The Right Honourable
Encyclopedia
The Right Honourable is an honorific
prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom
, Canada
, Australia
, New Zealand
, the Anglophone Caribbean
and other Commonwealth Realms, and occasionally elsewhere. Examples of this are The Right Honourable David Cameron
PC
MP, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
, The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
PC
MP, Prime Minister of Canada
, and The Right Honourable John Key
MP, Prime Minister of New Zealand
.
In addition, some people are entitled to the prefix in an official capacity, i.e. the prefix is added to the name of the office, not the name of the person:
See also the collective use of "Most Honourable," as in "The Lords of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council" (the Privy Council
).
was otherwise referred to simply as "Miss Widdecombe" before she left parliament at the 2010 election.
In the House of Commons
, Members of Parliament refer to each other as "the honourable member for ... (then constituency)..." or "the right honourable member for ..." depending on whether or not they are Privy Counsellors. Members usually refer to those in their own party as, "My (right) honourable friend", and to those in opposition parties as "the (right) honourable lady / gentleman".
When a married woman holds the honorific, she uses her own given name in the style. For example, when future Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
was sworn of the Privy Council on her appointment as Secretary of State for Education and Science in 1970, her formal style changed from "Mrs Denis Thatcher, MP" to "The Rt Hon. Margaret Thatcher, MP PC".
unless they are appointed to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, in which case they are The Right Honourable. Such persons generally include Prime Ministers and judges of the Court of Appeal of New Zealand
, and several other Commonwealth prime ministers.
some Premiers of the Australian colonies in the 19th century were appointed members of the UK Privy Council and were thus entitled to be called The Right Honourable. After Federation in 1901, the Governor-General
, the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia
, the Prime Minister
and some other senior ministers held the title. There has never been an Australian Privy Council.
In 1972 Labor
Prime Minister Gough Whitlam
declined appointment to the Privy Council, but the practice was resumed by Malcolm Fraser
in 1975. In 1983 Bob Hawke
declined the appointment, and the appointment of Australians to the Privy Council was abolished
in 1986. The last Governor-General to be entitled to the style was Sir Ninian Stephen
. The last politician to be entitled to the style was Ian Sinclair
, who retired in 1998.
The only living Australians holding the title The Right Honourable for life are:
The Lord Mayors of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Hobart are styled The Right Honourable, but the style (which has no connection with the Privy Council) attaches to the title of Lord Mayor, and not to their names, and is relinquished upon leaving office. Reginald Withers holds the title Right Honourable for life by virtue of being a member of the Privy Council, not by virtue of being former Lord Mayor of Perth.
receive the honorific The Honourable, with only the occupants of the most senior public offices being made The Right Honourable, as they used to be appointed to the UK Privy Council.
L'Honorable and le Très Honorable are used in French
by the federal government, but the Office québécois de la langue française
(the Quebec
government body setting standards for the French language in Quebec) considers them improper loan expressions and advises the use of Monsieur and Madame (Mr. and Ms.) instead.
Individuals who hold, or have held, the following offices are awarded the style The Right Honourable for life:
(Governors General also use the style His/Her Excellency
during their term of office.)
Before the style Right Honourable came into use for all prime ministers, three prime ministers did not have the style as they were not UK Privy Counsellors. These were the Hon Alexander Mackenzie
, the Hon. Sir John Abbott
and the Hon. Sir Mackenzie Bowell
.
Several prominent Canadians (mostly politicians) have become members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
and have thus been entitled to use the title Right Honourable, either because of their services in Britain (e.g. serving as envoys to London) or as members of the Imperial War Cabinet
or due to their prominence in the Canadian Cabinet. These include:
1 As Prime Minister.
2 Tupper was appointed when he was no longer Prime Minister and St. Laurent was appointed when he was a cabinet minister under Mackenzie King.
3 Massey became Governor General over a decade later. He was made "Right Honourable" while serving as Canada's High Commissioner
to London.
4 As Chief Justice of Canada
5 As Governor General of Canada
6 Duff did not become Chief Justice until 1933
Canadian appointments to the British Privy Council were ended by the government of Lester Pearson. Since then, the style may be granted for life only by the Governor General to eminent Canadians who have not held any of the offices that would otherwise entitle them to the style. It has been granted to the following individuals:
were entitled to be addressed as The Right Honourable until the Privy Council was abolished with the creation of the Irish Free State
in 1922; nevertheless, the Lord Mayor of Dublin
, like his counterparts in the United Kingdom, retained the usage of the honorific after this time as a result of a separate conferring of the title by law; in 2001 the honorific was removed as a consequence of local government
law reform.
, the Prime Minister
and some other senior cabinet ministers have customarily been appointed to the UK Privy Council and styled The Right Honourable. Senior Judges are also often appointed as Privy Counsellors.
The former Prime Minister Helen Clark
did not recommend any new Privy Counsellors. At present, there are no Privy Counsellors in the New Zealand parliament. Privy Counsellors recently retired include former Prime Minister Helen Clark, the former Speaker of the House, Jonathan Hunt
, and former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley
. Winston Peters
was defeated at the election. In 2009 it was announced that Prime Minister John Key
had decided not to make any further recommendations to the British Prime Minister for appointments to the Council.
