DIRECTIONS FOR ADDRESSING PERSONS OF RANK, &c.
Reading edition
1. In Letters or Conversation. 2. The Directions of Letters.
THE ROYAL FAMILY.
The Queen—
1. Madam; Most Gracious Sovereign; May it please your Majesty.
2. To the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty.
The Sons and Daughters, Brothers and Sisters of Sovereigns—
1. Sir, or Madam, May it please your Royal Highness.
2. To His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.
To Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge.
OTHER BRANCHES OF THE ROYAL FAMILY.
1. Sir, or Madam, May it please your Highness.
2. To His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge; or, To Her Royal Highness the Princess Mary of Teck.
THE NOBILITY.
A Duke, or Duchess—
1. My Lord Duke, or Madam, May it please your Grace.
2. To His Grace the Duke of Bedford; or, To Her Grace the Duchess of Bedford.
A Marquis, or Marchioness—
1. My Lord, or Madam, May it please your Lordship, or, May it please your Ladyship.
2. To the Most Noble the Marquis, or Marchioness, of Westminster.
An Earl or Countess—the same.
To the Right Honourable the Earl, or Countess, of Shrewsbury.
A Viscount or Viscountess—
1. My Lord, or Madam, May it please your Lordship, or, May it please your Ladyship.
2. To the Right Honourable Viscount, or Viscountess, Lifford.
A Baron or Baroness—the same.
To the Right Honourable, the Lord Wensleydale, or The Lady St. John.
The widow of a Nobleman is addressed in the same style, with the introduction of the word Dowager in the Superscription of her letters.
To the Right Hon. the Dowager Countess of Chesterfield.
The Sons of Dukes and Marquises, and the eldest Sons of Earls, have, by courtesy, the titles of Lord and Right Honourable; and all the Daughters have those of a Lady and Right Honourable.
The younger Sons of Earls, and the Sons and Daughters of Viscounts and Barons, are styled Honourable.
OFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE STATE.
A Member of Her Majesty's Most Hon. Privy Council—
1. Sir, or My Lord, Right Honourable Sir, or My Lord, as the case may require.
2. To the Right Honourable ——,[1] Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
AMBASSADORS AND GOVERNORS UNDER HER MAJESTY.
1. Sir, or My Lord, as the case may be; May it please your Excellency.
2. To his Excellency the French (or other) Ambassador.
3. To his Excellency ——,[2] Lieutenant General, and General Governor of that part of the United Kingdom called Ireland.
JUDGES.
1. My Lord, May it please your Lordship.
2. To the Right Honourable ——, Lord Chief Justice of England.
The Lord Mayor of London, York, or Dublin, and the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, during office—the same.
1. My Lord, May it please your Lordship.
2. To the Right Honourable ——, Lord Mayor of London. To the Right Honourable ——, Lord Provost of Edinburgh.
The Lord Provost of every other town in Scotland is styled Honourable.
The Mayors of all Corporations (excepting the preceding Lord Mayors), and the Sheriffs, Aldermen, and the Recorder of London, are addressed Right Worshipful; and the Aldermen and Recorders of other Corporations, and the Justices of the Peace, Worshipful.
THE PARLIAMENT.
House of Peers—
1. My Lords, May it please your Lordships.
2. To the Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in Parliament assembled.
House of Commons—
1. May it please your Honourable House.
2. To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
The Speaker of the House of Commons—
1. Sir, or Mr. Speaker.
2. To the Right Honourable ——, the Speaker of the House of Commons.
A Member of the House of Commons not ennobled—
1. Sir.
2. To Thomas Hughes, Esq., M.P.
THE CLERGY.
An Archbishop—
1. My Lord, May it please your Grace.
2. To his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury; or, To the Most Reverend Father in God, ——,[3] Lord Archbishop of Canterbury.
A Bishop—
1. My Lord, May it please your Lordship.
2. The Right Reverend the Bishop of London.
3. To the Right Reverend Father in God, ——,[4] Lord Bishop of Peterboro'.
A Dean—
1. Reverend Sir.
2. To the Very Reverend Dr. ——, Dean of Westminster.
An Archdeacon—
The Venerable the Archdeacon of ——.
Chancellors are addressed in the same manner.
The rest of the Clergy—
1. Sir,—Reverend Sir.
2. To the Rev. Dr Campbell.
To the Rev. J. Jones; or, to the Rev. Mr. Wilson, &c.