Courtesy title
Encyclopedia
A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility
used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer
. These styles
are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles. There are several different kinds of courtesy titles in the British peerage.
, marquess
or earl
) has more than one title, his eldest son, not himself an actual peer, may use one of his father's lesser titles 'by courtesy'. However, the father continues to be the substantive holder of the peerage title and the son using the peerage by courtesy legally remains a commoner. If the eldest son of a duke or marquess has an eldest son, he may use a still lower title if one exists.
For example, the Duke of Norfolk
is also the Earl of Arundel
and the Lord Maltravers
. His eldest son is therefore styled Earl of Arundel. Lord Arundel's eldest son (should he have one during his father's lifetime) would be styled Lord Maltravers. However, only the Duke of Norfolk is actually a peer; his son Lord Arundel and his hypothetical grandson Lord Maltravers remain commoners.
Courtesy peerages are only used by the peer's eldest living son, and the eldest son's eldest living son, and so forth. Other descendants are not permitted to use the peer's subsidiary title
s. Only the Heir Apparent
(and Heir Apparent to the Heir Apparent and so on) can use the titles. An Heir Presumptive
(e.g. a brother, nephew, or cousin) does not use a courtesy title. However, Scottish practice allows the style Master/Mistress
of X to an heir presumptive as well as to an heir apparent; for example, the brother of the present Marquess of Tweeddale
has the title Master of Tweeddale.
The wives of courtesy peers are also entitled to courtesy titles, which are the female equivalents of their husbands' titles. Thus, the wife of an Earl of Arundel would be styled Countess of Arundel.
Authorities differ on whether the holders of courtesy peerages should have their title preceded by the definite article ("The"), i.e. whether they should be styled "The Earl of Arundel" or simply "Earl of Arundel".
is styled Viscount Castlereagh, even though the Marquess is also the Earl Vane.
Titles with the same name as a peer's main title are also not used as courtesy titles. For instance, the Duke of Westminster
is also the Marquess of Westminster and the Earl Grosvenor (amongst other titles). The Duke's eldest son is not styled Marquess of Westminster (which would cause confusion between the son and the father), and so is styled Earl Grosvenor instead. The title used does not have to be exactly equivalent to the actual peerage: the eldest son of the current Duke of Wellington is styled Marquess of Douro, although the actual peerage possessed by his father is Marquess Douro (not of Douro).
If a peer of the rank of Earl or above does not have any subsidiary titles of a name different from his main title, his eldest son usually uses an invented courtesy title of "Lord Surname". For instance, the eldest son of the Earl of Devon
is styled Lord Courtenay, even though the Earl has no barony of that name, and similarly the eldest son of the Earl of Guilford
is styled Lord North. The eldest son of the Earl of Huntingdon
, who has no subsidiary titles, is styled Viscount Hastings to avoid confusion with the substantive peer Lord Hastings. The Earl Castle Stewart
's heir uses the style Viscount Stewart in order to avoid confusion with the Lord Stewart, eldest son of the Viscount Castlereagh, eldest son of the Marquess of Londonderry
. The Earl and the Marquess are both scions of the House of Stewart.
prefix of "(The) Lord" before the name. This is granted to younger sons of Dukes and Marquesses. The courtesy title is added before the person's name, as in the example of Lord Randolph Churchill
. The title persists after the death of the holder's father, but it may not be inherited by his children. The wife of the holder is entitled to her own courtesy title, which takes the form of "(The) Lady", followed by her husband's name, as in the example of Lady Randolph Churchill. The holder is addressed as "Lord Randolph" and his wife as "Lady Randolph".
prefix of "(The) Lady" is used for the daughters of Dukes, Marquesses and Earls. The courtesy title is added before the person's name, as in the example The Lady Diana Spencer
. The title persists after the death of the holder's father but it is not inherited by her children. The husband of the holder is not entitled to a courtesy title. The holder is addressed as "Lady Diana".
s and Baron
s are granted the courtesy title of "The Honourable
" before their name. This is usually abbreviated to "The Hon." The title persists after the death of the holder's father, but it may not be inherited by the holder's children.