However, in August 2010, the Queen of New Zealand announced that, effective immediately, all Governors-General
, Prime Ministers
, Speakers of the House
, and Chief Justices
will be granted the title "The Right Honourable" for life. This change was made due to the practice of appointing New Zealanders to the privy council had ceased. However, this change was not retrospective as all but two of the living remaining holders of the offices granted the honorific had already been appointed to the Privy Council.
The living New Zealanders holding the title The Right Honourable for life as a result of membership of the Privy Council are:
The living New Zealanders holding the title The Right Honourable for life as a result of the 2010 changes:
Honorific
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 that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the Anglophone Caribbean
Anglophone Caribbean
The term Commonwealth Caribbean is used to refer to the independent English-speaking countries of the Caribbean region. Upon a country's full independence from the United Kingdom, Anglophone Caribbean or Commonwealth Caribbean traditionally becomes the preferred sub-regional term as a replacement...
and other Commonwealth Realms, and occasionally elsewhere. Examples of this are The Right Honourable David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
MP, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
PC
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
MP, Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
, and The Right Honourable John Key
John Key
John Phillip Key is the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand, in office since 2008. He has led the New Zealand National Party since 2006....
MP, Prime Minister of New Zealand
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
.
Entitlement
The following people are entitled to the prefix in a personal capacity:- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom and the Privy Council of Northern Ireland.
- Privy Counsellors are appointed for life by the Monarch, on the advice of the Prime Minister. Conventionally, all members of the cabinet (which is technically a committee of the Privy Council) are appointed, as well as some other senior ministers in the government and opposition leaders. The privy council of the day will thus include all current and former members of the Cabinet of the United KingdomCabinet of the United KingdomThe Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
, with the exception of those who have resigned from the Privy Council. The First Ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are also entitled. - In order to differentiate peerPeerageThe Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
s who are Privy Counsellors from those who are not, sometimes the suffixPost-nominal lettersPost-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles or designatory letters, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of...
PC is added to the title.
- Privy Counsellors are appointed for life by the Monarch, on the advice of the Prime Minister. Conventionally, all members of the cabinet (which is technically a committee of the Privy Council) are appointed, as well as some other senior ministers in the government and opposition leaders. The privy council of the day will thus include all current and former members of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom
- BaronBaronBaron 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 (including life peerLife peerIn the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
s), viscountViscountA 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 earlEarlAn 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...
s, and their wives.- MarquessMarquessA 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...
es are "The Most HonourableThe Most HonourableThe prefix The Most Honourable is a title of quality attached to the names of marquesses in the United Kingdom. Dukes are The Most Noble or His Grace and peers under the rank of marquess are The Right Honourable. Scottish Feudal Barons and Lairds are The Much Honoured.Certain corporate entities...
" and dukeDukeA duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
s are "The Most NobleThe Most NobleThe Most Noble is a shorter more informal form of the following:#The Most Noble Order of the Garter, United Kingdom's oldest and highest order#The Most High, Noble and Potent Prince a form of address for Dukes in the United Kingdom...
" or "His Grace", and, if Privy Counsellors, retain these higher styles. Scottish feudal barons and lairds are "The Much HonouredThe Much HonouredThe Much Honoured is an honorific prefix that is given to Scottish feudal Barons and Lairds in the United Kingdom.-Entitlement:...
".
- Marquess
In addition, some people are entitled to the prefix in an official capacity, i.e. the prefix is added to the name of the office, not the name of the person:
- The Lord MayorLord MayorThe Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.-Commonwealth of Nations:* In Australia it is a political position. Australian cities with Lord Mayors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong...
s of London, CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, BelfastBelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
and YorkYorkYork is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
; and of MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, PerthPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, AdelaideAdelaideAdelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and HobartHobartHobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
; and- The Lord Mayor of Bristol uses the prefix without official sanction.
- The Lord ProvostLord ProvostA Lord Provost is the figurative and ceremonial head of one of the principal cities of Scotland. Four cities, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, have the right to appoint a Lord Provost instead of a provost...
s of EdinburghEdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.- All other Lord Mayors are "The Right WorshipfulWorship (style)His or Her Worship is an honorific prefix for mayors, Justices of the Peace and magistrates in Commonwealth Realms. In spoken address, these officials are addressed as Your Worship or referred to as His or Her Worship; South Africa is an exception, as the term is still used to address judges in...
"; other Lord Provosts do not use an honorific.
- All other Lord Mayors are "The Right Worshipful
- The holders of certain offices in CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
—including the Governor GeneralGovernor General of CanadaThe Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
, Prime MinisterPrime Minister of CanadaThe Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
and Chief JusticeChief Justice of CanadaThe Chief Justice of Canada, like the eight puisne Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, is appointed by the Governor-in-Council . All nine are chosen from either sitting judges or barristers who have at least ten years' standing at the bar of a province or territory...
—and in New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
—including the Governor General, Prime MinisterPrime Minister of New ZealandThe Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
and Speaker of the HouseSpeaker of the New Zealand House of RepresentativesIn New Zealand the Speaker of the House of Representatives is the individual who chairs the country's legislative body, the New Zealand House of Representatives...
