquess (of) London | My Lord or Dear Lord London | My Lord or Lord London | |
| Courtesy marquess's wife | Marchioness (of) London | Madam or Dear Lady London | My Lady or Lady London | |
| Courtesy earl | Earl (of) London | My Lord or Dear Lord London | My Lord or Lord London | |
| Courtesy earl's wife | Countess (of) London | Madam or Dear Lady London | My Lady or Lady London | |
| Courtesy viscount | Viscount (of) London | My Lord or Dear Lord London | My Lord or Lord London | |
| Courtesy viscount's wife | Viscountess (of) London | Madam or Dear Lady London | My Lady or Lady London | |
| Courtesy baron Courtesy Lord of Parliament | Lord London | My Lord or Dear Lord London | My Lord or Lord London | |
| Courtesy baron's wife Wife of courtesy Lord of Parliament | Lady London | Madam or Dear Lady London | My Lady or Lady London |
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.
| Position | On envelopes | Salutation in letter | Oral address | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish peer's heir-apparent or heir-presumptive | The Master of Edinburgh | Sir or Dear Master of Edinburgh | Sir or Master | |
| Scottish peer's heiress-apparent or heiress-presumptive | The Mistress of Edinburgh | Madam or Dear Mistress of Edinburgh | Madam or Mistress |
| Position | On envelopes | Salutation in letter | Oral address | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke's younger son (Courtesy) Marquess's younger son | The Lord John Smith | My Lord or Dear Lord John (Smith) | My Lord or Lord John | |
| Duke's younger son's wife (Courtesy) Marquess's younger son's wife | The Lady John Smith | Madam or Dear Lady John | My Lady or Lady John | |
| (Courtesy) Earl's younger son (Courtesy) Viscount's son (Courtesy) Baron's son (Courtesy) Lord of Parliament's son | The Hon John Smith | Sir or Dear Mr Smith | Sir or Mr Smith | |
| (Courtesy) Earl's younger son's wife (Courtesy) Viscount's son's wife (Courtesy) Baron's son's wife (Courtesy) Lord of Parliament's son's wife | The Hon Mrs John Smith | Madam or Dear Mrs Smith | Madam or Mrs Smith |
If a daughter of a peer or courtesy peer 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.
| Position | On envelopes | Salutation in letter | Oral address | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke's daughter (Courtesy) Marquess's daughter (Courtesy) Earl's daughter (unmarried or married to a commoner) | The Lady Mary Smith (if unmarried), The Lady Mary Brown (husband's surname, if married) | Madam or Dear Lady Mary | My Lady or Lady Mary | |
| (Courtesy) Viscount's daughter (Courtesy) Baron's daughter (Courtesy) Lord of parliament's daughter (unmarried) | The Hon Mary Smith | Madam or Dear Miss Smith | Madam or Miss Smith | |
| (Courtesy) Viscount's daughter (Courtesy) Baron's daughter (Courtesy) Lord of Parliament's daughter (married to a commoner) | The Hon Mrs Brown (husband's surname) | Madam or Dear Mrs Brown | Madam or Mrs Brown |
Knights and Baronets are distinguished by the use of "Bt" (or, archaically, "Bart") after the latter's names (and by the use of the appropriate post-nominal letters if the former are members of an Order of Chivalry). Esquires are distinguished by the use of "Esq" except in the case of a Scottish laird, whose territorial designation implies the rank of esquire.[9]
| width=27.5% | Position! | On envelopes | Salutation in letter | Oral address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baronet | Sir John Smith, Bt (or Bart) | Sir or Dear Sir John (Smith) | Sir or Sir John | |
| Baronetess in her own right | Dame Mary Smith, Btss | Madam or Dear Dame Mary (Smith) | Madam or Dame Mary | |
| Baronet's wife | Lady Brown | Madam or Dear Lady Brown | My Lady or Lady Brown | |
| Baronet's divorced wife | Mary, Lady Brown | |||
| Baronet's widow | Mary, Lady Brown Dowager Lady Brown, or Lady Brown (if the heir incumbent is unmarried) |
Barons in Scotland are non-peerage nobles in the Baronage of Scotland.
