Reynolds and Regalia

Who says you can't look good in the family uniform?  It may be a lot of red and gold but Joshua Reynolds helped some peers pull it off.  Which begs the question: Who wore it best?

Lord and Lady Pollington and their son, John, 1761-4

Anne Fitzroy, Duchess of Grafton, 1757-9

Elizabeth Percy, Duchess of Northumberland, 1757-9

The Harcourt Family, 1780

James Maitland, 7th Earl of Lauderdale, 1759

William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath, 1761

Isabella Countess of Erroll, 1763

Jane, Duchess of Gordon, 1778

Thomas Lawrence, Philadelphia Hannah, 1st Viscountess Cremorne, 1789

*Not a Reynolds, I know, but I couldn't resist this portrait's inclusion

Know the Proper Address

All those titles of nobles can get a bit confusing and overwhelming. You have to know the proper form of address if you ever ran into one on your daily constitutional at St James. How embarrassing to make that social faux pas!

Let's review!

The King: Your Majesty and thereafter, Sire
The Queen: Your Majesty and thereafter, Ma'am
The Prince of Wales and other princes: Your Royal Highness, and thereafter, Sir
Princess Royal and other princesses: Your Royal Highness, and thereafter, Ma'am
A grandchild of a Prince without a tile: Lord Firstname or Lady Firstname

Duke and Duchess: Your Grace
Marquess, Earl, Viscount, Baron, or Lord of Parliament: My Lord, Your Lordship or Lord X
Marchioness, Countess, Viscountess, Baroness: My Lady, Your Ladyship, or Lady X
Baroness in her own right: My Lady, Your Ladyship, Lady X, or Baroness X
Baronet and Knight: Sir or Sir Firstname
Baronetess in her own right and Dame: Madame or Dame Firstname
Baronet and Knight's wife: My Lady or Lady X
Lady (knighted): My Lady or Lady Firstname

Elder Sons of Dukes, Marquesses, and Earls: My Lord, Lord X
Heir-Apparent of a Scottish Duke,Marquess, or Earl: Sir, Master
Heiress-Apparent of a Scottish Duke, Marquess, or Earl: Madam, Mistress
Younger sons of a Duke: My Lord or Lord Firstname
Younger daughters of a Duke: My Lady or Lady Firstname
Earl's younger son and sons of viscounts, barons, and the Lord of Parliament (Hon. titles): Sir or Mr. X
Earl's younger daughter and daughters of viscounts, barons, and the Lord of Parliament (Hon. titles): Madam or Miss/Mrs. X

Easy right? Oh but wait, it looks like some of the clergy are also enjoying the weather. Do you know the proper form of address for them? It would be awful to insult a man of the cloth.

Archbishop: Your Grace, Archbishop
Bishops: My lord, Bishop
Dean, Provost, Archdeacon, Prebendary, or Canon: by their titles (ie: Provost)
Priest: Mr. X or Father
Deacon: Deacon or Mr. X

The English Peerage

Attempting to figure out the line of Peerage can be a bit daunting. So I am going to do my best to create a bit of a guide. Bare with me!

Peers have a family name as well as a title; Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. Peers have more than one title and go by their highest title. Their eldest son will take his father's other titles when he is born and all other males in the family are considered commoners. When the father dies the eldest son inherits the highest title and his wife will now have the title of Dowager in front of their title; Dowager Princess of Wales. If no male heirs are to be found in the correct bloodline the title will become extinct, such as the Dukedom of Portland which expired in 1990. If a daughter of a peer marries a commoner the title Honourable will be added before their name, such as The Honourable Mary Graham.

The peerage has a hierarchy which is as such:

DUKE and DUCHESS
Address: "Your Grace" (ie: Her Grace the Duchess of Devonshire)
Style: The Most Noble or His/Her Grace the Duke/Duchess
Rules: a duchy
Coronet: Eight strawberry leaves, five in two-dimension
The Duke of Cornwall is always the eldest son of the monarch, the monarch is the Duke/Duchess of Lancaster, the Duke of Norfolk is the Premiere Duke of England, the Duke of York is usually the second eldest son of the monarch (the Prince of Wales is the next in line for the throne).

MARQUESS, MARQUIS and MARCHIONESS, MARQUISE
Address: "Lord" or "Lady"
Style: The Most Honourable Marquess, Marquis/Marchioness, Marquise
Coronet: Three visible strawberry leaves, two visible silver balls (or pearls)

EARL and COUNTESS
Address: "Lord" and "Lady" (ie: My Lord Essex, Earl of Essex)
Style: The Right Honourable Earl/Countess
Rules: Earldom
Coronet: Four visible strawberry leaves, five visible silver balls (or pearls)

VISCOUNT and VISCOUNTESS
Address: "Lord" and "Lady"
Style: The Right Honourable Viscount/Viscountess
Rules: a Viscounty, viscountship, viscountcy
Coronet: Sixteen visible silver balls

BARON and BARONESS
Address: "Lord" and "Lady" unless the woman is a Baroness in her own right then she is "Baroness"
Style: The Right Honourable Baron/Baroness
Rules: a Barony
Coronet: Six silver balls or pearls

BARONET and BARONETESS (very rare) and KNIGHTS
Address: "Sir" and "Dame"
...are not considered peers. The title of Baronet could be inherited but not the title of Knight.