MODES OF ADDRESSING COMMUNICATIONS
Chargé d’affaires. — See Ambassador.
Clergy. — The general form of address is ‘The Reverend A — B’. Begin: ‘Rev. Sir’, or simply ‘Sir’.
Consul. — There is no special form of address to a person as such. ‘A — B — , Esq., H.B.M.’s Consul-General,’ or as the case may be. In the U.S.A., a Consul is styled ‘Honourable’.
Countess. — Address: ’The Right Honourable the I Countess of — ’. Begin: ‘Madam’; refer to as ‘Your Ladyship’.
Dean. — Address: ‘The Very Reverend the Dean of — ’. Begin: ‘Very Rev. Sir’; more familiarly ‘Mr. Dean’ (used in oral communications).
Doctor. — The initials denoting the particular decree are placed after the usual form of address, whether D.D., LL.D., M.D., D.Sc., &c. ‘The Rev. A — B — , D.D.’; ‘A — B — ,Esq., M.D’. Less formally: ‘The Rev. Doctor B — ’; ‘Doctor A — B — ’.
Dowager. — When the holder of a title marries, the widow of a previous holder of the same title becomes ‘dowager’, this being often inserted in addressing her: ‘The Right Hon. the Dowager Countess of — ’; ‘The Dowager Lady — ’. Instead of ‘Dowager’, to which some ladies object, the Christian name may be used: ‘The Right Hon. Mary, Countess of — ’. Begin: ‘Madam’; refer to as ‘Your Ladyship’.
Duke. — Address: ‘His Grace the Duke of — ’. Begin: ‘My Lord Duke’; refer to as ‘Your Grace’. Royal dukes are different. Duchess. — Address: ‘Her Grace the Duchess of — ’. Begin: ‘Madam’; refer to as ‘Your Grace’. The eldest son of a Duke takes his father’s second title: all the other children of a Duke are styled ‘Lord Edward’, ‘Lady Caroline’, etc. — Their wives take corresponding title. address as ‘The Rt. Hon. Lord, or Lady’. — Begin: ‘Sir’, or ‘Madam’; refer to as ‘Your Lordship’, or ‘Your Ladyship’.
Earl. — Address: ‘The Right Honourable the Earl of — ’, or ‘The Earl of — ’. Begin: ‘My Lord’; refer to as ‘Your Lordship’. The wife of an earl is a countess. Earl’s Children. — The eldest son takes a courtesy title from his father. The younger sons are all called Honourable. The daughters are all addressed as the daughters of a Duke.
Envoy. — See Ambassador.
Executive Council, Members of (in Indian and Colonial Governments). Generally addressed as ‘The Honourable A — B — ’.
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