| How to Address Noblity From a Country Which No Longer Has Either a King or Queen? I work in the advancement office at Bates College in Maine, and I travel to meet with alumni and parents all over the country and in Europe. I am hoping to secure a meeting in Austria with two Bates graduates (class of 1997) and they are a count and countess. I would like to send them an email, but I am unclear as to how to address them. I do not wish to be too formal, but I certainly do not want to be disrespectful. I see in your book royal forms …but they are British. Can I use those? -- RVK Dear RVK, Interesting question: There is an official answer ... and a social answer. Officially ... the Republic of Austria has no aristocracy since there is no reigning monarch and the nobility is no longer intact as it is in the UK, the Netherlands, or the UAE. So officially they are Mr. & Mrs. (or whatever honorifics they are entitled to ... Dr., Lieutenant, Professor .... etc.) Socially ... where royals are no longer in power such titles are a matter of pride in one's heritage and personal marks of status ... like being a member of the Daughter's of The American Revolution or Order of the Cincinatti. The titles are used at the preference of the bearer. Some do -- some don't -- some do but only in certain circumstances. If you don't know it might be good to address them by title ... and if they don't like it they can say so. If you know they like to be addressed as "Count" and "Countess" ... using the pattern you see in the British forms I provide will work. -- Robert Hickey How to Address a French Royalty? I saw in The New York Times a reference to Jeane de France, Duc de Vendome of the French Royal Dynasty. In your book I don't see a section on French Royalty. What form would one use for this gentleman? --- Bill TaylorDear Mr. Taylor: In my book I cover forms of address for current royalty and nobility, but not**former royalty or noblity.** In the United Kingdom there is a royal family -- so the nobles -- dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, barons, etc. --- are still officially addressed by their noble titles. Same is true in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Japan and other countries where the head of state is a hereditary monarch. I do provide forms for all these. But my book is already 576 pages, and I decided it made no sense to include "how to address the Czar" or "how to address the Holy Roman Emperor", when those offices no longer exist! In republics -- such as the French Republic -- nobility no longer exists. Jean de France would be the Duc of Vendome if nobility had not been abolished with the French Revolution. Today friends and social acquaintances address him as a duc as a courtesy to honor him and his heritage. In an official situation he would be a Mr. de France (in English). That said, if you want to address him socially as a duc -- use the form I provide for a British duke (page 396), It's acceptable to use British forms when addressing a non-English foreign nobles in English. He will just fine with that. -- Robert HickeyHow to Address an Austrian Count? What is the correct form of address when meeting a Count from Austria? He has a daughter that travels with him. What would be her form of address also? -- MattDear Matt: Austrian nobility was officially abolished in 1919 at the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. So, count in Austria is a courtesy title – an unofficial title used as a courtesy in social situations by friends to honor the person’s family history. I've known Austrian barons who did not like being addressed as a baron saying was not legally accurate to use the titles with Austrian citizens, but if your guest likes it, use it in social situations. E.g., he would not be officially introduced to the President of the United States as a Count (name), but it could be included as a point of interest in the introduction. All that said, there would a form of address in German, but I assume you want to address him in English. In English it is O.K. to use the forms for a British Earl. In the UK they have earls rather than counts but they are equivalent ranks. See … How to Address an Earl or Countess … and just replace earl with count. If his daughter is the eldest, she will inherit the title, but since he is still alive the title has not yet descended. As a daughter of a count, use the form for a daughter of an earl. As a courtesy (in English using the British model) she'd be addressed as Lady (full name) or in conversation as Lady (first name). -- Robert HickeyHow to Use Academic Post-Nominals with a Noble Title ? I have a question for you regarding how I should be properly addressed. I am of nobility and the last man in our family. I am the Count James Renninger, but also have two doctorates. I am trying to decide how to incorporate both titles and academic degrees into my name while remaining correct so that I do not make a fool of myself. My question is how should I be addressed being both a Count and a Doctor? Sincerely, Dr. J. Renninger? Dear JL: The US form and British forms are the most common models used around the world for address in English. Since you are living in the US it follows you would follow the US Style in which you are both a "Count" and a "Dr." but perhaps not at the same time. Here's what's done: 1) Post-nominals are used professionally, not socially Traditional form would be to use your academic post-nominals with out reference