If a woman marries an Honourable, and holds no higher title, she will become "The Honourable Mrs husband's first name husband's last name." If a woman marries a Lord, she will become "(The) Lady husband's first name husband's last name." In case of a divorce, she will keep the same style as during her marriage, or she may choose to assume the style "Mrs. first name husband's last name." Regardless of what she chooses, she loses all precedence she attained from marriage. Because of the former option, there can be multiple Lady John Smiths.
fashion). When this happens, the relatives in the direct line to the new peer may be allowed to use courtesy titles appropriate to their relationship to that peer or prior heirs.
For instance, Rupert Ponsonby, 7th Baron de Mauley
, succeeded his uncle in 2002. His brother Ashley had no title, as their father was only an Honourable and was never actually Baron de Mauley. However, in 2003, Ashley was granted, by Warrant of Precedence from Queen Elizabeth II
, the style and precedence that would have been his had his father survived to inherit the barony, becoming The Honourable Ashley Ponsonby. Precedence in such circumstances is usually granted but is not automatic.
In contrast, the wife of a substantive peer is legally entitled to the privileges of peerage: she is said to have a "life estate" in her husband's dignity. Thus a duke's wife is titled a "duchess", a marquess's wife a "marchioness
", an earl's wife a "countess", a viscount's wife a "viscountess" and a baron's wife a "baron
ess". Despite being referred to as a "peeress", she is not a peer "in her own right": this is a 'style' and not a substantive title. However, this is considered a legal title, unlike the social titles of a peer's children.
It is also possible for a woman to be a substantive peer in her own right, by succession or by first creation (i.e. ennoblement, most commonly in recent times under the Life Peerages Act 1958
). Her children use courtesy titles according to her rank, as with the children of male peers, but her husband receives no special distinction. Thus the husband of Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone
is called Peter Bottomley
and has no courtesy title.
" in her style, i.e. "The Most Hon. The Marchioness of London" becomes "The Most Hon. The Dowager Marchioness of London."
If a widowed peeress's son predeceases her, her daughter-in-law does not use the title of Dowager, but is styled, e.g. "The Most Hon. Mary, Marchioness of London", until her mother-in-law dies, at which point she may use the title of Dowager. In more recent times, due to negative connotations of the word "Dowager," some widows choose to be styled with their Christian names, instead of as Dowager, but with the first name first, e.g. "Olave, Lady Baden-Powell". "Lady Olave Baden-Powell" would imply she were the daughter of a duke, marquess or earl.
However, it used to be customary for women with higher titles from one marriage to retain them even on subsequent remarriage. As Lord Macnaughten put it in the case of Earl Cowley v Countess Cowley [1901] AC 450: "...everybody knows that it is a very common practice for peeresses (not being peeresses in their own right) after marrying commoners to retain the title lost by such marriage. It is not a matter of right. It is merely a matter of courtesy, and allowed by the usages of society." The divorce court, in the above case, granted the earl an injunction preventing his wife from using his title; however this was overturned by the Court of Appeal
, whose decision was confirmed by the House of Lords
, on the grounds that ordinary courts of law lacked any jurisdiction in matters of honour.
The same practice was followed by widows who remarried. A prominent example was Catherine Parr
, the last wife of Henry VIII
, who continued to be known as Queen even after her marriage to Lord Seymour of Sudeley (and, indeed, she disputed precedence with the wife of her brother-in-law the Duke of Somerset on this basis).
This usage died out later in the twentieth century, and women who remarry now ordinarily take a new married name and do not retain their former title.
of a Laird (Lord) and is placed at the end of his or her name (example - Mr John Smith of Edinburgh, Younger). The wife of a Younger may herself place the title at the end of her name. The holder is addressed as the younger (example - The Younger of Edinburgh).
she may either hold the title "Younger" or the title "Maid". The title is customary and not automatically given. The title is placed at the end of the name (example - Miss Ali Joy, Maid of Newcastle). The holder is addressed as "The Maid of [Lairdship]".
, his or her partner is not entitled to a courtesy title.
that results from being the wife or child of a peer, even though the styles of the latter are merely social. The wives of peers are peeresses and rank exactly the same as peeresses in their own right.
Children of peers can outrank certain actual peers. For instance, the daughter of a Duke outranks a Countess. However, if the daughter of a Duke marries an Earl, she actually drops to the rank of Countess. But, if that same daughter marries a commoner, she retains her rank. If that daughter marries the eldest son of an Earl, though he may be a courtesy peer, she may keep her rank until the son inherits the Earldom, when she must drop to the rank of Countess.
