- Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom
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A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles. There are several different kinds of courtesy titles in the British peerage.
Contents
The children of peers
Courtesy peers
If a peer of one of the top three ranks (a duke, marquess or earl) has more than one title, his eldest son, not himself an actual peer, may use one of his father's lesser titles 'by courtesy'. However, the father continues to be the substantive holder of the peerage title and the son using the peerage by courtesy legally remains a commoner. If the eldest son of a duke or marquess has an eldest son, he may use a still lower title if one exists.
For example, the Duke of Norfolk is also the Earl of Arundel and the Lord Maltravers. His eldest son is therefore styled Earl of Arundel. Lord Arundel's eldest son (should he have one during his father's lifetime) would be styled Lord Maltravers. However, only the Duke of Norfolk is actually a peer; his son Lord Arundel and his hypothetical grandson Lord Maltravers remain commoners.
Courtesy peerages are only used by the peer's eldest living son, and the eldest son's eldest living son, and so forth. Other descendants are not permitted to use the peer's subsidiary titles. Only the Heir Apparent (and Heir Apparent to the Heir Apparent and so on) can use the titles. An Heir Presumptive (e.g. a brother, nephew, or cousin) does not use a courtesy title. However, Scottish practice allows the style Master/Mistress of X to an heir presumptive as well as to an heir apparent; for example, the brother of the present Marquess of Tweeddale has the title Master of Tweeddale.
The wives of courtesy peers are also entitled to courtesy titles, which are the female equivalents of their husbands' titles. Thus, the wife of an Earl of Arundel would be styled Countess of Arundel.
Authorities[which?] differ on whether the holders of courtesy peerages should have their title preceded by the definite article ("The"), i.e. whether they should be styled "The Earl of Arundel" or simply "Earl of Arundel".
Choosing a courtesy peer's title
The actual courtesy title which is used is a matter of family tradition. For instance, the eldest son of the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry is styled Earl of Dalkeith, even though the Duke is also the Marquess of Dumfriesshire, a title which outranks the Earldom. Similarly, the eldest son of the Marquess of Londonderry is styled Viscount Castlereagh, even though the Marquess is also the Earl Vane.
Titles with the same name as a peer's main title are also not used as courtesy titles. For instance, the Duke of Westminster is also the Marquess of Westminster and the Earl Grosvenor (amongst other titles). The Duke's eldest son is not styled Marquess of Westminster (which would cause confusion between the son and the father), and so is styled Earl Grosvenor instead. The title used does not have to be exactly equivalent to the actual peerage: the eldest son of the current Duke of Wellington is styled Marquess of Douro, although the actual peerage possessed by his father is Marquess Douro (not of Douro).
If a peer of the rank of Earl or above does not have any subsidiary titles of a name different from his main title, his eldest son usually uses an invented courtesy title of "Lord Surname". For instance, the eldest son of the Earl of Devon is styled Lord Courtenay, even though the Earl has no barony of that name, and similarly the eldest son of the Earl of Guilford is styled Lord North. The eldest son of the Earl of Huntingdon, who has no subsidiary titles, is styled Viscount Hastings to avoid confusion with the substantive peer Lord Hastings. The Earl Castle Stewart's heir uses the style Viscount Stewart in order to avoid confusion with the Lord Stewart, eldest son of the Viscount Castlereagh, eldest son of the Marquess of Londonderry. The Earl and the Marquess are both scions of the House of Stewart.
Courtesy prefix of "Lord"
Another form of courtesy title is the honorific prefix of "(The) Lord" before the name. This is granted to younger sons of Dukes and Marquesses. The courtesy title is added before the person's name, as in the example of Lord Randolph Churchill. The title persists after the death of the holder's father, but it may not be inherited by his children. The wife of the holder is entitled to her own courtesy title, which takes the form of "(The) Lady", followed by her husband's name, as in the example of Lady Randolph Churchill. The holder is addressed as "Lord Randolph" and his wife as "Lady Randolph".
Courtesy prefix of "Lady"
The honorific prefix of "(The) Lady" is granted to the daughters of Dukes, Marquesses and Earls. The courtesy title is added before the person's name, as in the example The Lady Diana Spencer. The title persists after the death of the holder's father but it may not be inherited by her children. The husband of the holder is not entitled to a courtesy title. The holder is addressed as "Lady Diana".
Courtesy prefix of "The Honourable"
The younger sons of earls, along with the sons and daughters of Viscounts and Barons are granted the courtesy title of "The Honourable" before their name. This is usually abbreviated to "The Hon." The title persists after the death of the holder's father, but it may not be inherited by the holder's children.