. - The Chairman of the London County Council (LCC) was granted the style in 1935 as part of the celebrations of the silver jubileeSilver JubileeA Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, ruling anniversary or anything that has completed a 25 year mark...
of George VGeorge V of the United KingdomGeorge V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
. The Chairman of the Greater London CouncilGreater London CouncilThe Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
, the body that replaced the LCC in 1965, was similarly granted the prefix. The office was abolished in 1986.
Collective entities
"The Right Honourable" is also added as a prefix to the name of various collective entities, e.g.:- The Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal (of the United Kingdom etc.) in Parliament Assembled (the House of LordsHouse of LordsThe 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....
); - The Right Honourable the Knights, Citizens and Burgesses (of the House of Commons / Commons House) in Parliament Assembled (the House of CommonsBritish House of CommonsThe House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
) (archaic—now simply The Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom etc.; and - The Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty (the former Board of AdmiraltyAdmiraltyThe Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
) - The Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of all matters relating to Trade and Foreign Plantations (the Board of TradeBoard of TradeThe Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
)
See also the collective use of "Most Honourable," as in "The Lords of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council" (the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
).
Use of the honorific
The honorific is normally used only on the front of envelopes and other written documents: for example, the Rt Hon. Ann WiddecombeAnn Widdecombe
Ann Noreen Widdecombe is a former British Conservative Party politician and has been a novelist since 2000. She is a Privy Councillor and was the Member of Parliament for Maidstone from 1987 to 1997 and for Maidstone and The Weald from 1997 to 2010. She was a social conservative and a member of...
was otherwise referred to simply as "Miss Widdecombe" before she left parliament at the 2010 election.
In the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
, Members of Parliament refer to each other as "the honourable member for ... (then constituency)..." or "the right honourable member for ..." depending on whether or not they are Privy Counsellors. Members usually refer to those in their own party as, "My (right) honourable friend", and to those in opposition parties as "the (right) honourable lady / gentleman".
When a married woman holds the honorific, she uses her own given name in the style. For example, when future Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
was sworn of the Privy Council on her appointment as Secretary of State for Education and Science in 1970, her formal style changed from "Mrs Denis Thatcher, MP" to "The Rt Hon. Margaret Thatcher, MP PC".
Outside the United Kingdom
Generally within the Commonwealth, ministers and judges are The HonourableThe 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:...
unless they are appointed to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, in which case they are The Right Honourable. Such persons generally include Prime Ministers and judges of the Court of Appeal of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and several other Commonwealth prime ministers.
Australia
In AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
some Premiers of the Australian colonies in the 19th century were appointed members of the UK Privy Council and were thus entitled to be called The Right Honourable. After Federation in 1901, the Governor-General
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
, the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
, the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
and some other senior ministers held the title. There has never been an Australian Privy Council.
In 1972 Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
Prime Minister Gough Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
declined appointment to the Privy Council, but the practice was resumed by Malcolm Fraser
Malcolm Fraser
John Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role...
in 1975. In 1983 Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
declined the appointment, and the appointment of Australians to the Privy Council was abolished
Australia Act 1986
The Australia Act 1986 is the name given to a pair of separate but related pieces of legislation: one an Act of the Commonwealth Parliament of Australia, the other an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
in 1986. The last Governor-General to be entitled to the style was Sir Ninian Stephen
Ninian Stephen
Sir Ninian Martin Stephen, is a retired politician and judge, who served as the 20th Governor-General of Australia and as a Justice in the High Court of Australia.-Early life:...
. The last politician to be entitled to the style was Ian Sinclair
Ian Sinclair
Ian McCahon Sinclair AC , is an Australian politician and former leader of the National Party of Australia.Sinclair was born in Sydney, the son of a suburban accountant. He was educated at Knox Grammar School and at the University of Sydney, where he graduated in arts and law...
, who retired in 1998.
The only living Australians holding the title The Right Honourable for life are:
- Doug AnthonyDoug AnthonyJohn Douglas Anthony, AC, CH , is a former Australian politician. He was leader of the National Party from 1971 to 1984, and Deputy Prime Minister from 1971 to 1972 and again from 1975 to 1983.-Early life:...
, former Deputy Prime Minister - Sir Zelman CowenZelman CowenSir Zelman Cowen, was the 19th Governor-General of Australia. He is currently the oldest living former Governor-General of Australia.-Early life:...
, former Governor-General - Malcolm FraserMalcolm FraserJohn Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role...
, former Prime Minister - Ian SinclairIan SinclairIan McCahon Sinclair AC , is an Australian politician and former leader of the National Party of Australia.Sinclair was born in Sydney, the son of a suburban accountant. He was educated at Knox Grammar School and at the University of Sydney, where he graduated in arts and law...
, former Leader of the National PartyNational Party of AustraliaThe National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
and Speaker of the House of RepresentativesSpeaker of the Australian House of RepresentativesThe Speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Parliament of Australia. The presiding officer in the upper house is the President of the Senate.... - Sir Ninian StephenNinian StephenSir Ninian Martin Stephen, is a retired politician and judge, who served as the 20th Governor-General of Australia and as a Justice in the High Court of Australia.-Early life:...
