Styles represent the fashion by which monarchs and noblemen are properly addressed. Throughout history, many different styles were used, with little standardization. This page will detail the various styles used by royalty and nobility in Europe, in the final form arrived at in the nineteenth century.[why?]
Only those classified within the social class ofroyalty and upper nobility have a style of "Highness" attached before their titles. Reigning bearers of forms of Highness included grand princes, grand dukes, reigning princes, reigning dukes, and princely counts, their families, and the agnatic (of the male bloodline) descendants of emperors and kings. Royalty (usually emperors to princely counts) are all consideredsovereign princes (German:Fürsten).
Emperors and empresses held the style ofImperial Majesty (HIM).
Members of imperial families generally hold the style ofImperial Highness (HIH).
In theAustrian Empire, theEmperor was also theKing of Hungary, and thus bore the style ofImperial and Royal Majesty. Subsequently, members of the imperial family, who were also members of the royal family ofHungary, held the style ofImperial and Royal Highness (HI&RH). Abbreviation to Imperial Highness is common and accepted.
In theGerman Empire, the other "heir" to the Holy Roman Empire, the Emperor and Empress were also addressed as Imperial and Royal Majesty, as they ruled over both the German Empire and Kingdom of Prussia. Similarly, the Crown Prince of the Empire and Prussia was styled Imperial and Royal Highness. Other members of the House of Prussia, having no constitutional place in the Empire as such, were only entitled to the style of Royal Highness.
InImperial Russia, children and male-line grandchildren of the Emperor bore the style of Imperial Highness. Male-line great-grandchildren held the style of Highness; also, the eldest son of any person who held the style of Highness also held the style of Highness. All other male-line descendants held the style ofSerenity, often translated as "Serene Highness". Some Russian noble princes also hold the style of Serenity; all others and Russian princely counts hold the style ofIllustriousness, often translated as "Illustrious Highness".
Members of royal families (princes and princesses) generally have the style ofRoyal Highness, although in some royal families (for instance,Denmark andNorway), more junior princes and princesses bear the style of Highness.
Reigninggrand dukes and grand duchesses hold the style of Royal Highness.
The styles of members of grand ducal families have been inconsistent. InLuxembourg, more senior members of the family have also been Royal Highnesses, but only due to their status asPrinces of Bourbon-Parma (itself an inconsistency as Parma was only ducal, but this family has male-line descent from kings ofEtruria, Spain and France). InBaden andHesse and by Rhine, junior members held the style ofGrand Ducal Highness. Members of other grand ducal families (for instance,Oldenburg) generally held the style of Highness.
Reigningdukes and duchesses bore the style ofHighness, as did other members of ducal families. Junior members of some ducal families bore the style ofDucal Serene Highness, although it fell out of fashion.
Theelector ofHesse-Kassel also bore the style of Highness, as did other members of the Hesse-Kassel family.
Reigning princes bear the style ofSerene Highness (German:Durchlaucht,French:Son Altesse Sérénissime), as do other members of princely families.Mediatized dukes and princes also bear the style of Serene Highness.
Mediatized princelycounts and countesses bear the style ofIllustrious Highness (HIllH,German:Erlaucht).
In addition to their national royal styles, manymonarchs have or had "treaty styles" to distinguish one monarch from another in international settings. For example, the sovereign of France was styled "Most Christian Majesty", the King of Hungary as "Apostolic Majesty", of theHoly Roman Empire of the German Nation as "August Majesty". The sovereign of the United Kingdom is customarily referred to as "Britannic Majesty", the king of Spain as His "Catholic Majesty", etc. Monarchs also typically have a longer style than other princely members within the same royal house. For example, the monarch of the United Kingdom has a much longer style than that of other members of the British royal family. The full style and titles ofKing Charles III in the United Kingdom are "His Majesty Charles the Third, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith".
Before the French Revolution, and from 1814 to 1830 (apart from a brief period in 1815), the King of France used the formal style ofMost High, Most Potent and Most Excellent Prince (French:Très Haut, Très Puissant et Très Excellent Prince) orMost Christian Majesty (French:Majesté Très Chrétienne). For general usage, however, until the final end of the Bourbon monarchy in 1830, kings and queens of France were styledMajesty (French:Majesté)
Children and male-line grandchildren of the King used the style ofMost High, Most Potent and Excellent Prince orPrincess (French:Très Haut, Très Puissant et Excellent Prince) orRoyal Highness (French:Altesse Royale) andLord (French:Monseigneur) followed by their main title.