Note that the Scottish equivalent to an English peerage baron is Lord of Parliament.
| Position | On envelopes | Salutation in letter | Oral address | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baron | (The Much Hon.) John Smith, Baron of Edinburgh or (The Much Hon.) (The) Baron of Edinburgh (Incorrect: Baron Edinburgh, which would be a title in the peerage) [10] | Dear Baron of Edinburgh or Dear Edinburgh or Dear Baron | Edinburgh or Baron | |
| Baroness or Baron's wife | (The Much Hon) Jane Smith, Baroness of Edinburgh or(The Much Hon) Baroness of Edinburgh or | Dear Baroness of Edinburgh(Note: "Dear Baroness Edinburgh" is incorrect) Dear Lady Edinburgh | Lady Edinburgh or Baroness |
| Position | On envelopes | Salutation in letter | Oral address | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knight (of any order) | Sir John Smith | Sir or Dear Sir John (Smith) | Sir or Sir John | |
| Lady (of the Order of the Garter or the Thistle) | Lady Mary Brown | Madam or Dear Lady Mary (Smith) | My Lady or Lady Mary | |
| Dame (of an order other than the Garter or the Thistle) | Dame Mary Brown | Madam or Dear Dame Mary (Smith) | Madam or Dame Mary | |
| Knight's wife | Lady Smith | Madam or Dear Lady Smith | My Lady or Lady Smith |
| width=27.5% | Position! | On envelopes | Salutation in letter | Oral address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feudal Fief Seigneur | The Much Hon John Smith of Fief de Sausmarez or The Much Hon John Smith, Seigneur of Fief de Sausmarez or The Much Hon Seigneur of Fief de Sausmarez | Sir or Dear Sausmarez or Dear Sieur | Sausmarez or Seigneur or Abbreviated Sieur (Sgr.) | |
| Female Feudal Dame of a Fief or Feudal Seigneur's wife | As feudal Seigneur, substituting "Madam" for first name and substituting "Dame" for "Seigneur", or Dame Sausmarez | Madam or Dear Dame or Dear Dame of Sausmarez | Madam or Sausmarez or Dame Sausmarez |
| width=27.5% | Position! | On envelopes | Salutation in letter | Oral address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief, chieftain or laird (Only lairds recognised in a territorial designation by the Lord Lyon) | John Smith of Smith or John Smith of Edinburgh or John Smith of that Ilk or The Smith of Smith or The Smith of Edinburgh or The Smith (only the 2nd form of address above applies to lairds) | Sir or Dear Edinburgh (if placename in title) or Dear Smith (otherwise) | Edinburgh (if placename in title) or Smith (otherwise) | |
| Female Chief, chieftain or laird or Chief, chieftain or laird's wife | Chief, chieftain or laird's wife, substituting "Madam" or "Mrs" for first name or "The" or Lady Edinburgh[13] [14] [15] | Madam or as on envelope | Madam or as on envelope | |
| Chief (etc.)'s heir-apparent | John Smith of Edinburgh, yr or John Smith, yr of Edinburgh or John Smith of Edinburgh (last only if different first name to father) | Sir or Dear Younger of Edinburgh or Dear Mr Smith of Edinburgh | Sir or Young Edinburgh or The Younger of Edinburgh | |
| Chief (etc.)'s heir-apparent's wife | Mrs Smith of Edinburgh, yr or Mrs Smith, yr of Edinburgh | Madam or Dear Mrs Smith of Edinburgh the Younger | Madam or Mrs Smith of Edinburgh | |
| Chief (etc.)'s eldest daughter (if none senior) | Miss Smith of Edinburgh or Jane Smith, Maid of Edinburgh | Madam or Dear Miss Smith of Edinburgh or Dear Maid of Edinburgh | Madam or Miss Smith of Edinburgh or Maid of Edinburgh | |
| Chief (etc.)'s younger daughter | Miss Mary Smith of Edinburgh | Madam or Dear Miss Smith of Edinburgh | Madam or Miss Smith of Edinburgh |
| width=27.5% | Position! | On envelopes | Salutation in letter | Oral address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lord of the Manor | John Brown, Lord of the Manor of Birmingham[16] or Lord of the Manor of Birmingham ("of the manor" may not be omitted, else one would suggest a peerage or Scottish barony.) or John Brown, Esq | Sir or Dear Lord of the Manor of Birmingham | Sir | |
| Lady of the Manor | Jane Brown, Lady of the Manor of Birmingham or Lady of the Manor of Birmingham | Madam or Dear Lady of the Manor of Birmingham | Madam |
Similar styles are also applied to clergy of equivalent status in other religious organisations. The words clergy and cleric/clerk are derived from the proper term for bishops, priests and deacons still used in legal documents: (e.g. . Clergy in the Church of England are never addressed as "Revd (Surname)".