Married daughters
The daughter of a duke, marquess, or earl who marries a commoner becomes "(The) Lady first name husband's last name". The daughter of a viscount or baron who marries a commoner becomes "The Honourable Mrs husband's last name". If she marries a peer, she gains the courtesy title as that peer's wife.
If a woman marries an Honourable, and holds no higher title, she will become "The Honourable Mrs husband's first name husband's last name." If a woman marries a Lord, she will become "(The) Lady husband's first name husband's last name." In case of a divorce, she will keep the same style as during her marriage, or she may choose to assume the style "Mrs. first name husband's last name." Regardless of what she chooses, she loses all precedence she attained from marriage. Because of the former option, there can be multiple Lady John Smiths.
Adopted children
Until 2004 adopted children of peers had no right to any courtesy title. Pursuant to a Royal Warrant dated 30 April 2004, adopted children are now automatically entitled to the same styles and courtesy titles as their siblings. However, like legitimated children, they cannot inherit peerages from an adopting parent (and so, as they cannot be heirs apparent, adopted sons may only use the styles of younger sons). [Note - Scottish peerages' rules of descent differ.]
Peer Wife Eldest Son Younger Son Unmarried Daughter Duke Duchess Father's Subsidiary Title (The) Lord Firstname Lastname (The) Lady Firstname Lastname Marquess Marchioness Father's Subsidiary Title (The) Lord Firstname Lastname (The) Lady Firstname Lastname Earl Countess Father's Subsidiary Title The Honourable Firstname Lastname (The) Lady Firstname Lastname Viscount Viscountess The Honourable Firstname Lastname The Honourable Firstname Lastname The Honourable Firstname Lastname Baron Baroness The Honourable Firstname Lastname The Honourable Firstname Lastname The Honourable Firstname Lastname Indirect inheritance
Occasionally a peer has inherited the title upon the death of a relative who is not one of his parents. (Some say it is incorrect in this case to say the title is inherited from the relative, merely on the death of the relative — since when a peer has no direct descendants, the peerage moves to the second heir of the previous holder (or his heirs), failing that to the second heir of the holder before that (or his heirs), and so in a recursive fashion). When this happens, the relatives in the direct line to the new peer may be allowed to use courtesy titles appropriate to their relationship to that peer or prior heirs.
For instance, Rupert Ponsonby, 7th Baron de Mauley, succeeded his uncle in 2002. His brother Ashley had no title, as their father was only an Honourable and was never actually Baron de Mauley. However, in 2003, Ashley was granted, by Warrant of Precedence from Queen Elizabeth II, the style and precedence that would have been his had his father survived to inherit the barony, becoming The Honourable Ashley Ponsonby. Precedence in such circumstances is usually granted but is not automatic.
The wives of peers
The wives of courtesy peers hold their titles on the same basis as their husbands, i.e. by courtesy. Thus the wife of Marquess of Douro is known as Marchioness of Douro.
In contrast, the wife of a substantive peer is legally entitled to the privileges of peerage: she is said to have a "life estate" in her husband's dignity. Thus a duke's wife is titled a "duchess", a marquess's wife a "marchioness", an earl's wife a "countess", a viscount's wife a "viscountess" and a baron's wife a "baroness". Despite being referred to as a "peeress", she is not a peer "in her own right": this is a 'style' and not a substantive title. However, this is considered a legal title, unlike the social titles of a peer's children.
It is also possible for a woman to be a substantive peer in her own right, by succession or by first creation (i.e. ennoblement, most commonly in recent times under the Life Peerages Act 1958). Her children use courtesy titles according to her rank, as with the children of male peers, but her husband receives no special distinction. Thus the husband of Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone is called Peter Bottomley and has no courtesy title.
Divorced wives
A peeress loses her legal right to the peerage style following divorce. A convention has developed whereby her Christian name is added in front of her former title to distinguish her from subsequent wives of her husband. Hence, "Her Grace The Duchess of London" becomes "Mary, Duchess of London". She is not entitled to the use of the address "Your Grace" but again by convention, she may be addressed as "Duchess" or "Your Grace". "The Rt Hon. The Lady London" becomes "Mary, Lady London" and may be addressed as "Lady London," or "My Lady".
Widows
If a peer dies, his wife's style does not change unless the new peer is a married man, rather than a woman or a bachelor; traditionally the widowed peeress puts "Dowager" in her style, i.e. "The Most Hon. The Marchioness of London" becomes "The Most Hon. The Dowager Marchioness of London."
If a widowed peeress's son predeceases her, her daughter-in-law may not use the title of Dowager and must be styled, e.g. "The Most Hon. Mary, Marchioness of London", until her mother-in-law dies, at which point she may use the title of Dowager. In more recent times, due to negative connotations of the word "Dowager," some widows choose to be styled with their Christian names, instead of as Dowager, but with the first name first, e.g. "Olave, Lady Baden-Powell". "Lady Olave Baden-Powell" would imply she were the daughter of a duke, marquess or earl.