, the first Justices of that Court held life peerages, and continued to hold them. However, the Government has announced that future appointees will not be created peers, and the first non-peer appointed to the Court was Sir John Dyson. In order to avoid any distinction between the Justices of the Court, by Royal Warrant all Justices of the Supreme Court not holding a peerage are styled as if they were life peers, and retain the style for life. Thus, Sir John Dyson is now styled as Lord Dyson. Wives of male justices not holding a peerage are styled as if they were wives of peers.
In Scotland, Senators of the College of Justice (judges who sit in the Court of Session
) use the title Lord or Lady along with a surname or a territorial name. All Senators of the College have the honorific, The Honourable, before their titles, while those who are also Privy Counsellors or peers have the honorific, The Right Honourable. Senators are made Privy Counsellors upon promotion to the Inner Court. For example, Alastair Campbell
is known as The Honourable Lord Bracadale, whilst Ronald Mackay
is known as The Right Honourable Lord Eassie. Some Senators also hold peerage titles, such as The Lady Clark of Calton
, and these would be used in place of judicial titles.
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer
Peerage (disambiguation)
Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom.Peerage may also refer to:* Peerage Act 1963* Jacobite Peerage* Hereditary peer* Life Peer- British Isles :* Peerage of England** Welsh peers* Peerage of Ireland...
. These styles
Style (manner of address)
A style of office, or honorific, is a legal, official, or recognized title. A style, by tradition or law, precedes a reference to a person who holds a post or political office, and is sometimes used to refer to the office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal...
are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles. There are several different kinds of courtesy titles in the British peerage.
Courtesy peers
If a peer of one of the top three ranks (a dukeDuke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
, marquess
Marquess
A marquess or marquis is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The term is also used to translate equivalent oriental styles, as in imperial China, Japan, and Vietnam...
or earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
) has more than one title, his eldest son, not himself an actual peer, may use one of his father's lesser titles 'by courtesy'. However, the father continues to be the substantive holder of the peerage title and the son using the peerage by courtesy legally remains a commoner. If the eldest son of a duke or marquess has an eldest son, he may use a still lower title if one exists.
For example, the Duke of Norfolk
Duke of Norfolk
The Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
is also the Earl of Arundel
Earl of Arundel
The title Earl of Arundel is the oldest extant Earldom and perhaps the oldest extant title in the Peerage of England. It is currently held by the Duke of Norfolk, and is used by his heir apparent as a courtesy title. It was created in 1138 for the Norman baron Sir William d'Aubigny...
and the Lord Maltravers
Baron Maltravers
The title Baron Mautravers or Baron Maltravers was created in the Peerage of England on 25 January 1330, by writ of summons, for John Mautravers or Maltravers. It went into abeyance on his death in 1364; this was terminated by the death of his granddaughter Joan Mautravers without issue c. 1383,...
. His eldest son is therefore styled Earl of Arundel. Lord Arundel's eldest son (should he have one during his father's lifetime) would be styled Lord Maltravers. However, only the Duke of Norfolk is actually a peer; his son Lord Arundel and his hypothetical grandson Lord Maltravers remain commoners.
Courtesy peerages are only used by the peer's eldest living son, and the eldest son's eldest living son, and so forth. Other descendants are not permitted to use the peer's subsidiary title
Subsidiary title
A subsidiary title is an hereditary title held by a royal or a noble but which is not regularly used to identify that person.For example, the Duke of Norfolk is also the Earl of Arundel, the Earl of Surrey, the Earl of Norfolk, the Baron Beaumont, the Baron Maltravers, the Baron FitzAlan, the Baron...
s. Only the Heir Apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
(and Heir Apparent to the Heir Apparent and so on) can use the titles. An Heir Presumptive
Heir Presumptive
An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
(e.g. a brother, nephew, or cousin) does not use a courtesy title. However, Scottish practice allows the style Master/Mistress
Master (Peerage of Scotland)
The heir-apparent or heir presumptive to a Scottish peerage is known as a Master, or Mistress if the heir is female.The heir's style is The Master of [Peerage] or The Mistress of [Peerage]. If the master is an heir-apparent, and the peerage has subsidiary titles that could be used as a courtesy...
of X to an heir presumptive as well as to an heir apparent; for example, the brother of the present Marquess of Tweeddale
Marquess of Tweeddale
Marquess of Tweeddale is a title of the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1694 for the 2nd Earl of Tweeddale. Lord Tweeddale holds the subsidiary titles of Earl of Tweeddale , Earl of Gifford , Viscount of Walden , Lord Hay of Yester , and Baron Tweeddale, of Yester in the County of Haddington...
has the title Master of Tweeddale.