| width=27.5% | Position! | On envelopes | Salutation in letter | Oral address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archbishop | The Most Revd and Rt Hon The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury/York | Dear Archbishop | Your Grace or Archbishop | |
| Diocesan bishop in Privy Council | The Rt Revd and Rt Hon The Lord Bishop of London | Dear Bishop | My Lord or Bishop | |
| Bishop, diocesan or suffragan | The Rt Revd The Lord Bishop of Durham | Dear Bishop | My Lord or Bishop | |
| Dean | The Very Revd The Dean of York | Dear Mr/Madam Dean | Dean or Mr/Madam Dean | |
| Archdeacon | The Ven The Archdeacon of London | Dear Archdeacon | Archdeacon | |
| Prebendary | The Revd Prebendary Smith | Dear Prebendary Smith | Prebend | |
| Canon | The Revd Canon John Smith | Dear Canon | Canon | |
| Priest | The Revd John Smith or The Revd Mr John Smith or The Revd Dr John Smith (if applicable) | Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms/Dr Smith | Mr/Mrs/Ms Smith or Vicar/Rector/Prebendary/Curate/Chaplain etc. as applicable | |
| Deacon | The Revd Deacon John Smith or The Revd John Smith | Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms Smith or Dear Deacon Smith | Deacon Smith or Mr/Mrs/Ms Smith |
The Church of Scotland, as a Presbyterian church, recognizes state-awarded titles only as courtesy. In court (assembly, presbytery and session) a person may only be addressed as Mr, Mrs, Miss, Dr, Prof, etc. depending on academic achievement. Thus ministers are correctly addressed as, for example, Mr Smith or Mrs Smith unless they have a higher degree or academic appointment e.g. Dr Smith or Prof. Smith. It is 'infra dig' to use the style 'Rev' and even the use of 'the Rev Mr' requires sensitivity to official style.
| width=27.5% | Position! | On envelopes | Salutation in letter | Oral address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly | His Grace The Lord High Commissioner | Your Grace | Your Grace or Sir/Ma'am | |
| Clergy | The Rev John Smith | Dear Mr Smith | Mr Smith/Dr Smith etc. | |
| Current Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland | The Right Rev John Smith | Dear Mr Smith | Mr Smith/Dr Smith etc. | |
| Former Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland | The Very Rev John Smith | Dear Mr Smith | Mr Smith/Dr Smith etc. |
| width=27.5% | Position! | On envelopes | Salutation in letter | Oral address | In court |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male Justice of the Supreme Court holding a peerage | The Right Honourable The Lord Smith | Lord Smith | Lord Smith | My Lord | |
| Male Justice of the Supreme Court | The Right Honourable Lord Smith | Lord Smith | Lord Smith | My Lord[17] | |
| Female Justice of the Supreme Court holding a peerage | The Right Honourable The Lady Smith | Lady Smith | Lady Smith | My Lady | |
| Female Justice of the Supreme Court | The Right Honourable Lady Smith | Lady Smith | Lady Smith | My Lady |
| width=27.5% | Position! | On envelopes | Salutation in letter | Oral address | In court |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lord Chief Justice | The Rt Hon the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales | Lord Chief Justice | Lord Chief Justice | My Lord[18] | |
| Male Lord Justice of Appeal | The Rt Hon Lord Justice (John) Smith | Lord Justice | Lord Justice | My Lord | |
| Retired male Lord Justice of Appeal | The Rt Hon Sir John Smith | Judge or Sir John | Sir John | My Lord | |
| Female Lord Justice of Appeal | The Rt Hon Lady Justice (Mary) Smith, DBE | Lady Justice | Lady Justice | My Lady | |
| Retired female Lord Justice of Appeal | The Rt Hon Dame Mary Smith, DBE | Judge or Dame Mary | Dame Mary | My Lady | |
| Male High Court judge | The Hon. Mr Justice (John) Smith | Judge | Judge | My Lord | |
| Retired male High Court judge | Sir John Smith | Judge or Sir John | Sir John | My Lord | |
| Female High Court judge | The Hon. Mrs Justice (Mary) Smith, DBE | Judge | Judge | My Lady | |
