Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom
A courtesy title ( Courtesy Title) is a title for addressing current or former wives ( widows and divorced ), children, daughters, brothers and their wives, and sisters of a peer in the UK. The name of Courtesy ( politeness ) includes doing more than the German translation implies. On the death of peers, the title retained, but children of the title holder does not inherit this. These rules also apply to the members of the royal family; for the descendants of the reigning monarch, there are additional rules.
Examples of courtesy titles are Lord, Lady, The Honourable, where Lord and Lady be used for peers, so not only are courtesy titles in the strict sense. The Salutation The Honourable (or The Right Honourable ) is also used in other cases in the UK, for example, for senior judges and some senior officials and members of parliament. The same is true for other countries, especially from the Commonwealth and in the United States (where the notation Honorable reads ).
Courtesy title for descendants
Courtesy title came about because a hereditary title of nobility in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland ( there are no uniform title of nobility in the United Kingdom ) only one person - must be done - namely, the current title holder. Only after his death the title goes (usually ) over to the eldest male descendant. If the deceased title holder has no male descendant, however, the title falls back to the oldest living male descendant of the previous title holder. Prior to the descendant basically only used his real name, the title of each owner in the United Kingdom in addition leads to his noble title as the name (someone who imagines real name as Mr. Spencer, besides, nor the Duke of Marlborough to be). This system of nobility means that later-born members of noble families " return " to the middle class, if they are entitled to no courtesy title. "Citizens" in this context is to be understood as a person who does not carry any title of nobility.
Courtesy title of the eldest son
If a nobleman from the rank of Earl, Marquess or Duke still performs other title, these may be the eldest son in a protocol-related ranking ( precedence ) lower down the title used as a courtesy title. If this eldest son in turn has an eldest son, and still more subordinate items are available, including this one of those titles can lead. For example, if the Duke of Norfolk Earl of Arundel and at the same time Baron Maltravers, then his eldest son as Earl of Arundel and his grandson is addressed as Baron Maltravers. However, only the grandfather is a peer. The other two remain civil, until they acquire a substantial title of nobility. This courtesy title ( courtesy titles) are always used only by the oldest son. The remaining descendants carry no courtesy title.
The carrier substantial nobility differ from those that only engender a courtesy title, by the addition of the article The. It is said in the above example, although The Duke of Norfolk, but only Earl of Arundel.
Which title is now used exactly, is a matter of family tradition. It is usually chosen so that can not be confused with other title holders. For example, the Duke of Wellington and Marquess of Wellington and Marquess Douro. The eldest son of the Duke of Wellington, however, Marquess, because that could not be easily confused with the title of his father, but instead the Marquess Douro.
Sons of viscounts and barons do not have the privilege to lead such a courtesy title.
This rule also applies in the female owners more substantial titles of nobility ( peeress in her own right).
Courtesy title other descendants
A similar honorific, in the form of a name addition is granted to younger sons and all daughters of a nobleman or a nobleman. This addition is different depending on the rank of the title holder: the son of a baron leads the prefix " Hon " ( = The Honourable, dt values of honor ), the daughter of an earl, the prefix Lady etc. This salutation is not with the salutation The Right Honourable be confused.
When the daughter of a peer marries a commoner, it remains the courtesy title, the bourgeois last name is replaced with the last name of her husband.
Courtesy title for spouses of a nobleman
The wife of the owner of a substantive title of nobility leads, if it owns no own higher-ranking titles, also a courtesy title, which is based on the title of her husband. So the wife of a baron is referred to as Baroness, the wife of an earl and countess as the wife of a Duke as Duchess, etc. Although it is traditionally referred to as peeress, they will not for the owner of a substantial nobility title. Is the woman of noble birth, she is with her own first name addressed (for example, Lady Elizabeth ). Is it bourgeois origin, called the man (for example Lady Peter ) first name.
The bourgeois husband of the owner of a substantial nobility title ( peeress in her own right ), however, does not acquire a courtesy title.