The wives of courtesy peers are also entitled to courtesy titles, which are the female equivalents of their husbands' titles. Thus, the wife of an Earl of Arundel would be styled Countess of Arundel.
Authorities differ on whether the holders of courtesy peerages should have their title preceded by the definite article ("The"), i.e. whether they should be styled "The Earl of Arundel" or simply "Earl of Arundel".
Choosing a courtesy peer's title
The actual courtesy title which is used is a matter of family tradition. For instance, the eldest son of the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry is styled Earl of Dalkeith, even though the Duke is also the Marquess of Dumfriesshire, a title which outranks the Earldom. Similarly, the eldest son of the Marquess of LondonderryMarquess of Londonderry
Marquess of Londonderry is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1816 for Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Londonderry. He had earlier represented County Down in the Irish House of Commons. Stewart had already been created Baron Londonderry in 1789, Viscount Castlereagh in 1795 and Earl...
is styled Viscount Castlereagh, even though the Marquess is also the Earl Vane.
Titles with the same name as a peer's main title are also not used as courtesy titles. For instance, the Duke of Westminster
Duke of Westminster
The title Duke of Westminster was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster. The current holder of the title is Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster....
is also the Marquess of Westminster and the Earl Grosvenor (amongst other titles). The Duke's eldest son is not styled Marquess of Westminster (which would cause confusion between the son and the father), and so is styled Earl Grosvenor instead. The title used does not have to be exactly equivalent to the actual peerage: the eldest son of the current Duke of Wellington is styled Marquess of Douro, although the actual peerage possessed by his father is Marquess Douro (not of Douro).
If a peer of the rank of Earl or above does not have any subsidiary titles of a name different from his main title, his eldest son usually uses an invented courtesy title of "Lord Surname". For instance, the eldest son of the Earl of Devon
Earl of Devon
The title of Earl of Devon was created several times in the Peerage of England, and was possessed first by the de Redvers family, and later by the Courtenays...
is styled Lord Courtenay, even though the Earl has no barony of that name, and similarly the eldest son of the Earl of Guilford
Earl of Guilford
Earl of Guilford is a title that has been created three times in British history. The title was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1660 for Elizabeth Boyle. She was the daughter of William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh, and the widow of Lewis Boyle, 1st Viscount Boyle of...
is styled Lord North. The eldest son of the Earl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The title is associated with the ruling house of Scotland, and latterly with the Hastings family.-Early history:...
, who has no subsidiary titles, is styled Viscount Hastings to avoid confusion with the substantive peer Lord Hastings. The Earl Castle Stewart
Earl Castle Stewart
Earl Castle Stewart, in the County of Tyrone, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1800 for Andrew Stuart, 1st Viscount Castle Stuart. The Stewart family descends from Sir Walter Stewart , younger son of Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany, son of Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of...
's heir uses the style Viscount Stewart in order to avoid confusion with the Lord Stewart, eldest son of the Viscount Castlereagh, eldest son of the Marquess of Londonderry
Marquess of Londonderry
Marquess of Londonderry is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1816 for Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Londonderry. He had earlier represented County Down in the Irish House of Commons. Stewart had already been created Baron Londonderry in 1789, Viscount Castlereagh in 1795 and Earl...
. The Earl and the Marquess are both scions of the House of Stewart.
Courtesy prefix of "Lord"
Another form of courtesy title is the honorificHonorific
An honorific is a word or expression with connotations conveying esteem or respect when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term is used not quite correctly to refer to an honorary title...
prefix of "(The) Lord" before the name. This is granted to younger sons of Dukes and Marquesses. The courtesy title is added before the person's name, as in the example of Lord Randolph Churchill
Lord Randolph Churchill
Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill MP was a British statesman. He was the third son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough and his wife Lady Frances Anne Emily Vane , daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry...
. The title persists after the death of the holder's father, but it may not be inherited by his children. The wife of the holder is entitled to her own courtesy title, which takes the form of "(The) Lady", followed by her husband's name, as in the example of Lady Randolph Churchill. The holder is addressed as "Lord Randolph" and his wife as "Lady Randolph".