| Retired female High Court judge | Dame Mary Smith, DBE | Judge or Dame Mary | Dame Mary | My Lady | |
| High Court Master | Master (John) Smith (KC should be added if applicable) | Master | Master | Master | |
| Insolvency and Companies Court Judge | Insolvency and Companies Court Judge (John) Smith (KC, if applicable) | Judge | Judge | Judge | |
| Circuit judge | His Honour Judge (John) Smith (KC, if applicable) | Judge | Judge | Your Honour | |
| Recorder | Mr (or Mrs) Recorder Smith (KC, if applicable) | Judge | Judge | Your Honour | |
| District judge | District Judge (John) Smith (KC, if applicable) | Judge | Sir or Madam | Sir or Madam | |
| Justice of the Peace/Magistrate | Mr John Smith, JP | Mr Smith | Mr Smith or (if "Chair/Lead") Sir or Madam[19] [20] | Sir or Madam (if 'Chair/Lead') or Your Worship[21] | |
| Chancellor of a diocese (ecclesiastical) | The Worshipful Mr (or Mrs) Smith (KC, if applicable) | Chancellor | Chancellor | Your Worship |
A judge's first name only forms part of their judicial style if, at the time of their appointment, there is a senior judge with the same or a similar surname. Thus, if there is a "Mr Justice Smith", subsequent judges will be "Mr Justice John Smith", "Mrs Justice Mary Smith", etc. High Court Judges and above who are King's Counsel do not use the post-nominal letters following appointment or after retirement.
A member of the Bar (but not a solicitor) addresses a circuit judge or higher, out of court, as "Judge".
| width=27.5% | Position! | On envelopes | Salutation in letter | Oral address | In court |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lord President of the Court of Session/Lord Justice General of Scotland | The Rt Hon (the) Lord/Lady Smith Lord President of the Court of Session/Lord Justice General of Scotland | Lord President/Lord Justice General | Lord President/Lord Justice General | My Lord/Lady | |
| Lord Justice Clerk | The Rt Hon (the) Lord/Lady Smith Lord Justice Clerk | Lord Justice Clerk | Lord Justice Clerk | My Lord/Lady | |
| Senator of the College of Justice and the Chairman of the Scottish Land Court | The Hon./Rt Hon. (the) Lord/Lady Smith | Lord/Lady Smith | Lord/Lady Smith | My Lord/Lady | |
| Sheriff principal | Sheriff Principal Smith (KC should be added where applicable) | Sheriff Principal Smith | Sheriff Principal Smith | My Lord/Lady | |
| Sheriff | Sheriff Smith (KC should be added where applicable) | Sheriff Smith | Sheriff Smith | My Lord/Lady | |
| Summary sheriff | Sheriff Smith (KC should be added where applicable) | Sheriff Smith | Sheriff Smith | My Lord/Lady | |
| Justice of the Peace | Mr John/Mrs Mary Smith | Mr/Mrs Smith | Mr/Mrs Smith | Your Honour[22] |
The forms of address used for academics can, in most cases, be either formal or social.[23] [24]
| Position | On envelopes | Salutation in letter | Oral address | In conversation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chancellor (formal) | The Chancellor of [university name] | Dear Chancellor | Chancellor (if on a platform) or by name and title | The Chancellor or by name | |
| Chancellor (social) | [Name], Chancellor of [university name] | By name | By name or Chancellor | The Chancellor or by name | |
| Vice-Chancellor (formal) | The Vice-Chancellor of [university name] | Dear Sir/Madam/Vice-Chancellor | Vice-Chancellor (if on a platform) or by name | The Vice-Chancellor or by name | |
| Vice-Chancellor (social) | [Name], Vice-Chancellor of [university name] | By name or Dear Vice-Chancellor | Vice-Chancellor (if on a platform) or by name | The Vice-Chancellor or by name | |
| Professor (formal) | Professor Jane Smith | Dear Sir/Madam | Professor Smith | Professor Smith | |
| Professor (social) | Professor Jane Smith | Dear Professor Smith | Professor Smith | Professor Smith | |
| Doctor (formal) | Dr Jane Smith or The Revd John Smith DD or Susan Brown MD or Tom Brown PhD, etc. | Dear Sir/Madam | Dr Smith | Dr Smith | |
| Doctor (social) | Dr Jane Smith | Dear Dr Smith | Dr Smith | Dr Smith |