, former Governor-General - Reginald WithersReg WithersReginald Greive 'Reg' Withers is a former long-serving member of the Australian Senate, a former government minister, and former Lord Mayor of Perth....
, former Senator, Minister, and former Lord Mayor of Perth.
The Lord Mayors of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Hobart are styled The Right Honourable, but the style (which has no connection with the Privy Council) attaches to the title of Lord Mayor, and not to their names, and is relinquished upon leaving office. Reginald Withers holds the title Right Honourable for life by virtue of being a member of the Privy Council, not by virtue of being former Lord Mayor of Perth.
Canada
In Canada, members of the Queen's Privy Council for CanadaQueen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
receive the honorific The Honourable, with only the occupants of the most senior public offices being made The Right Honourable, as they used to be appointed to the UK Privy Council.
L'Honorable and le Très Honorable are used in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
by the federal government, but the Office québécois de la langue française
Office québécois de la langue française
The Office québécois de la langue française is a public organization established on March 24, 1961 by the Liberal government of Jean Lesage...
(the Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
government body setting standards for the French language in Quebec) considers them improper loan expressions and advises the use of Monsieur and Madame (Mr. and Ms.) instead.
Individuals who hold, or have held, the following offices are awarded the style The Right Honourable for life:
- the Governor General of CanadaGovernor General of CanadaThe Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
- the Prime Minister of CanadaPrime Minister of CanadaThe Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
- the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
(Governors General also use the style His/Her Excellency
Excellency
Excellency is an honorific style given to certain members of an organization or state.Usually, people styled "Excellency" are heads of state, heads of government, governors, ambassadors, certain ecclesiastics, royalty, aristocracy, and military, and others holding equivalent rank .It is...
during their term of office.)
Before the style Right Honourable came into use for all prime ministers, three prime ministers did not have the style as they were not UK Privy Counsellors. These were the Hon Alexander Mackenzie
Alexander Mackenzie
Alexander Mackenzie, PC , a building contractor and newspaper editor, was the second Prime Minister of Canada from November 7, 1873 to October 8, 1878.-Biography:...
, the Hon. Sir John Abbott
John Abbott
Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott, PC, KCMG, QC was the third Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the office for seventeen months, from June 16, 1891 to November 24, 1892. - Life and work :...
and the Hon. Sir Mackenzie Bowell
Mackenzie Bowell
Sir Mackenzie Bowell, PC, KCMG was a Canadian politician who served as the fifth Prime Minister of Canada from December 21, 1894 to April 27, 1896.-Early life:Bowell was born in Rickinghall, Suffolk, England to John Bowell and Elizabeth Marshall...
.
Several prominent Canadians (mostly politicians) have become members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
and have thus been entitled to use the title Right Honourable, either because of their services in Britain (e.g. serving as envoys to London) or as members of the Imperial War Cabinet
Imperial War Cabinet
The Imperial War Cabinet was created by British Prime Minister David Lloyd George in the spring of 1917 as a means of co-ordinating the British Empire's military policy during the First World War...
or due to their prominence in the Canadian Cabinet. These include:
- Sir John A. MacdonaldJohn A. MacdonaldSir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
(1879)1 - Sir John Rose (1886)—federal cabinet minister
- Sir John Sparrow David Thompson (1894)1
- Sir Samuel Henry StrongSamuel Henry StrongSir Samuel Henry Strong, PC, QC was a jurist and Chief Justice of Canada.Strong was born in Poole, England to Samuel Spratt Strong and Jane Elizabeth Goose. He emigrated to Upper Canada with his family in 1836 settling in Bytown . He studied law in the office of local Ottawa lawyer Augustus Keefer...
(1897)4 - Sir Wilfrid LaurierWilfrid LaurierSir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
(1897)1 - Sir Richard John CartwrightRichard John CartwrightSir Richard John Cartwright, PC, GCMG, PC was a Canadian businessman and politician. He was born and raised in Kingston, Ontario in a United Empire Loyalist family, the son of Harriet Dobbs Cartwright and the grandson of Richard Cartwright...
(1902)—federal cabinet minister (Minister of FinanceMinister of Finance (Canada)The Minister of Finance is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible each year for presenting the federal government's budget...
) - Sir Henri Elzéar TaschereauHenri Elzéar TaschereauSir Henri-Elzéar Taschereau, PC was a Canadian jurist and Chief Justice of Canada.He was born in his family's seigneurial manor house at Sainte-Marie-de-la-Beauce, Lower Canada to Pierre-Elzéar Taschereau and Catherine Hénédine Dionne. Tashereau attended the Université Laval and was called to the...
(1904)4 - Sir Charles TupperCharles TupperSir Charles Tupper, 1st Baronet, GCMG, CB, PC was a Canadian father of Confederation: as the Premier of Nova Scotia from 1864 to 1867, he led Nova Scotia into Confederation. He later went on to serve as the sixth Prime Minister of Canada, sworn in to office on May 1, 1896, seven days after...
(1907)1 - Sir Charles FitzpatrickCharles FitzpatrickSir Charles Fitzpatrick, PC, GCMG was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He was born in Quebec City, Canada East, to John Fitzpatrick and Mary Connolly....