Courtesy prefix of "Lady"
The honorificHonorific
An honorific is a word or expression with connotations conveying esteem or respect when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term is used not quite correctly to refer to an honorary title...
prefix of "(The) Lady" is used for the daughters of Dukes, Marquesses and Earls. The courtesy title is added before the person's name, as in the example The Lady Diana Spencer
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
. The title persists after the death of the holder's father but it is not inherited by her children. The husband of the holder is not entitled to a courtesy title. The holder is addressed as "Lady Diana".
Courtesy prefix of "The Honourable"
The younger sons of earls, along with the sons and daughters of ViscountViscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
s and Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
s are granted the courtesy title of "The Honourable
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
" before their name. This is usually abbreviated to "The Hon." The title persists after the death of the holder's father, but it may not be inherited by the holder's children.
Married daughters
The daughter of a duke, marquess, or earl who marries a commoner becomes "(The) Lady first name husband's last name". The daughter of a viscount or baron who marries a commoner becomes "The Honourable Mrs husband's last name". If she marries a peer, she gains the courtesy title as that peer's wife.If a woman marries an Honourable, and holds no higher title, she will become "The Honourable Mrs husband's first name husband's last name." If a woman marries a Lord, she will become "(The) Lady husband's first name husband's last name." In case of a divorce, she will keep the same style as during her marriage, or she may choose to assume the style "Mrs. first name husband's last name." Regardless of what she chooses, she loses all precedence she attained from marriage. Because of the former option, there can be multiple Lady John Smiths.
Adopted children
Until 2004 adopted children of peers had no right to any courtesy title. Pursuant to a Royal Warrant dated 30 April 2004, adopted children are now automatically entitled to the same styles and courtesy titles as their siblings. However, like legitimated children, they cannot inherit peerages from an adopting parent (and so, as they cannot be heirs apparent, adopted sons may only use the styles of younger sons). [Note - Scottish peerages' rules of descent differ.]| Peer | Wife | Eldest Son | Younger Son | Unmarried Daughter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | Duchess | Father's Subsidiary Title | (The) Lord Firstname Lastname | (The) Lady Firstname Lastname |
| Marquess | Marchioness | Father's Subsidiary Title | (The) Lord Firstname Lastname | (The) Lady Firstname Lastname |
| Earl | Countess | Father's Subsidiary Title | The Honourable Firstname Lastname | (The) Lady Firstname Lastname |
| Viscount | Viscountess | The Honourable Firstname Lastname | The Honourable Firstname Lastname | The Honourable Firstname Lastname |
| Baron | Baroness | The Honourable Firstname Lastname | The Honourable Firstname Lastname | The Honourable Firstname Lastname |
Indirect inheritance
Occasionally a peer has inherited the title upon the death of a relative who is not one of his parents. (Some say it is incorrect in this case to say the title is inherited from the relative, merely on the death of the relative — since when a peer has no direct descendants, the peerage moves to the second heir of the previous holder (or his heirs), failing that to the second heir of the holder before that (or his heirs), and so in a recursiveRecursion
Recursion is the process of repeating items in a self-similar way. For instance, when the surfaces of two mirrors are exactly parallel with each other the nested images that occur are a form of infinite recursion. The term has a variety of meanings specific to a variety of disciplines ranging from...
fashion). When this happens, the relatives in the direct line to the new peer may be allowed to use courtesy titles appropriate to their relationship to that peer or prior heirs.
For instance, Rupert Ponsonby, 7th Baron de Mauley
Rupert Ponsonby, 7th Baron de Mauley
Rupert Charles Ponsonby, 7th Baron de Mauley TD FCA is a British hereditary peer, Government whip and retired Territorial Army officer.-Education:...
, succeeded his uncle in 2002. His brother Ashley had no title, as their father was only an Honourable and was never actually Baron de Mauley. However, in 2003, Ashley was granted, by Warrant of Precedence from Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, the style and precedence that would have been his had his father survived to inherit the barony, becoming The Honourable Ashley Ponsonby. Precedence in such circumstances is usually granted but is not automatic.
The wives of peers
The wives of courtesy peers hold their titles on the same basis as their husbands, i.e. by courtesy. Thus the wife of Marquess of Douro is known as Marchioness of Douro.In contrast, the wife of a substantive peer is legally entitled to the privileges of peerage: she is said to have a "life estate" in her husband's dignity. Thus a duke's wife is titled a "duchess", a marquess's wife a "marchioness
Marchioness
Marchioness could refer to:*A noblewoman with the rank of Marquess, or the wife of a Marquess.*The Marchioness, a pleasure boat that was sunk on the River Thames in 1989....
