Guide to Styles of Address
This guide outlines the traditional manner of addressing and referring to others, in both speech and writing, according to social and official rank. The use of formal styles is courteous but never obligatory, and Æfirans are free to employ them or not, at their own discretion.
In this table, alternatives are separated by slashes, in decreasing order of formality; words in square brackets are optional. If a person falls under multiple headings, the highest applies.
Rank or position | Full style and title (add postnominal letters) |
Addressed as | Referred to as |
---|---|---|---|
King | His Majesty the King [of Æfira] | Your Majesty / Sire / Sir | His Majesty / the King |
Queen | Her Majesty the Queen [of Æfira] | Your Majesty / Ma’am | Her Majesty / the Queen |
King’s husband or dowager king | His Majesty King Patrick | Your Majesty / Sire / Sir | His Majesty / King Patrick |
Queen’s wife or dowager queen | Her Majesty Queen Mary | Your Majesty / Ma’am | Her Majesty / Queen Mary |
Royal peer | H.R.H. the Duke of Avon | Your Royal Highness / Sir | His Royal Highness / the Duke of Avon |
Royal peeress | H.R.H. the Duchess of Westbury | Your Royal Highness / Ma’am | Her Royal Highness / the Duchess of Westbury |
Royal peer’s husband or dowager royal peer | H.R.H. Gareth, Duke of Roxleigh | Your Royal Highness / Sir | His Royal Highness / the [Dowager] Duke of Roxleigh |
Royal peeress’s wife or dowager royal peeress | H.R.H. Mary, Countess of Holbrook | Your Royal Highness / Ma’am | Her Royal Highness / the [Dowager] Countess of Holbrook |
Other prince (in his own right) | H.R.H. the Prince Nicholas | Your Royal Highness / Sir | His Royal Highness / Prince Nicholas |
Other princess (in her own right) | H.R.H. the Princess Michelle | Your Royal Highness / Ma’am | Her Royal Highness / Princess Michelle |
Other prince (by marriage) | H.R.H. Prince Alan | Your Royal Highness / Sir | His Royal Highness / Prince Alan |
Other princess (by marriage) | H.R.H. Princess Bridget | Your Royal Highness / Ma’am | Her Royal Highness / Princess Bridget |
Foreign ambassador | His or Her Excellency (according to other rank) | Your Excellency / (according to other rank) | His or Her Excellency / (according to other rank) |
Duke | His Grace the Duke of Hamptonshire | Your Grace or My Lord Duke / Sir / Duke | His Grace / the Duke [of Hamptonshire] |
Duchess | Her Grace the Duchess of Inley | Your Grace or My Lady Duchess / Ma’am / Duchess | Her Grace / the Duchess [of Inley] |
Duke’s husband or dowager duke | His Grace Leslie, Duke of Blair | Your Grace or My Lord Duke / Sir / Duke | His Grace / the [Dowager] Duke [of Blair] |
Duchess’s wife or dowager duchess | Her Grace Ann, Duchess of Tyncaster | Your Grace or My Lady Duchess / Ma’am / Duchess | Her Grace / the [Dowager] Duchess [of Tyncaster] |
Marquess | The Most Hon. the Marquess of* Walford | My Lord or Your Lordship / Sir / Lord Walford | His Lordship / Lord Walford |
Marchioness | The Most Hon. the Marchioness of* Galbray | My Lady or Your Ladyship / Ma’am / Lady Galbray | Her Ladyship / Lady Galbray |
Marquess’s husband or dowager marquess | The Most Hon. David, Marquess* Ramsay | My Lord or Your Lordship / Sir / Lord Ramsay | His Lordship / [the Dowager] Lord Ramsay |
Marchioness’s wife or dowager marchioness | The Most Hon. Sara, Marchioness of* Fairfield | My Lady or Your Ladyship / Ma’am / Lady Fairfield | Her Ladyship / [the Dowager] Lady Fairfield |
Earl | The Rt. Hon. the Earl* Patterson | My Lord or Your Lordship / Sir / Lord Patterson | His Lordship / Lord Patterson |
Countess | The Rt. Hon. the Countess* Archer of Bakural | My Lady or Your Ladyship / Ma’am / Lady Archer | Her Ladyship / Lady Archer [of Bakural] |
Earl’s husband or dowager earl | The Rt. Hon. Jared, Earl of* Shelby | My Lord or Your Lordship / Sir / Lord Shelby | His Lordship / [the Dowager] Lord Shelby |