Louis, Grand Dauphin was referred to by the titleMonseigneur only, while retaining the style ofRoyal Highness
The eldest unmarried daughter of the King was referred to by the titleMadame only, while retaining the style ofRoyal Highness
Younger unmarried daughters of the King were referred to by the titleMadame followed by their first name, while retaining the style ofRoyal Highness
The oldest brother of the King was referred to by the titleMonsieur only, while retaining the style ofRoyal Highness
His eldest unmarried daughter was referred to by the titleMademoiselle only, while retaining the style ofRoyal Highness.
Younger unmarried daughters of Monsieur were referred to by the titleMademoiselle followed by their main title, while retaining the style ofRoyal Highness
Younger brothers of the King used only the style ofMonseigneur, followed by their main title.
Princes of the Blood used the style ofMost High, Most Potent and Excellent Prince orPrincess (French:Très Haut, Très Puissant et Excellent Prince) orSerene Highness (French:Altesse Sérénissime) andMonseigneur orMademoiselle followed by their main title.
Until 1707, the First Prince of the Blood (head of the House of Condé) was referred to by the titleMonsieur le Prince only, while retaining the style ofSerene Highness
After 1707, the head of theHouse of Condé was referred to by the titleMonsieur le Duc only, while retaining the style ofSerene Highness
Foreign andlegitimized princes used the title ofHigh and Potent Prince (French:Haut et Puissant Prince) and claimed the right to use the style ofHighness (French:Altesse) andMonseigneur followed by their main title.
Dukes and Peers used the style ofMost High and Most Potent Lord (French:Très-Haut et Très-Puissant Seigneur), but in the 18th century, that style was used by lesser-ranked nobles
Other titled nobility used the style ofMost High and Potent Lord (French:Très-Haut et Puissant Seigneur) orHigh and Potent Lord (French:Haut et Puissant Seigneur)
Dukes and duchesses in the peerages ofEngland,Scotland,Great Britain,Ireland, and theUnited Kingdom (who are not royalty or highness) bear the styles of "Grace" (e.g. "His Grace", "Her Grace", or "Your Grace") and "Most Noble".[1][2][3] They also hold the style of "Most High, Potent, and Noble Prince",[4][5] but even in the most formal situations, this is usually shortened toThe Most Noble, which is still considered to be very formal. The Crown officially addresses them as "Our right trusty and entirely beloved Cousin".[3]
Marquesses and marchionesses bear the styles ofThe Most Honourable andLordship (e.g. "His Lordship", "Her Ladyship", "Your Lordship", or "Your Ladyship").[1][6] They also hold the style of "Most Noble and Puissant Prince",[7] but even in the most formal situations, this style is rarely used.
The style of anEarl and a Countess (in her own right) is "Right Honourable" and they are officially, albeit archaically, addressed by the Crown as "Our right trusty and right well-beloved Cousin".[8] On some occasions, an Earl may bear the title of "Most Noble and Puissant Prince".[9]
The style of aViscount and a Viscountess (in her own right) is also "Right Honourable" and they are officially addressed by the Crown as "Our right trust and well-beloved Cousin".[8]
Barons, baronesses,Scottish Lords of Parliament, and Scottish Ladies of Parliament bear the styles ofThe Right Honourable andLordship.[10][1]
Scottish Barons and Baronesses bear the style ofThe Much Honoured.
Mediatizeddukes (German:Reichsherzöge) andprinces (German:Reichsfürsten) in Germany bore the style ofSerene Highness (German:Durchlaucht) or, in the case of dukes, Ducal Serene Highness. With regard to dukes, this fell out of use in the 19th century, at least for the reigning members (who are styled as Highness).
Mediatizedcounts (German:Reichsgrafen) in Germany bore the style ofIllustrious Highness (German:Erlaucht).
Non-mediatized nobledukes (German:Herzöge) andprinces (German:Fürsten) used to bear the title ofDucal/Princely Grace (German:herzogliche/fürstliche Gnaden). They were rare, though, and at the beginning of the 20th century, they were altogether granted the style of Serene Highness byEmperor Franz Joseph I.
Other German nobles below the rank of count bore the style ofHigh Well-born (German:Hochwohlgeboren). Another style wasWell-born (German:Wohlgeboren), which ranked below High Well-born but was not used for proper nobility and therefore fell out of use.