Divorced wives and widows who remarry
A divorced peeress's legal right to the title and dignities of peerage ends if she subsequently marries a commoner.
However, it used to be customary for women with higher titles from one marriage to retain them even on subsequent remarriage. As Lord Macnaughten put it in the case of Earl Cowley v Countess Cowley [1901] AC 450: "...everybody knows that it is a very common practice for peeresses (not being peeresses in their own right) after marrying commoners to retain the title lost by such marriage. It is not a matter of right. It is merely a matter of courtesy, and allowed by the usages of society." The divorce court, in the above case, granted the earl an injunction preventing his wife from using his title; however this was overturned by the Court of Appeal, whose decision was confirmed by the House of Lords, on the grounds that ordinary courts of law lacked any jurisdiction in matters of honour.
The same practice was followed by widows who remarried. A prominent example was Catherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII, who continued to be known as Queen even after her marriage to Lord Seymour of Sudeley (and, indeed, she disputed precedence with the wife of her brother-in-law the Duke of Somerset on this basis).
This usage died out later in the twentieth century, and women who remarry now ordinarily take a new married name and do not retain their former title.
The Children of Gentry
Courtesy prefix of "Younger"
A form of courtesy title granted is the prefix of "Younger" at the end of the name. This title is granted to the Heir Apparent of a Laird (Lord) and is placed at the end of his or her name (example - Mr John Smith of Edinburgh, Younger). The wife of a Younger may herself place the title at the end of her name. The holder is addressed as the younger (example - The Younger of Edinburgh).
Courtesy prefix of "Maid"
The courtesy prefix of "Maid" is granted to the eldest daughter of a Laird (Lord). If the eldest daughter is also the heir presumptive she may either hold the title "Younger" or the title "Maid". The title is customary and not automatically given. The title is placed at the end of the name (example - Miss Ali Joy, Maid of Newcastle). The holder is addressed as "The Maid of [Lairdship]".
Civil partners
If a peer or knight enters into a civil partnership, his or her partner is not entitled to a courtesy title.[1]
Precedence status of courtesy titles
The courtesy titles of children of peers are social, not legal. For this reason, in official documents, Lord John Smith is often referred to as John Smith, Esq., commonly called Lord John Smith; The Hon. Mrs. Smith would be called Mary Jane, Mrs. Smith, commonly called The Hon. Mary Jane Smith. However, there is legal precedence that results from being the wife or child of a peer, even though the styles of the latter are merely social. The wives of peers are peeresses and rank exactly the same as peeresses in their own right.
Children of peers can outrank certain actual peers. For instance, the daughter of a Duke outranks a Countess. However, if the daughter of a Duke marries an Earl, she actually drops to the rank of Countess. But, if that same daughter marries a commoner, she retains her rank. If that daughter marries the eldest son of an Earl, though he may be a courtesy peer, she may keep her rank until the son inherits the Earldom, when she must drop to the rank of Countess.
Judicial courtesy titles
Following the creation of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, the first Justices of that Court held life peerages, and continued to hold them. However, the Government has announced that future appointees will not be created peers, and the first non-peer appointed to the Court was Sir John Dyson. In order to avoid any distinction between the Justices of the Court, by Royal Warrant all Justices of the Supreme Court not holding a peerage are styled as if they were life peers, and retain the style for life. Thus, Sir John Dyson is now styled as Lord Dyson.[2] Wives of male justices not holding a peerage are styled as if they were wives of peers.
In Scotland, Senators of the College of Justice (judges who sit in the Court of Session) use the title Lord or Lady along with a surname or a territorial name. All Senators of the College have the honorific, The Honourable, before their titles, while those who are also Privy Counsellors or peers have the honorific, The Right Honourable. Senators are made Privy Counsellors upon promotion to the Inner Court. For example, Alastair Campbell is known as The Honourable Lord Bracadale, whilst Ronald Mackay is known as The Right Honourable Lord Eassie. Some Senators also hold peerage titles, such as The Lady Clark of Calton, and these would be used in place of judicial titles.
Notes
- ^ "The Queen herself knighted Sir Elton John, so his new bride would normally be called a lady. Would David Furnish be called Laddie? No chance, says the palace. It called the question "interesting," but passed the buck to the government."- http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0512/20/sbt.01.html
- ^ http://www.supremecourt.gov.uk/docs/pr_1013.pdf
See also
References
- Montague-Smith, P. (editor). (1979). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage
External links
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