to your hereditary title An official letter is addressed with the academic post-nominal abbreviation: (Full Name), PhD A social letter is addressed with the honorific: Dr. (Full Name) 2) Hereditary titles from a former monarchy are used socially in the USA, not officially, and most typically not professionally. -- Robert Hickey How to Address Russian Aristocracy? I hold a number of inherent noble titles, the highest of which being the title of Count of the Russian Empire. These titles are still internationally recognised even though The Russian Empire is no longer in existence. I am a UK citizen being born within the UK and having lived there for most of my life. I do actively use my title and have had it recognised in a number of different formats by UK government agency's, however there is always some confusion as to the manner in which I should be formally addressed within the UK. My primary title carries the styling of His Illustrious Highness (HILLH) but as I am sure you can guess this can course some confusion within the UK. I was wondering if there is any formal style and manner of address for nobles within the UK who hold foreign titles, such as Count. Ideally anything specifically related to The Russian Empire. If you do know of any such styling then I would be very grateful to hear from you. -- HILLH the Count Nicholas Chernoff, BSc (Hons), FdSce, London Dear Sir: I wasn't sure the correct salutation to use! So, while I don't have an answer for you, I do have some comments. My point of view is formal, official point of view, and definitely ... an American one. There's a tradition in forms of address to address by rank ... so your personal rank will be differently considered in various places. 1) With the current government there are formal diplomatic relations with the current Russian Federation ... but none with the former Russian Empire. So, at The White House you couldn't be officially received as Russian nobility with its implied link to an Imperial Russian head of state. You would be received and addressed in the manner appropriate for your official participation at the event. Your personal rank would be very interesting to everyone as personal history. We don't have nobility in the US, but many people are descendants of our founders .... and those are relationships of great personal pride to the individual. Maybe it's not exactly parallel, but members of The Daughters of the American Revolution or The Order of Cincinnatti have rank and precedence at their own events, but they receive neither preferential treatment nor special forms of address in official government situations. 2) In any social situation you should present your name exactly how you want to ... and others should follow your preference. An agency of the British government could use your name -- however you present it -- without validating it to be anything more that what you say your name is. If an official British government agency addresses you as a count, it doesn't imply you are other than a commoner and British citizen ... Right? 3) His Illustrious Highness isn't a courtesy title used in the British nobility ... and from my experience, rightly or wrongly, most international protocol officers tend to use the British forms with addressing all nobility in English. E.g., the King of Thailand is addressed as "Your Majesty" in English even though the actual phrase is different if translated directly from Thai. I recently encountered a Polish baroness who requested to be addressed as "Your Imperial Highness." To me it was a big grand for a baroness since in English we'd use that courtesy title for an Emperor or Empress .... but I called her "Your Imperial Highness." It's not my place to tell her what her name is. 4) I think we have more than one persona, and each has a different name. We just need to present the correct version for the individual situation. You are probably in different situations Nick, Nicholas, Mr. Chernoff, and HILLH the Count ..... Direct others how they should address you and generally they will follow your preference. -- RobertDear Robert: As you already stated it very much depends on the situation and the people I am conversing with. In regards to most of my financial dealings I tend to use Lord or Mr.. Lord tends to be the only noble option given other then Sir and Mr because if you have ever tried to order anything online you will understand how rare it is to ever find a title drop-down box with anything in it for males other then Mr and Dr. As I work within mainland Europe a lot and spend a lot of time within Norway, France, Austria, Italy, and Germany I tend to use the style of Count with my work dealings as this is more recognised upon the European continent. I have at certain times used the following styles depending on the situation: His High Ancestry His Highborn His Illustrious Highness His Illustriousness Lord Chernoff Count Chernoff While I am happy with the use of the title of Lord as it is used in England to draw together most levels of the nobility I am weary of using the style of an Earl within England which would be The Right Honourabl e. My reservations come from the fact that most members of the House of Lord's within the UK hold the style of The Rt Hon and I do not wish to bread extra confusion in the matter of make anyone believe that I am claiming to be part of the UK political system, which I am not. I also hold a feudal Scottish title of Laird. The styling is The Much