(1908)4 - Sir Robert Laird Borden (1912)1
- Sir George Eulas FosterGeorge Eulas FosterSir George Eulas Foster, PC, PC, GCMG was a Canadian politician and academic. He coined the phrase "splendid isolation" to describe British foreign policy in the late 19th century....
(1916)—federal cabinet minister (Minister of Trade and Commerce), Senator - Sir Louis Henry DaviesLouis Henry DaviesSir Louis Henry Davies, was a Prince Edward Island lawyer, businessman and politician, the third Premier...
(1919)4 - Sir Lyman Poore DuffLyman Poore DuffSir Lyman Poore Duff, GCMG, PC, QC was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and briefly served as Acting Governor General of Canada in 1931 and 1940....
(1919)6 - Arthur Lewis SiftonArthur Lewis SiftonArthur Lewis Watkins Sifton, PC, KC was a Canadian politician who served as the second Premier of Alberta from 1910 until 1917 and as a minister in the Government of Canada thereafter. Born in Ontario, he grew up there and in Winnipeg, where he became a lawyer...
(1920)—Premier of AlbertaPremier of AlbertaThe Premier of Alberta is the first minister for the Canadian province of Alberta. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. The current Premier of Alberta is Alison Redford. She became Premier by winning the Progressive Conservative leadership elections on... - Arthur MeighenArthur MeighenArthur Meighen, PC, QC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served two terms as the ninth Prime Minister of Canada: from July 10, 1920 to December 29, 1921; and from June 29 to September 25, 1926. He was the first Prime Minister born after Confederation, and the only one to represent a riding...
(1920)1 - Charles DohertyCharles DohertyCharles Joseph Doherty, PC, KC was a Canadian politician and jurist.Born in Montreal, Quebec, the son of Marcus Doherty, a judge of the Supreme Court for the Province of Quebec and Elizabeth Doherty, Doherty was educated at St...
(1920)—federal cabinet minister (Minister of Justice) - Sir William Thomas WhiteWilliam Thomas WhiteSir William Thomas White, KCMG, PC was a Canadian politician and Cabinet minister.-Biography:White worked as a reporter for the Toronto Evening Telegram in 1890, and subsequently worked for Toronto's Assessment Department...
(1920)—federal cabinet minister (Minister of FinanceMinister of Finance (Canada)The Minister of Finance is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible each year for presenting the federal government's budget...
) - William Lyon Mackenzie KingWilliam Lyon Mackenzie KingWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
(1922)1 - William Stevens FieldingWilliam Stevens FieldingWilliam Stevens Fielding, PC was a Canadian Liberal politician, the seventh Premier of Nova Scotia , and the federal finance minister 1896–1911 and 1921–25.-Early life:...
(1923)—federal cabinet minister (Minister of FinanceMinister of Finance (Canada)The Minister of Finance is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible each year for presenting the federal government's budget...
) and Premier of Nova ScotiaPremier of Nova ScotiaThe Premier of Nova Scotia is the first minister for the Canadian province of Nova Scotia who presides over the Executive Council of Nova Scotia. Following the Westminster system, the premier is normally the leader of the political party which has the most seats in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly... - Francis Alexander AnglinFrancis Alexander AnglinFrancis Alexander Anglin PC was Chief Justice of Canada from 1924 until 1933.Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, one of 9 children of Parliamentarian Timothy Anglin, and elder brother to the renowned stage actress, Margaret Anglin, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of...
(1925)4 - Sir William MulockWilliam MulockSir William Mulock, PC, KCMG, MP, QC, LL.D was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, educator, farmer, politician, judge, and philanthropist....
(1925)—federal cabinet minister (Labour and Postmaster General), Chief Justice of Ontario, acting Lieutenant Governor of OntarioLieutenant Governor of OntarioThe Lieutenant Governor of Ontario is the viceregal representative in Ontario of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United... - George Perry GrahamGeorge Perry GrahamGeorge Perry Graham, PC was a journalist, editor and politician in Ontario, Canada.In the 1898 Ontario provincial election, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and re-elected in 1902 and 1905...
(1925)—federal cabinet minister (Defence) and Senator - R.B. Bennett (1930)1
- Sir George Halsey PerleyGeorge Halsey PerleySir George Halsey Perley, KCMG, PC was an American born Canadian politician and diplomat.-Early life:...
(1931)—federal cabinet minister and diplomat - Ernest LapointeErnest LapointeErnest Lapointe, PC was a Canadian lawyer and politician.-Education, early career:Lapointe earned his law degree from Laval University...
(1937)—federal cabinet minister - Vincent MasseyVincent MasseyCharles Vincent Massey was a Canadian lawyer and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada, the 18th since Canadian Confederation....
(1941)3 - Raoul DandurandRaoul DandurandRaoul Dandurand, PC was a Canadian politician and longtime organizer in Quebec for the Liberal Party of Canada....
(1941)—federal cabinet minister - Louis St. LaurentLouis St. LaurentLouis Stephen St. Laurent, PC, CC, QC , was the 12th Prime Minister of Canada from 15 November 1948, to 21 June 1957....