Countess’s wife or dowager countess | The Rt. Hon. Elizabeth, Countess of* Lewin | My Lady or Your Ladyship / Ma’am / Lady Lewin | Her Ladyship / [the Dowager] Lady Lewin |
Viscount | The Rt. Hon. the Viscount* Isleworth | My Lord or Your Lordship / Sir / Lord Isleworth | His Lordship / Lord Isleworth |
Viscountess | The Rt. Hon. the Viscountess of* Lindenfeld | My Lady or Your Ladyship / Ma’am / Lady Lindenfeld | Her Ladyship / Lady Lindenfeld |
Viscount’s husband or dowager viscount | The Rt. Hon. Benjamin, Viscount* Delaney | My Lord or Your Lordship / Sir / Lord Delaney | His Lordship / [the Dowager] Lord Delaney |
Viscountess’s wife or dowager viscountess | The Rt. Hon. Keira, Viscountess* Winterbourne | My Lady or Your Ladyship / Ma’am / Lady Winterbourne | Her Ladyship / [the Dowager] Lady Winterbourne |
Baron | The Rt. Hon. the Lord Jafari | My Lord or Your Lordship / Sir / Lord Jafari | His Lordship / Lord Jafari |
Baroness | The Rt. Hon. the Lady Duneven | My Lady or Your Ladyship / Ma’am / Lady Duneven | Her Ladyship / Lady Duneven |
Baron’s husband or dowager baron | The Rt. Hon. Reginald, Lord Baker of Stockton | My Lord or Your Lordship / Sir / Lord Baker | His Lordship / [the Dowager] Lord Baker [of Stockton] |
Baroness’s wife or dowager baroness | The Rt. Hon. Daisy, Lady Parke | My Lady or Your Ladyship / Ma’am / Lady Parke | Her Ladyship / [the Dowager] Lady Parke |
Privy Counselor | The Rt. Hon. (according to other rank, but omitting “Mr.” or “Ms.”) | (according to other rank) | (according to other rank) |
Prince’s or peer’s son | Lord Neil Perry | My Lord or Your Lordship / Sir / Lord Neil | His Lordship / Lord Neil [Perry] |
Prince’s or peer’s daughter | Lady Kimura Mayako | My Lady or Your Ladyship / Ma’am / Lady Mayako** | Her Ladyship / Lady [Kimura] Mayako |
Knight of the Phoenix or Knight Bachelor | Sir Ian Michaels | Sir / Sir Ian | Sir Ian [Michaels] |
Lady of the Phoenix or Lady Knight | Lady Abina Sekyi | Ma’am / Lady Abina | Lady Abina [Sekyi] |
Officer in the armed forces | Capt. Derya Çelik | Sir or Ma’am / Captain [Çelik] | Captain Çelik |
Holder of a doctorate | (according to other rank) | Sir or Ma’am / Dr. Thompson | Dr. Thompson |
Esquire (male) | Abdul Hamid ibn Muhammad, Esq. | Sir / Mr. Abdul Hamid*** | Mr. Abdul Hamid |
Esquire (female) | Sarah O’Keeffe, Esq. | Ma’am / Ms. O’Keeffe | Ms. O’Keeffe |
Gentleman | Mr. Seamus Melaven | Sir / Mr. Melaven | Mr. Melaven |
Gentlewoman | Ms. Narinder Chadha | Ma’am / Ms. Chadha | Ms. Chadha |
* Some marquesses’, earls’ and viscounts’ titles include the word “of” (e.g. Marquess of Thalano, Countess of Ranell) and some do not (e.g. Viscountess Verdandi, Viscount Le Héricy).
** In this example, “Mayako” is the given name and “Kimura” the surname. Regardless of name order, the given name should always be used with “Lord”, “Lady” and “Sir”.
*** In this example, “ibn Muhammad” is a patronymic, not a surname; “Mr. Muhammad” would be incorrect.
Postnominal letters
These abbreviations should be placed after the full style and title of anyone entitled to them, in the following order:
Knight of the Phoenix | K.P. |
Lady of the Phoenix | L.P. |
Knight Bachelor (if a peer or higher) | Kt. |
Lady Knight | L.K. |
Esquire (if not a Privy Counselor or officer in the armed forces) | Esq. |
Recipient of the Star of Valor | S.V. |
Privy Counselor (if a peer or higher) | P.C. |
Member of Parliament | M.P. |
King’s Counsel | K.C. |
Justice of the Peace | J.P. |
Aide-de-Camp to His Majesty | A.D.C. |
Officer in the Royal Navy | R.N. |
Officer in the Royal Corps of Engineers | R.C.E. |
Officer in the Army Logistic Corps | A.L.C. |
Holder of a doctorate | D.Phil., M.D. etc. |
Holder of a master’s degree | M.A., Th.M. etc. |
Holder of a bachelor’s degree | LL.B., B.Sc. etc. |