Honoured however this styling tends to depict a title well below the rank of Count. I also feel that this title has been somewhat devalued within recent years after it became legal to sell feudal Scottish titles. As with many old European noble titles, my title comes from a cascading noble system. This is important because I have an older brother, HILLH the Prince Simon Nicholas Chernoff, a father, HSH the Prince Nicholas John Chernoff, who both hold titles of a higher grade to me. There titles would be equivalent to Marquees and Duke respectively within the UK. I believe this is important when taking into consideration to what style and title to use as I do not wish to breed confusion between myself and my brother or father. My father and brother both rarely use there titles however as people get extremely confused in England when you tell them your a Prince, a title retained within the United Kingdom for members of the royal family. I am lucky that I live within the UK as under UK common law I am entitled to use any title or style of address that I see fit as long was it is not in any attempt to defraud people. While this means I could call myself anything, I do of course only wish to stick within the realms of titles I have legal claim to while at the same time making it easier for people to understand my family heritage without too much confusion. Interestingly I did have the opportunity to spend some time in Moscow, Russia, last year. I was the first member of my family to return to Russia in 88 years after fleeing during the Russian revolution. While there I was addressed by Russian locals as Count Chernoff, a styling that they decided to use when addressing me in English as my Russian is pretty poor (foreign languages and Dyslexia are not a happy mix). Therefore after deep consideration upon the matter I believe I will use the following titles and styles within the following situations:- • Mr N Chernoff – some finance dealings such as when Lord is not offered and all dealings with the UK tax office • Lord Chernoff – When in the UK in dealing with all people where the option is given. I will not however adopt the style of The Right Honourable or the title of Earl. • Count Chernoff – Dealing with on the continent when dealing with foreign co-workers, clients and other such 3rd party's • HILLH the Count Nicholas Chernoff – For all formal situations I believe by using the above styles and titles in the above stated situations I will stay firmly within the spirit of my inherent titles while reducing confusion when dealing with 3rd party's. -- HILLH the Count Nicholas Chernoff, BSc (Hons), FdSce, London How to Address a Former British Prime Minister? I have a question for you regarding sending a letter to a former P.M. of the U.K., Tony Blair. What is the proper way to address him in the “Address” line and “Dear” line? One person in our office suggested for the salutation Dear Rt. Honourable Blair. We think the following might be more correct: Address Line: The Rt. Hon. Anthony Charles Lynton Blair Salutation: Dear Mr. Blair: -- Lorenza & Vinayak Dear Lorenza & Vinayak, Your forms look good. Address Line: The Rt. Hon. Anthony Charles Lynton Blair Salutation: Dear Mr. Blair: ... with the following comments: I note on even on his website he refers to himself as "Tony Blair" .... so I'd be inclined to use the form of his name as he presents it: The Right Honourable Tony Blair Using his full name would not be wrong .... but I always say a person's name belongs to them, so the rest of us need to address them as they want us to address them. Check out his website. In the U.K. they routinely abbreviate The Right Honourable to The Rt. Honourable or even The Rt. Hon. .... But's it's completely acceptable to spell everything out too. If you do spell it out use the British spelling Honourable rather than the U.S. spelling Honorable. It's always best to present a name the way the person is accustomed to seeing it presented. -- Robert Hickey How to Address the British Prime Minister in Conversation? I am trying to confirm how one would address a former Prime Minister directly when meeting him/her for the first time. Do you say Hello Mr. Prime Minister or Hello Prime Minister or Hello Mr. (surname)? I appreciate your guidance. -- A. K. @ RWB & Co.Dear A.K.: I show that form on page 358 in my chapter on British Officials. In conversation a current office holder would be addressed as Prime Minister in conversation. -- Robert Hickey How Do I Introduce a Former British Prime Minister? How Do I Introduce a Former Mexican President? In the case of wishing to introduce the former British Prime Minister and former President of Mexico during a spoken address, what's the right form? --- Katherine Littefield, New YorkDear Ms. Littlefield: FYI, I cover all this in my book: the UK, Mexico and more than 180 other countries. You didn't mention which individuals, but I am going to answer using Tony Blair and Vicente Fox. If you were going to introduce them to the audience -- here are some good forms: Tony Blair would be The Right Honourable Tony Blair, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 1997 to 2007. A British prime minister will have been appointed to the Privy Council, and as a Privy Counsellor is The Right Honourable for life. Vicente Fox would be Vicente Fox, President of the United States of Mexico from 2000-2006. Mexicans don't use the courtesy titles when addressing their officials, so I'd use just (first