(1946)2 - James Lorimer IlsleyJames Lorimer IlsleyJames Lorimer Ilsley, PC, KC was a Canadian politician and jurist.He was born in Somerset, Nova Scotia, the son of Randel Ilsley and Catherine Caldwell. Ilsley was educated at Acadia University and Dalhousie University and was admitted to the Nova Scotia bar in 1916. In 1919, he married Evelyn Smith...
(1946)—federal cabinet minister and Chief JusticeChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of Nova ScotiaNova Scotia Supreme CourtThe Nova Scotia Supreme Court is a superior court in the province of Nova Scotia.The Court comprises the Chief Justice , the Associate Chief justice, twenty-one judges and six supernumerary Justices, who sit in 18 different locations around the province.-Jurisdiction:As with all superior courts... - Clarence Decatur Howe (1946)—federal cabinet minister
- Ian Alistair MackenzieIan Alistair MackenzieIan Alistair Mackenzie, PC was a Canadian parliamentarian.Born in Assynt, Scotland, Mackenzie entered politics by winning a seat in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 1920 BC election...
(1947)—federal cabinet minister and Senator - James Garfield GardinerJames Garfield GardinerJames Garfield "Jimmy" Gardiner, PC was a Canadian farmer, educator, and politician...
(1947)—federal cabinet minister and Premier of SaskatchewanPremier of SaskatchewanThe Premier of Saskatchewan is the first minister for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive.... - Thibaudeau RinfretThibaudeau RinfretThibaudeau Rinfret, PC was a Canadian jurist and Chief Justice of Canada and acting Governor General of Canada in 1952.-Personal life:...
(1947)4 - John George Diefenbaker (1957)1
- Georges-Philéas Vanier (1963)5
- Lester Bowles Pearson (1963)1
1 As Prime Minister.
2 Tupper was appointed when he was no longer Prime Minister and St. Laurent was appointed when he was a cabinet minister under Mackenzie King.
3 Massey became Governor General over a decade later. He was made "Right Honourable" while serving as Canada's High Commissioner
High Commissioner (Commonwealth)
In the Commonwealth of Nations, a High Commissioner is the senior diplomat in charge of the diplomatic mission of one Commonwealth government to another.-History:...
to London.
4 As Chief Justice of Canada
Chief Justice of Canada
The Chief Justice of Canada, like the eight puisne Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, is appointed by the Governor-in-Council . All nine are chosen from either sitting judges or barristers who have at least ten years' standing at the bar of a province or territory...
5 As Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
6 Duff did not become Chief Justice until 1933
Canadian appointments to the British Privy Council were ended by the government of Lester Pearson. Since then, the style may be granted for life only by the Governor General to eminent Canadians who have not held any of the offices that would otherwise entitle them to the style. It has been granted to the following individuals:
- Paul Joseph James MartinPaul Joseph James MartinJoseph James Guillaume Paul Martin, PC, CC, QC , often referred to as Paul Martin, Sr, was a noted Canadian politician. He was the father of Paul Martin , who served as Prime Minister of Canada from 2003 - 2006.-Early life:Martin was born in Ottawa, Ontario, the son of Lumina and Joseph...
(1992)—cabinet minister - Martial AsselinMartial AsselinMartial Asselin, is a retired Canadian politician and the 25th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec .Born in La Malbaie, Quebec, the son of Ferdinand Asselin and Eugénie Tremblay, he was called to the Quebec Bar in 1951. He was created Queen's Counsel in 1967...
(1992)—federal cabinet minister and Lieutenant Governor of QuebecLieutenant Governor of QuebecThe Lieutenant Governor of Quebec : Lieutenant-gouverneur du Québec, or : Lieutenant-gouverneure du Québec) is the viceregal representative in Quebec of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions... - Ellen FaircloughEllen FaircloughEllen Louks Fairclough, was the first female member of the Canadian Cabinet.Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Fairclough was a chartered accountant by training, and ran an accounting firm prior to entering politics...
(1992)—federal cabinet minister - Jean-Luc PépinJean-Luc PépinJean-Luc Pépin, PC, CC was a Canadian academic, politician and Cabinet minister.Pepin was a political science professor at the University of Ottawa when he was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1963 election as a Liberal Member of Parliament from Quebec.From 1965 to 1972, he...
(1992)—federal cabinet minister - Alvin Hamilton (1992)—federal cabinet minister
- Don MazankowskiDon MazankowskiDonald Frank "Don" Mazankowski, PC, OC, AOE is a Canadian politician who served as a cabinet minister under Prime Ministers Joe Clark and Brian Mulroney. He was also Deputy Prime Minister under Mulroney....
(1992)—federal cabinet minister - Jack PickersgillJack PickersgillJohn Whitney "Jack" Pickersgill, PC, CC was a Canadian civil servant and politician. He was born in Ontario, but was raised in Manitobia. He was the Clerk for the Canadian Government's Privy Council in the early 1950s...
(1992)—federal cabinet minister - Robert StanfieldRobert StanfieldRobert Lorne Stanfield, PC, QC was the 17th Premier of Nova Scotia and leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. He is sometimes referred to as "the greatest prime minister Canada never had", and earned the nickname "Honest Bob"...
