Royal and noble 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.
Imperial, royal, and princely styles
Only those classified within the social class of royalty 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 descendants of emperors and kings. Royalty are all considered sovereign princes.- Emperors and empresses held the style of Imperial Majesty.
- Members of imperial families generally hold the style of Imperial Highness.
- In the Austrian Empire, the Emperor was also the King of Hungary, and thus bore the style of Imperial and Royal Majesty. Subsequently, members of the imperial family, who were also members of the royal family of Hungary, held the style of Imperial and Royal Highness. Abbreviation to Imperial Highness is common and accepted.
- In the German 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.
- In Imperial 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 of Serenity, often translated as "Serene Highness". Some Russian noble princes also hold the style of Serenity; all others and Russian princely counts hold the style of Illustriousness, often translated as "Illustrious Highness".
- Kings and queens have the style of His/Her Majesty.
- Members of royal families generally have the style of Royal Highness, although in some royal families, more junior princes and princesses bear the style of Highness.
- Reigning grand dukes and grand duchesses hold the style of Royal Highness.
- The styles of members of grand ducal families have been inconsistent. In Luxembourg, more senior members of the family have also been Royal Highnesses, but only due to their status as Princes of Bourbon-Parma. In Baden and Hesse and by Rhine, junior members held the style of Grand Ducal Highness. Members of other grand ducal families generally held the style of Highness.
- Reigning dukes and duchesses bore the style of Highness, as did other members of ducal families. Junior members of some ducal families bore the style of Ducal Serene Highness, although it fell out of fashion.
- The elector of Hesse-Kassel also bore the style of Highness, as did other members of the Hesse-Kassel family.
- Reigning princes bear the style of Serene Highness, as do other members of princely families. Mediatized dukes and princes also bear the style of Serene Highness.
- Mediatized princely counts and countesses bear the style of Illustrious Highness.
Royal and noble styles in France
- Before the French Revolution, and from 1814 to 1830, the King of France used the formal style of Most Christian Majesty. For general usage, however, until the final end of the Bourbon monarchy in 1830, kings and queens of France were styled Majesty
- Children and male-line grandchildren of the King used the style of Most High, Most Potent and Excellent Prince or Princess or Royal Highness and Monseigneur followed by their main title.
- * Louis, Grand Dauphin was referred to by the title Monseigneur only, while retaining the style of Royal Highness
- * The eldest unmarried daughter of the King was referred to by the title Madame only, while retaining the style of Royal Highness
- * Younger unmarried daughters of the King were referred to by the title Madame followed by their first name, while retaining the style of Royal Highness
- * The oldest brother of the King was referred to by the title Monsieur only, while retaining the style of Royal Highness
- ** His eldest unmarried daughter was referred to by the title Mademoiselle only, while retaining the style of Royal Highness.
- ** Younger unmarried daughters of Monsieur were referred to by the title Mademoiselle followed by their main title, while retaining the style of Royal Highness
- * Younger brothers of the King used only the style of Monseigneur, followed by their main title.
- Princes of the Blood used the style of Most High, Most Potent and Excellent Prince or Princess or Serene Highness and Monseigneur or Mademoiselle followed by their main title.
- * Until 1707, the First Prince of the Blood was referred to by the title Monsieur le Prince only, while retaining the style of Serene Highness
- * After 1707, the head of the House of Condé was referred to by the title Monsieur le Duc only, while retaining the style of Serene Highness
- Foreign and legitimized princes used the title of High and Potent Prince and claimed the right to use the style of Highness and Monseigneur followed by their main title.
- Dukes and Peers used the style of Most High and Most Potent Lord, but in the 18th century, that style was used by lesser-ranked nobles
- Other titled nobility used the style of Most High and Potent Lord or High and Potent Lord
Noble styles in the United Kingdom
- Dukes and duchesses in the peerages of England, Scotland, Great Britain, Ireland, and the United Kingdom bear the style of Grace. They also hold the style of Most High, Potent, and Noble Prince, but even in the most formal situations, this is usually shortened to The Most Noble, which is still considered to be very formal.
- Marquesses and marchionesses bear the styles of The Most Honourable and Lordship. They also hold the style of Most Noble, Most Honourable, and Potent Prince, but even in the most formal situations, this style is rarely used.
- Earls, countesses, viscounts, viscountesses, barons, and baronesses bear the styles of The Right Honourable and Lordship.
- Scottish barons bear the style of The Much Honoured.
Belgium
- Archdukes are always styled Your Royal and Imperial Highness.
- Princes of noble blood, Your Serene Highness, and addressed monseigneur.
- Dukes are addressed as Monseigneur.
Noble styles in Germany
Mediatized nobility
- Mediatized dukes and princes in Germany bore the style of Serene Highness 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.
- Mediatized counts in Germany bore the style of Illustrious Highness.
Non-mediatized nobility
- Non-mediatized noble dukes and princes used to bear the title of Ducal/Princely Grace. They were rare, though, and at the beginning of the 20th century, they were altogether granted the style of Serene Highness by Emperor Franz Joseph I.
- Non-mediatized counts in Germany bore the style of High-born.
- Other German nobles below the rank of count bore the style of High Well-born. Another style was Well-born, which ranked below High Well-born but was not used for proper nobility and therefore fell out of use.
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