name)+(last name) for Vincente Fox. Of course you could describe them as formers. Or the United States we identify former Presidents by their number, e.g., the 43rd President. But maybe including the years provides a bit more information? So, do it however you like. Using the formal country names (e.g., United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) is correct .... just like we most formally say "The President of the United States of America." -- Robert Hickey How to Address a Foreign President? We recently videotaped an interview with The President of the Republic of Panama His Excellency Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal when he returned to his alma mater for a visit. We have prepared a rough draft of the transcript to return to him, and I must include a cover letter with it. How should the inside address and salutation be written? Please note: the text in red above is how we are referring to him on the title page of his transcript. I found a recent letter on-line addressed to him as Mr. President and President Berrocal. Is this the correct? -- SKP, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Dear SKP: What you see on the letter you found on-line is definitely a respectful form of address, but is neither the style we use in the US or the style they use in Panama. In my book I have a block on every country in the United Nations .... and on page 506 I include that the protocol dept. of the Panamanian Embassy says that in Panama they address their president as: His/Her/Your Excellency So use: His Excellency Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal I also give the forms for addressing a president addressed as an Excellency on page 408. The salutation for a person addressed with the courtesy title Excellency is: Your Excellency: No Dear is necessary. RE: How you are referring to him on the title page: Whether the office is first or his name is first is a reflection of which is more important to you. The way you have it written shows the office is more important. Using His Excellency Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal, President of the Republic of Panama would reflect a different view. I know the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock has a copy of my book on their reference shelf. Maybe they need one in Fayetteville too! -- Robert Hickey How to Address a Former Foreign President? We are heading to Russia tomorrow and we have their former president, Mikhail Gorbachev, attending a dinner we are hosting. What is the appropriate title for him, given that he is a former President? _-- Going to Moscow_Dear Going to Moscow: Address him as "Mr. Gorbachev", and identify him as "the former president of ... " It's considered disrespectful to current heads of government to address former head of government by their former forms of address. If you meet the current president, FYI, Russians do not address their national officials with courtesy titles. I checked with every embassy and included detailed information one each: the info is on the Russian Federation is on page 511. -- Robert HickeyHow Do I Introduce a Former British Prime Minister? How Do I Introduce a Former Mexican President? In the case of wishing to introduce the former British Prime Minister and former President of Mexico during a spoken address, what's the right form? --- Katherine Littefield, New YorkDear Ms. Littlefield: FYI, I cover all this in my book: the UK, Mexico and more than 180 other countries. You didn't mention which individuals, but I am going to answer using Tony Blair and Vicente Fox. If you were going to introduce them to the audience -- here are some good forms: Tony Blair would be The Right Honourable Tony Blair, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 1997 to 2007. A British prime minister will have been appointed to the Privy Council, and as a Privy Counsellor is The Right Honourable for life. Vicente Fox would be Vicente Fox, President of the United States of Mexico from 2000-2006. Mexicans don't use the courtesy titles when addressing their officials, so I'd use just (first name)+(last name) for Vincente Fox. Of course you could describe them as formers. Or the United States we identify former Presidents by their number, e.g., the 43rd President. But maybe including the years provides a bit more information? So, do it however you like. Using the formal country names (e.g., United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) is correct .... just like we most formally say "The President of the United States of America." -- Robert Hickey |
| What Complimentary Close Should a Chief of State Use? Does a President of a country end correspondence or note card with a complimentary close? Would it be appropriate for our President to use an expressions such as yours sincerely on a card? I checked out my copy of your book, but it only covers how to address people with titles. -- S @ The Presidency, PSOW Grad in the Mediterranean Dear S@TP: Yes ... I guess I did write the book for people (like me -- without a title) writing TO those with titles. All correspondence that is signed includes a complimentary close. With regards to which complimentary close your President should use, I did some research and found the following; The President of the United States signs a letter with the complimentary close: Sincerely See the complimentary close on this letter from the President of the United States. And the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom uses: Yours Sincerely See the complimentary close on this letter from the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom . Yours Sincerely seems a bit fancy to us in the US, but is quite standard in the U.K. Either closing would be very appropriate for your President to use when writing a card in English. -- Robert Hickey How to Address a French Senator? I am addressing a formal letter in French to a member of the French Senate as follows: L'honorable Robert XXX, Senateur Senat - Hauts-de-Seinge Department Cher Senateur XXX, I know you are the expert on these issues, and would appreciate your guidance. Thank you. -- April McLean, Assistant Director XXX University Law SchoolDear Ms. McLean: French citizens do not address their national officials as Honorable. Officials are formally addressed as Mr./Madam (office) as in Mr. President of the Republic (Monsieur le President de la République), Mr. Prime Minister (Monsieur le Premier Ministre), Mr. President for a president of council or chamber in the legislature (Monsieur le Président), Mr. Senator (Monsieur le Sénateur),or Mr. Deputy (Monsieur le Député). So I would not use "The Honorable" ... on the envelope just his name: Robert XXX ... and use as the salutation use Monsieur le Sénateur: -- Robert Hickey Rock Royalty Meets Authentic Royalty? I saw in the paper that Lady Gaga was presented to Queen Elizabeth II. Is Lady Gaga really a "Lady"? -- New York Times ReaderDear NYT-R: Lady Gaga ("Poker Face," "Just Dance," "Paparazzi" ... ) is not a Lady in the way the British use the title. She is really Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta of the New York, New York Germanottas. I guess that most formally one would address her as Ms. Germanotta, although I admit probably no one does. A Lady in the U.K. use of the honorific would be a woman holding the rank of Marchioness, Countess, Viscountess, or Baroness ... or be the wife of a man holding one of the corresponding ranks ... or be married to a Baronet or Knight ... or be a Life Peeress in her own right. It seems unlikely that Stefani Germanotta is any of those. But the photo in the New York Times made it look as though she delivered a very dignified performance when she was presented to Her Majesty. -- Robert Hickey How to Address a Counselor (A Foreign Diplomat)? How should I address foreign diplomats who are not the ambassador – rather, they are in the ambassador’s office. Their positions are “Counselor, Deputy Chief of Mission” and “Counselor, Congressional Liaison Officer.” Thanks in advance for your assistance, -- EllenDear Ellen: Everyone at a foreign embassy .... except the ambassador .... is: Mr./Mrs./Ms. (Full Name) Embassy of (Official Name of Country) Address In a salutation they would be Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms. (Surname): "Counselor" is not used as an honorific in writing for a diplomat. Include their office after their name in an introduction ... but not on an envelope. RE: Use of Mrs. or Ms.: Internationally "Ms." is not as ubiquitous as it is in the US, but a foreign diplomat serving in the US would be familiar with it. Only an accredited ambassador who has presented his credientials to the head of state or head of the international organization is addressed as "His/Her Excellency" or in direct address "Your Excellency" -- Robert Hickey How to Address a Sheikha ? I am sending a formal letter toSheikha Hussah Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah, a member of the royal family of Kuwait and director of the Kuwait National Museum. Could you please advise me on how to address her in the salutation? I believe she is an H.E. ... Her husband is H.E. Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, Special Advisor to H.H. The Crown Prince and Prime Minister. Sheikh Nasser is the son of H.H. Sabah Al-Ahmed Al- Jaber Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs for Kuwait. **-- Rachel @ The Natural History Museum**Dear Rachel: Her husband is an H.E. ... not an H.H. As an H.E. he's His Excellency ... and while H.H. ... His Highness would transfer to a wife .... H.E. would not. His Excellency means he holds the rank of ambassador. Spouses of an H.E. are not addressed as an H.E. unless they are an ambassador in their own right.. Therefore .... the correct form is: Sheika Hussah Sabah al-Salim al-Sebah Director Kuwait National Museum (address) And in the salutation: Sheika Hussah Sabah al-Salim al-Sebah : Or: Sheika Hussah: Kuwaiti's use the given name in salutations and it is not considered too personal. -- Robert HickeyRobert Thank you for the information. It was a great help! I was making an artifact loan request so the last thing I wanted to do was offend her by addressing her improperly. -- Rachel @ The Natural History Museum How to Write a Prime Minister 's Name? I am currently working on a document for my office and I could really use your expertise. The document includes a list of Heads of State whom we received in the last year in Washington, DC. I need to include each Head of State’s name and have hit a few snags with certain countries. For example, listing the President of Haiti I would say “His Excellency Rene Garcia Preval President of Haiti”. I realized; however, that some countries would list both their President and Prime Minister as “His/Her Excellency”, though not all do. I’m also wondering about the PM of Moldova, the PM/Chairman, Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, The