Part 22

Below the rank of royalty there is the distinction between letters addressed by persons on an equality with those to whom formal and they write, and by inferiors.

I shall call them formal and informal, and range them in separate lines.

Informal. Formal.

The Duke of ---- To His Grace the Duke of ----

The Duchess of ---- To Her Grace the Duchess of ----

The Marquis of ---- To the Most Honourable the Marquis of ----

The Marchioness of ---- To the Most Honourable the Marchioness of ----

The Earl of ---- To the Right Honourable the Earl of ----

The Countess of ---- To the Right Honourable the Countess of ----

The Viscount ---- The Right Honourable the Viscount ----

The Viscountess ---- The Right Honourable the Viscountess ----

Lord ---- The Right Honourable Lord ---- or Baron ----

Lady ---- The Right Honourable Lady ---- or Baroness----

Members of the Privy Council are also addressed as “Right Honourable,” in the same way as Peers. In this case the names of commoners are not followed by the abbreviation “Esq.,” as:--

The Right Honourable James Balfour, M.P.

Ambassadors and their wives are addressed as “His Excellency,” “Her Excellency,” the personal and official titles following the word, as:--

To His Excellency the Earl of----, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to France.

To Her Excellency the Countess of----.

Other official personages are addressed in the following way:--

To His Excellency Lord Blank, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

To His Grace the Archbishop of----.

The Right Reverend the Bishop of----.

The Very Reverend the Dean of----.

Academical distinctions are indicated by the initials placed after the name--LL.D. for Doctor of Laws and Learning, D.D. for Doctor of Divinity and so on.

So much for the envelopes. The proper way to begin letters is as follows. As I have mentioned, the Queen is addressed as “Madam” in the inside of a letter. A gentleman writing

to the Queen would sign himself, “I have the honour to submit myself, with profound respect, Your Majesty’s most devoted subject and servant.” Above the word “Madam” should be written “Her Majesty the Queen.” Lord Beaconsfield struck out a line of his own and in writing to the Queen began, “Mr. Disraeli,” continuing in the third person and addressing Her Majesty in the second.

The Prince of Wales is addressed as “Sir,” above this word being written “To His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.” Persons on intimate terms sometimes begin “Sir” or “Dear Prince,” others “My dear Prince.” The Princess of Wales is occasionally addressed by friends as “My dear Princess.” The two orthodox endings to such letters are respectively “Your Royal Highness’s dutiful and obedient servant,” or (a humbler style) “Your Royal Highness’s dutiful and most obedient servant.” To all other Royal Princes and Princesses the ending would be “Most Humble and Obedient Servant.”

Dukes other than royal are addressed inside letters by intimates as “Dear Duke,” by others “My Lord Duke, may it please your Grace.” In writing to a Duchess her title is placed above the “Madam.” In formal letters Marquises would be addressed as “My Lord Marquis.”