", an earl's wife a "countess", a viscount's wife a "viscountess" and a baron's wife a "baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
ess". Despite being referred to as a "peeress", she is not a peer "in her own right": this is a 'style' and not a substantive title. However, this is considered a legal title, unlike the social titles of a peer's children.
It is also possible for a woman to be a substantive peer in her own right, by succession or by first creation (i.e. ennoblement, most commonly in recent times under the Life Peerages Act 1958
Life Peerages Act 1958
The Life Peerages Act 1958 established the modern standards for the creation of life peers by the monarch of the United Kingdom. Life peers are barons and are members of the House of Lords for life, but their titles and membership in the Lords are not inherited by their children. Judicial life...
). Her children use courtesy titles according to her rank, as with the children of male peers, but her husband receives no special distinction. Thus the husband of Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone
Virginia Bottomley
Virginia Bottomley, Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone, PC, DL is a British Conservative Party politician. She was a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons from 1984 to 2005. She was raised to the peerage in 2005...
is called Peter Bottomley
Peter Bottomley
Sir Peter James Bottomley is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Worthing West...
and has no courtesy title.
Divorced wives
A peeress loses her legal right to the peerage style following divorce. A convention has developed whereby her Christian name is added in front of her former title to distinguish her from subsequent wives of her husband. Hence, "Her Grace The Duchess of London" becomes "Mary, Duchess of London". She is not entitled to the use of the address "Your Grace" but again by convention, she may be addressed as "Duchess" or "Your Grace". "The Rt Hon. The Lady London" becomes "Mary, Lady London" and may be addressed as "Lady London," or "My Lady".Widows
If a peer dies, his wife's style does not change unless the new peer is a married man (or a woman, if the succession permits); traditionally the widowed peeress puts "DowagerDowager
A dowager is a widow who holds a title or property, or dower, derived from her deceased husband. As an adjective, "Dowager" usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles....
" in her style, i.e. "The Most Hon. The Marchioness of London" becomes "The Most Hon. The Dowager Marchioness of London."
If a widowed peeress's son predeceases her, her daughter-in-law does not use the title of Dowager, but is styled, e.g. "The Most Hon. Mary, Marchioness of London", until her mother-in-law dies, at which point she may use the title of Dowager. In more recent times, due to negative connotations of the word "Dowager," some widows choose to be styled with their Christian names, instead of as Dowager, but with the first name first, e.g. "Olave, Lady Baden-Powell". "Lady Olave Baden-Powell" would imply she were the daughter of a duke, marquess or earl.
Divorced wives and widows who remarry
A divorced peeress's legal right to the title and dignities of peerage ends if she subsequently marries a commoner.However, it used to be customary for women with higher titles from one marriage to retain them even on subsequent remarriage. As Lord Macnaughten put it in the case of Earl Cowley v Countess Cowley [1901] AC 450: "...everybody knows that it is a very common practice for peeresses (not being peeresses in their own right) after marrying commoners to retain the title lost by such marriage. It is not a matter of right. It is merely a matter of courtesy, and allowed by the usages of society." The divorce court, in the above case, granted the earl an injunction preventing his wife from using his title; however this was overturned by the Court of Appeal
Court of Appeal of England and Wales
The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is the second most senior court in the English legal system, with only the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom above it...
, whose decision was confirmed by the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, on the grounds that ordinary courts of law lacked any jurisdiction in matters of honour.
The same practice was followed by widows who remarried. A prominent example was Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
, the last wife of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, who continued to be known as Queen even after her marriage to Lord Seymour of Sudeley (and, indeed, she disputed precedence with the wife of her brother-in-law the Duke of Somerset on this basis).
This usage died out later in the twentieth century, and women who remarry now ordinarily take a new married name and do not retain their former title.
Courtesy prefix of "Younger"
A form of courtesy title granted is the prefix of "Younger" at the end of the name. This title is granted to the Heir ApparentHeir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
of a Laird (Lord) and is placed at the end of his or her name (example - Mr John Smith of Edinburgh, Younger). The wife of a Younger may herself place the title at the end of her name. The holder is addressed as the younger (example - The Younger of Edinburgh).