(1992)—Opposition Leader, Premier of Nova Scotia - Herb GrayHerb GrayHerbert Eser Gray, is a retired Canadian politician. He was Canada's first Jewish federal cabinet minister, and is one of only a few Canadians ever granted the title The Right Honourable who was not so entitled by virtue of a position held.-Early life:Born in Windsor, Ontario, the son of Harry...
(2002)—federal cabinet minister
Ireland
Members of the Privy Council of IrelandPrivy Council of Ireland
The Privy Council of Ireland was an institution of the Kingdom of Ireland until 31 December 1800 and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1801-1922...
were entitled to be addressed as The Right Honourable until the Privy Council was abolished with the creation of the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
in 1922; nevertheless, the Lord Mayor of Dublin
Lord Mayor of Dublin
The Lord Mayor of Dublin is the honorific title of the Chairman of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The incumbent is Labour Party Councillor Andrew Montague. The office holder is elected annually by the members of the...
, like his counterparts in the United Kingdom, retained the usage of the honorific after this time as a result of a separate conferring of the title by law; in 2001 the honorific was removed as a consequence of local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
law reform.
New Zealand
In New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
and some other senior cabinet ministers have customarily been appointed to the UK Privy Council and styled The Right Honourable. Senior Judges are also often appointed as Privy Counsellors.
The former Prime Minister Helen Clark
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...
did not recommend any new Privy Counsellors. At present, there are no Privy Counsellors in the New Zealand parliament. Privy Counsellors recently retired include former Prime Minister Helen Clark, the former Speaker of the House, Jonathan Hunt
Jonathan Hunt (New Zealand)
Jonathan Lucas Hunt, ONZ is a New Zealand politician, and was New Zealand's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2005 to March 2008. He formerly served as Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives. He is a member of the Labour Party, and was until recently the longest-serving MP...
, and former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley
Jenny Shipley
Dame Jenny Shipley, DNZM , served as the 36th Prime Minister of New Zealand from December 1997 to December 1999, the first woman to hold this office and the first, and to date only, woman to serve as parliamentary leader of the National Party of New Zealand.-Early life:Shipley was born as Jennifer...
. Winston Peters
Winston Peters
Winston Raymond Peters is a New Zealand politician and leader of New Zealand First, a political party he founded in 1993. Peters has had a turbulent political career since entering Parliament in 1978. He served as Minister of Maori Affairs in the Bolger National Party Government before being...
was defeated at the election. In 2009 it was announced that Prime Minister John Key
John Key
John Phillip Key is the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand, in office since 2008. He has led the New Zealand National Party since 2006....
had decided not to make any further recommendations to the British Prime Minister for appointments to the Council.
However, in August 2010, the Queen of New Zealand announced that, effective immediately, all Governors-General
Governor-General of New Zealand
The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
, Prime Ministers
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
, Speakers of the House
Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives
In New Zealand the Speaker of the House of Representatives is the individual who chairs the country's legislative body, the New Zealand House of Representatives...
, and Chief Justices
Chief Justice of New Zealand
The Chief Justice of New Zealand is the head of the New Zealand judiciary, and presides over the Supreme Court of New Zealand. Before the establishment of the latter court in 2004 the Chief Justice was the presiding judge in the High Court of New Zealand and was also ex officio a member of the...
will be granted the title "The Right Honourable" for life. This change was made due to the practice of appointing New Zealanders to the privy council had ceased. However, this change was not retrospective as all but two of the living remaining holders of the offices granted the honorific had already been appointed to the Privy Council.
The living New Zealanders holding the title The Right Honourable for life as a result of membership of the Privy Council are:
- Sir (Arthur) Owen WoodhouseOwen WoodhouseArthur "Owen" Woodhouse, ONZ, KBE, DSC is a New Zealand jurist and chair of government commissions.He was born in Napier and graduated from the University of Auckland with an LL.B. in 1940. During the World War II he served as a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve...
(1974)—court of appeal justice - Sir Brian Edward Talboys (1977)—deputy prime minister
- Sir Ronald Keith DavisonRonald DavisonSir Ronald Keith Davison, GBE, CMG, QC was the tenth Chief Justice of New Zealand from 1978 to 1989.Sir Ronald headed the government inquiry into certain matters related to overseas company taxation, popularly known as the Winebox Inquiry. This involved allegations against a number of parties...
(1978)—chief justice - Sir Ivor Lloyd Morgan Richardson (1978)—court of appeal justice
- Sir Duncan Wallace McMullin (1980)—court of appeal justice
- Sir Geoffrey Winston Russell Palmer (1985)—prime minister
- Robert James Tizard (1985)—deputy prime minister
- Sir (Eugene) Maurice CaseyMaurice CaseyMaurice Casey is British scholar of New Testament and early Christianity. He is currently Emeritus Professor at the University of Nottingham, having served there as Professor of New Testament Languages and Literature at the Department of Theology....
(1986)—court of appeal justice - Sir Gordon Ellis BissonGordon BissonThe Right Honourable Sir Gordon Ellis Bisson, Kt. PC LLB was a Court of Appeal judge and a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom.-Early life and education:...
