other aristocrats are members of what is known as the British
Peerage
. The Peerage has five hereditary degrees, each one outranking the next: duke, marquess, 3 earl, viscount, 4 and baron. Baronets andknights are not peers. A royal or a peer can also hold more than one separate peerage. (For example, His Royal Highness Prince William is also the Duke of Cambridge, the Earl of Strathearn, the Baron Carrickfergus, and a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.)
If someone is “The Honourable,” it means he or she is the younger son of an earl, or the child or daughter-in-law of a viscount or baron. Do not use the title in speech, only in writing, when it is abbreviated to “The Hon.”
Forms of Address
Titles and the correct address for conversational use:
KING/ QUEEN
Your Majesty, then sir or ma’am
PRINCE / PRINCESSES OR ANYONE THAT HAS HRH BEFORE HIS OR HER NAME
Your Royal Highness, then sir or ma’am
DUKE /DUCHESS
Your Grace, then Duke/Duchess
MARQUESS / MARCHIONESS 5
Your Grace, then Lord/Lady So-and-so
EARL/ COUNTESS
My Lord/Madam, then Lord/Lady So-and-so
VISCOUNT/ VISCOUNTESS
My Lord/Madam, then Lord/Lady So-and-so
BARON/ BARONESS
My Lord/Madam, then Lord/Lady So-and-so
BARONET/ BARONETESS
Sir or Dame
KNIGHT/ DAME
Sir or Dame
NOTE: If you are invited to a stately home, never use the words “House,” “Hall,” etc, when referring to it. “I’m going to Downton” implies that you are the guest of Lord Grantham. “I’m going to Downton Abbey” indicates that you will be paying an entrance fee.
The British Line of Succession
The British throne cannot be inherited by anyone who is not blood-related to the sovereign—this includes Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge—who are part of the Royal Family through marriage only and therefore not listed in the line of succession.
In 2011, the British government, along with the sixteen Commonwealth countries, voted to overturn a thousand years of royal history by finally allowing the eldest child (male
or
female) to inherit the throne. Up until then the British monarchy had yet to change their rather sexist rule of primogeniture 6 —where successiongave precedence to male children. (This is why Prince Andrew’s and Prince Edward’s children outrank Princess Anne’s.)
Changes to the law apply only to descendents of the Prince of Wales and have not been applied retroactively—so all remains the same until Kate and William produce some royal (and no doubt ridiculously good-looking) offspring. Nevertheless, if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have a daughter (followed by a son)—by law, their daughter will one day be queen. Which means after all this time, girls finally have equal rights to the throne!
THE SOVEREIGN: HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
Prince Henry of Wales
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Eugenie of York
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Viscount James Severn
The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor
Anne, The Princess Royal
Mr. Peter Phillips
Miss Savannah Phillips
Miss Isla Phillips
Zara Phillips (Mrs. Michael Tindall)
Viscount David Linley
The Hon. Charles Armstrong-Jones
The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones
The Lady Sarah Chatto
Master Samuel Chatto
Master Arthur Chatto
The Duke of Gloucester
Earl of Ulster
Lord Culloden
The Lady Cosima Windsor
The Lady Davina Lewis
Miss Senna Lewis
The Lady Rose Gilman
Miss Lyla Gilman
The Duke of Kent
The Lady Amelia Windsor
The Lady Helen Taylor
Master Columbus Taylor
Master Cassius Taylor
Miss Eloise Taylor
Miss Estella Taylor
The Hon. Albert Windsor
The Hon. Leopold Windsor
The Lord Frederick Windsor
The Lady Gabriella Windsor
Princess Alexandra, the Hon Lady Ogilvy
Royal FAQs
Why isn’t Philip the King if he’s married to the Queen? Why isn’t Kate a princess if she’s married to a prince? Is he the Prince of Cambridge or the Duke of Wales? How can she be Princess
Peerage
. The Peerage has five hereditary degrees, each one outranking the next: duke, marquess, 3 earl, viscount, 4 and baron. Baronets andknights are not peers. A royal or a peer can also hold more than one separate peerage. (For example, His Royal Highness Prince William is also the Duke of Cambridge, the Earl of Strathearn, the Baron Carrickfergus, and a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.)
If someone is “The Honourable,” it means he or she is the younger son of an earl, or the child or daughter-in-law of a viscount or baron. Do not use the title in speech, only in writing, when it is abbreviated to “The Hon.”
Forms of Address
Titles and the correct address for conversational use:
KING/ QUEEN
Your Majesty, then sir or ma’am
PRINCE / PRINCESSES OR ANYONE THAT HAS HRH BEFORE HIS OR HER NAME
Your Royal Highness, then sir or ma’am
DUKE /DUCHESS
Your Grace, then Duke/Duchess
MARQUESS / MARCHIONESS 5
Your Grace, then Lord/Lady So-and-so
EARL/ COUNTESS
My Lord/Madam, then Lord/Lady So-and-so
VISCOUNT/ VISCOUNTESS
My Lord/Madam, then Lord/Lady So-and-so
BARON/ BARONESS
My Lord/Madam, then Lord/Lady So-and-so
BARONET/ BARONETESS
Sir or Dame
KNIGHT/ DAME
Sir or Dame
NOTE: If you are invited to a stately home, never use the words “House,” “Hall,” etc, when referring to it. “I’m going to Downton” implies that you are the guest of Lord Grantham. “I’m going to Downton Abbey” indicates that you will be paying an entrance fee.
The British Line of Succession
The British throne cannot be inherited by anyone who is not blood-related to the sovereign—this includes Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge—who are part of the Royal Family through marriage only and therefore not listed in the line of succession.
In 2011, the British government, along with the sixteen Commonwealth countries, voted to overturn a thousand years of royal history by finally allowing the eldest child (male
or
female) to inherit the throne. Up until then the British monarchy had yet to change their rather sexist rule of primogeniture 6 —where successiongave precedence to male children. (This is why Prince Andrew’s and Prince Edward’s children outrank Princess Anne’s.)
Changes to the law apply only to descendents of the Prince of Wales and have not been applied retroactively—so all remains the same until Kate and William produce some royal (and no doubt ridiculously good-looking) offspring. Nevertheless, if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have a daughter (followed by a son)—by law, their daughter will one day be queen. Which means after all this time, girls finally have equal rights to the throne!
THE SOVEREIGN: HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
Prince Henry of Wales
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Eugenie of York
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Viscount James Severn
The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor
Anne, The Princess Royal
Mr. Peter Phillips
Miss Savannah Phillips
Miss Isla Phillips
Zara Phillips (Mrs. Michael Tindall)
Viscount David Linley
The Hon. Charles Armstrong-Jones
The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones
The Lady Sarah Chatto
Master Samuel Chatto
Master Arthur Chatto
The Duke of Gloucester
Earl of Ulster
Lord Culloden
The Lady Cosima Windsor
The Lady Davina Lewis
Miss Senna Lewis
The Lady Rose Gilman
Miss Lyla Gilman
The Duke of Kent
The Lady Amelia Windsor
The Lady Helen Taylor
Master Columbus Taylor
Master Cassius Taylor
Miss Eloise Taylor
Miss Estella Taylor
The Hon. Albert Windsor
The Hon. Leopold Windsor
The Lord Frederick Windsor
The Lady Gabriella Windsor
Princess Alexandra, the Hon Lady Ogilvy
Royal FAQs
Why isn’t Philip the King if he’s married to the Queen? Why isn’t Kate a princess if she’s married to a prince? Is he the Prince of Cambridge or the Duke of Wales? How can she be Princess
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