Courtesy prefix of "Maid"
The courtesy prefix of "Maid" is granted to the eldest daughter of a Laird (Lord). If the eldest daughter is also the heir presumptiveHeir Presumptive
An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
she may either hold the title "Younger" or the title "Maid". The title is customary and not automatically given. The title is placed at the end of the name (example - Miss Ali Joy, Maid of Newcastle). The holder is addressed as "The Maid of [Lairdship]".
Civil partners
If a peer or knight enters into a civil partnershipCivil partnerships in the United Kingdom
Civil partnerships in the United Kingdom, granted under the Civil Partnership Act 2004, give same-sex couples rights and responsibilities identical to civil marriage...
, his or her partner is not entitled to a courtesy title.
Precedence status of courtesy titles
The courtesy titles of children of peers are social, not legal. For this reason, in official documents, Lord John Smith is often referred to as John Smith, Esq., commonly called Lord John Smith; The Hon. Mrs. Smith would be called Mary Jane, Mrs. Smith, commonly called The Hon. Mary Jane Smith. However, there is legal precedenceUnited Kingdom order of precedence
The Order of precedence in the United Kingdom is the sequential hierarchy for nobility, clergy and holders of the various Orders of Chivalry in the constituent countries of the United Kingdom:* England and Wales* Scotland* Northern Ireland...
that results from being the wife or child of a peer, even though the styles of the latter are merely social. The wives of peers are peeresses and rank exactly the same as peeresses in their own right.
Children of peers can outrank certain actual peers. For instance, the daughter of a Duke outranks a Countess. However, if the daughter of a Duke marries an Earl, she actually drops to the rank of Countess. But, if that same daughter marries a commoner, she retains her rank. If that daughter marries the eldest son of an Earl, though he may be a courtesy peer, she may keep her rank until the son inherits the Earldom, when she must drop to the rank of Countess.
Judicial courtesy titles
Following the creation of the Supreme Court of the United KingdomSupreme Court of the United Kingdom
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the supreme court in all matters under English law, Northern Ireland law and Scottish civil law. It is the court of last resort and highest appellate court in the United Kingdom; however the High Court of Justiciary remains the supreme court for criminal...
, the first Justices of that Court held life peerages, and continued to hold them. However, the Government has announced that future appointees will not be created peers, and the first non-peer appointed to the Court was Sir John Dyson. In order to avoid any distinction between the Justices of the Court, by Royal Warrant all Justices of the Supreme Court not holding a peerage are styled as if they were life peers, and retain the style for life. Thus, Sir John Dyson is now styled as Lord Dyson. Wives of male justices not holding a peerage are styled as if they were wives of peers.
In Scotland, Senators of the College of Justice (judges who sit in the Court of Session
Court of Session
The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland, and constitutes part of the College of Justice. It sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh and is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal....
) use the title Lord or Lady along with a surname or a territorial name. All Senators of the College have the honorific, The Honourable, before their titles, while those who are also Privy Counsellors or peers have the honorific, The Right Honourable. Senators are made Privy Counsellors upon promotion to the Inner Court. For example, Alastair Campbell
Alastair Campbell, Lord Bracadale
Alastair Peter Campbell, Lord Bracadale, QC is a Scottish advocate and Senator of the College of Justice.-Early life:Campbell was born on 18 September 1949 in Skye, Scotland, to Rev. Donald Campbell and Margaret Campbell, although his family moved to Edinburgh when he was just two years old, where...
is known as The Honourable Lord Bracadale, whilst Ronald Mackay
Ronald Mackay, Lord Eassie
Ronald David Mackay, Lord Eassie is a Scottish lawyer and judge of the country's Supreme Courts, sitting in the Inner House of the Court of Session.-Education:...
is known as The Right Honourable Lord Eassie. Some Senators also hold peerage titles, such as The Lady Clark of Calton
Lynda Clark, Baroness Clark of Calton
Lynda Margaret Clark, Baroness Clark of Calton, QC is a Scottish judge. She was formerly the Labour Member of Parliament for Edinburgh Pentlands...
, and these would be used in place of judicial titles.
See also
- List of courtesy titles in the Peerages of the British Isles
- Forms of address in the United KingdomForms of Address in the United KingdomForms of address used in the United Kingdom are given below.Several terms have been abbreviated in the table below. The forms used in the table are given first, followed by alternative acceptable abbreviations in parentheses.-Abbreviations:*His/Her Majesty: HM...