(1987)—court of appeal justice - Sir (Johann) Thomas EichelbaumThomas EichelbaumSir Johann Thomas Eichelbaum, GBE, QC was the eleventh Chief Justice of New Zealand.-Early life:He was born in Königsberg, Germany, and his family emigrated to Wellington, New Zealand in 1938 to escape the persecution of Jews...
(1989)—chief justice - Jonathan Lucas Hunt (1989)—cabinet minister
- Sir Michael Hardie BoysMichael Hardie Boys-External links:*-References:...
(1989)—governor general - Helen Elizabeth ClarkHelen ClarkHelen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...
(1990)—prime minister - Michael Kenneth Moore (1990)—prime minister
- James Brendan Bolger (1991)—prime minister
- Sir Donald Charles McKinnon (1992)—deputy prime minister
- Sir William Francis Birch (1992)—cabinet minister
- Sir Thomas Munro Gault (1992)—supreme court justice
- Sir Ian Lloyd McKay (1992)—court of appeal justice
- Sir John Steele HenryJohn Henry (New Zealand Justice)Sir John Steele Henry, KNZM, QC, is a New Zealand jurist and former Court of Appeal judge, and member of the well-known Henry Family.The son of former High Court judge, the Hon...
(1996)—court of appeal justice - Sir Edmund Walter Thomas (1996)—supreme court justice
- Dame Jenny ShipleyJenny ShipleyDame Jenny Shipley, DNZM , served as the 36th Prime Minister of New Zealand from December 1997 to December 1999, the first woman to hold this office and the first, and to date only, woman to serve as parliamentary leader of the National Party of New Zealand.-Early life:Shipley was born as Jennifer...
(1998)—prime minister - Winston PetersWinston PetersWinston Raymond Peters is a New Zealand politician and leader of New Zealand First, a political party he founded in 1993. Peters has had a turbulent political career since entering Parliament in 1978. He served as Minister of Maori Affairs in the Bolger National Party Government before being...
(1998)—deputy prime minister - Sir Douglas Arthur Montrose GrahamDoug GrahamSir Douglas Arthur Montrose "Doug" Graham KNZM is a former New Zealand politician. He was an MP from 1984 to 1999, representing the National Party.-Early life:...
(1998)—cabinet minister - Paul Clayton East (1998)—cabinet minister
- Sir Kenneth James KeithKenneth KeithSir Kenneth James Keith, ONZ, KBE, QC is a New Zealand judge appointed to the International Court of Justice in November 2005....
(1998)—court of appeal justice - Sir Peter Blanchard (1998)—supreme court justice
- Sir Andrew Patrick Charles Tipping (1998)—supreme court justice
- Wyatt Beetham Creech (1999)—deputy prime minister
- Dame Sian Seerpoohi Elias (1999)—chief justice
- Simon David UptonSimon UptonSimon David Upton, QSO is a former New Zealand politician and member of Parliament from 1981 to 2001, representing the National Party.-Early life:...
(1999)—cabinet minister
The living New Zealanders holding the title The Right Honourable for life as a result of the 2010 changes:
- Sir Anand SatyanandAnand SatyanandSir Anand Satyanand, GNZM, QSO, KStJ was the 19th Governor-General of New Zealand. He previously worked as a lawyer, judge and ombudsman.-Early life and family:...
(2010)—Governor-General - John KeyJohn KeyJohn Phillip Key is the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand, in office since 2008. He has led the New Zealand National Party since 2006....
(2010)—Prime Minister - Lockwood SmithLockwood SmithAlexander Lockwood Smith is a New Zealand politician, the 28th and current Speaker of the House of Representatives. Smith is a member of the New Zealand National Party, who has served as a Member of Parliament since 1984...
(2010)—Speaker of the House of Representatives
See also
- EminenceHis EminenceHis Eminence is a historical style of reference for high nobility, still in use in various religious contexts.-Catholicism:The style remains in use as the official style or standard of address in reference to a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, reflecting his status as a Prince of the Church.A...
- ExcellencyExcellencyExcellency is an honorific style given to certain members of an organization or state.Usually, people styled "Excellency" are heads of state, heads of government, governors, ambassadors, certain ecclesiastics, royalty, aristocracy, and military, and others holding equivalent rank .It is...
- The HonourableThe HonourableThe 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:...
- The Most HonourableThe Most HonourableThe prefix The Most Honourable is a title of quality attached to the names of marquesses in the United Kingdom. Dukes are The Most Noble or His Grace and peers under the rank of marquess are The Right Honourable. Scottish Feudal Barons and Lairds are The Much Honoured.Certain corporate entities...
- The Much HonouredThe Much HonouredThe Much Honoured is an honorific prefix that is given to Scottish feudal Barons and Lairds in the United Kingdom.-Entitlement:...
- Style (manner of address)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...
- Use of courtesy titles and honorifics in professional writingUse of courtesy titles and honorifics in professional writingThe use of honorifics and styles differs greatly among publications in both journalism and academia. The differences are based on tradition, practical concerns , and cultural norms...