PM of Lithuania, The President of France, the President of Nigeria, the PM of Haiti and the PM of Cameroon. Forgive me if I’m making this more complicated than necessary! **-- KB on The Hill**Dear KB: Each prime minister may have a specific way they are addressed by their fellow countrymen .... but when the official is traveling, use: His Excellency (full name) Prime Minister of the (official country name) You will find country-by-country information on 184 countries in my book. Prime Ministers when representing their countries on official visits are typically addressed as "Your Excellency" whether or not they are addressed that way in their own country. The officials who are addressed with this courtesy title are: head of government chief of state speakers of houses & chambers minister of ministries / secretaries of departments. The logic is they are traveling as 'ambassadors of their government" and as such they are given the forms of address typical for accredited ambassadors. -- Robert Hickey How to Use Your Noble Rank in Your Signature? How do I add my noble title Baron to my name when I am writing my signature in the English language? I live in Sweden, but our family's noble rank was presented 1638 in Hungary in the 300-year war holding back the Ottomans from Europe. Now as the head of our family I have to be able to communicate properly as the Baron. -- Borg Lizska Dear Borg Lizska: The answer is: one does not include the title as a part of your signature. Others address you in a manner that note your noble rank (I cover all those traditional forms of address in my book), but when one writes one's name -- one gives oneself neither a title nor an honorific. E.G.: The King of Sweden signs his name Carl XVI Gustaf. The Queen of the United Kingdom signs her name Elizabeth II. Certainly their stationery has their full name printed on it. -- or their title and full name would appear elsewhere on the document -- and we hope the person seeing the signature knows whose signature it is. So .... have stationery printed with your title and simply sign your name. -- Robert Hickey |
| **How to Address the Ruler of Dubai?**Dear Mr. Hickey: I was asked this afternoon to draft a letter to Sheikh Mohammed of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. How do I address the Sheikh correctly in both the address and the salutation? -- Donna in tech worldDear Donna: This form is listed on page 424. The Ruler of Dubai holds a noble rank and is always directly addressed orally as "Your Highness" and in writing as "His Highness Sheikh (name)". You referred to him as "Shiekh Mohammed of the UAE". He is the Ruler of Dubai - AS WELL AS - the Prime Minister of the UAE, so be specific in your address. For example, if you are writing him as the Ruler of Dubai, use the following: Envelope: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Ruler of Dubai (Address) Letter salutation: Your Highness: In my book (pages 424-425) I go into more detail on all the forms of address used in the Emirates, but what's above are the basics. -- Robert HickeyWhat is the Salutation for a Member of the Queen's Council? I am writing a letter to: The Honorable Robert Haynes, QC Attorney at-Law Firm Name How do I address him in the salutation line? -- DAH- JamaicaDear DAH: If he’s addressed as “The Honorable” he must be a former member of the Cabinet in Jamaica? But “Honorable” is never used in salutations. Members of Jamaica's Queen's Council (QC) ... are addressed in a salutation:Dear Mr./Ms./etc. (surname): -- Robert HickeyHow to Address a Princess? I have a Thai Princess coming to our military installation for a visit, and I am looking for guidance on how to interact with Thai Royalty. Is there a preferred way to greet her? Thank you so much!! -- George Clark, Protocol Officer and PSOW GraduateDear Mr. Clark: If she's a princess // member of the Thai royal family // she's a Your Royal Highness. Some info on Thailand's government and officials is on page 525 of "Honor & Respect"... and the forms for royal princess on page 430. In the US you can follow the same level of formality, same styles, you would use for visiting British nobles ... using the British model for royalty and nobility anywhere in the English speaking world is completely acceptable. In her world there are "Royal Persons," "Peers," and "Commoners" ... and they don't have the tradition of 'all men are created equal.' But she will have more knowledge of US customs that you have of Thai customs! I would wait for her to offer her hand first in shaking hands -- which she may, but if she does not -- just keep your hands to your sides and greet her warmly in word and expression. -- Robert Hickey How to Address a Belgian Prince? What is the proper greeting when meeting the Prince of Belgium? Is protocol the same as meeting the British Royals? -- Marilee TatumDear Ms. Tatum: I have the forms for addressing Belgian officials and royalty on page 448 of my book. The heir apparent & his brother, also a prince, are addressed as Your Royal Highness. There are currently two princes in Belgium --- Prince Phillipe & Prince Laurent: Prince Phillipe, the Duke of Brabant, is the heir apparent. -- Robert Hickey How to Address an Earl, Countess, and Their Sons? Hi! I'm in the process of proofing my regency romance and want to make sure I have the titles correct. 1) Can an Earl and Countess either be called Earl of Richland and Countess of Richland, or Lord and Lady Richland? 2) If the father is the Marquess and the son is a Viscount, can a father and eldest son both be Lord (Surname) at the same time? 3) I understand that the younger son can be called Lord by courtesy, but please clarify about the eldest son for me. _-- LBT_Dear LBT: British titles aren't easy ... unless you are raised with them! The British books give directions on what to do rather than just the answer ... so I wrote my book for those of us (like me) who want just the facts and fast. 1) Can an Earl and Countess either be called Earl of Richland and Countess of Richland, or Lord and Lady Richland? An earl/countess is always addressed in formal conversation as "Lord/Lady." "Earl" and "countess" are not used oral address, Someone might refer to the earl/countess by his or her title when specificity is needed when speaking about the earl/countess to a third person. Otherwise it would "Lord/Lady (Name)" such as in "Lord Ferrers will be here in 20 minutes." 2) Can a father and eldest son both be a Lord (Surname) at the same time? The (name) in the title may or may not be their surname ... So don't think of it as "Lord (Surname)" think of it as "Lord (Name of Earldom)." Only the titled person (the father) is addressed as "Lord (name)" ... so a son would not be addressed as "Lord" until the title passes, when his father dies ... but read the next note. 3) Maybe the father is the Marquess and the son is a Viscount? I understand that the younger son can be called "lord" by courtesy, but please clarify about the eldest son for me. Actually the father is a both the Marquess and the Viscount. He is addressed by his highest title and the lower title is not used. So the eldest son (who will inheriting the titles) can use 'Viscount' -- one of his father's unused titles -- during his father's lifetime. Both a 'Marquess' and a 'Courtesy Viscount" are addressed as "Lord (Name)." There's a different formula for younger sons ... who are "Honourable" and "Mr. (Surname)" ... and have no title to pass on. And yes -- in this case (Surname) is their family name. -- Robert Hickey How to Address the King of Saudi Arabia? This afternoon I am to draft a congratulatory message for the National Day of Saudi Arabia to the King of Saudi Arabia in his capacity as Prime Minister and would welcome your expertise. What would be the appropriate form of address both on the envelope and in the salutation? -- Renata Bankoff Dear Ms. Bankoff: The King of Saudi Arabia has a special courtesy title all to himself and there is a form of address to use it: Envelope: The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques The King of Saudi Arabia (Address) Salutation: Your Majesty: Two holy mosques are the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina. I suppose you could list under his name that he was also prime minister, but being king pretty much trumps being the PM. FYI, your question is answered in my book on page 420 in a chapter where I cover the forms of address for every current noble head of state in the world. -- Robert Hickey **Does a US Citizen Bow to a Foreign Head of State?Does the President Bow to a Foreign King or Queen?**Mr. Hickey,How deeply does a US citizen bow or curtsy when meeting a king or queen? Then as a follow-up, does the President of the United States bow or curtsy when meeting a king or queen on an official visit to their country? -- Jennifer Ripley, Winchester, TennesseeDear Ms. Ripley, I would follow the advice of Chris Young, President of the Protocol Diplomacy International / Protocol officers Association (he's also Chief of Protocol of the State of Georgia, and Director of International Affairs) when he says “Look no further than the U.S. Constitution, which states in Article I, Section 9, that ‘No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States.’ Those weren’t just words that prohibited Congress from naming someone a prince or princess, duke or duchess, lord or lady. Those words were clear signals that in the U.S. all persons are on equal footing: that no nobility would exist here and thus no one had to bow to anyone. Certainly people here have titles such as president, chief executive officer, mayor, chancellor, and the like, but none of those titles was encoded on someone’s DNA. Titles were to be ascending, earned through one’s own sweat equity and remarkable character, rather than descending, simply a generational bequeath to one’s progeny.” So a US citizen when meeting a king or queen – in the United States or in the monarch’s country -- should simply offer nod of the head as a sign of respect and shake the hand of the monarch if it was offered. This contrasts with either a deep bow or curtsy which would be an appropriate sign of fealty from a subject. Regarding the President. again I would quote of Chris Young, when he says both are “equals on the world stage. Both are heads of state …. the only order of precedence that exists between the two is usually an alphabetical one rather than one of rank.” Since they are peers neither would bow to the other. So no, the President of the United States would perhaps offer nod of the head as a sign of respect and shake hands. -- Robert Hickey |
Back to Main Page of the Robert Hickey's BLOG Robert Hickey is the author of Honor & Respect: The Official Guide to Names, Titles, and Forms of Address_Published by The Protocol School of Washington®Foreword by Pamela Eyring_Copyright © 2011 Robert Hickey. All Rights Reserved.Book Photo: Marc Goodman.