Part 9 (1/2)

In German t.i.tles the distinction of ”Von” before the surname is seldom used colloquially, the t.i.tle and surname being used without the prefix of ”Von.” Thus, ”Count von Ausberg” should be addressed as ”Count Ausberg” in conversation, and not as ”Monsieur le Comte.”

Foreign ladies of rank should be addressed by their t.i.tle and surname, and not by their t.i.tle only, and the prefix ”Von” should be omitted; but in the case of a French or Italian t.i.tle the ”de” or ”de la” before the surname should on no account be omitted.

When Englishmen are extremely intimate with foreigners of rank they would, in conversation, probably address them by their surnames; but only thorough intimacy and friends.h.i.+p warrants this familiarity.

=As regards addressing the Clergy=, an archbishop should be addressed colloquially as ”Archbishop” by the upper cla.s.ses, and as ”Your Grace”

by the clergy and all other cla.s.ses.

A bishop should be addressed colloquially as ”Bishop” by the upper cla.s.ses, and as ”My Lord” by the clergy and all other cla.s.ses.

A dean should be styled ”Dean Blank” or ”Dean,” by the upper cla.s.ses, and as ”Mr. Dean” by the clergy.

An archdeacon should be addressed as ”Archdeacon Blank,” and a canon as ”Canon Blank.”

The wives of archbishops, bishops, and deans should be respectively addressed as ”Mrs. A.,” ”Mrs. B.,” or ”Mrs. C.” They take no t.i.tle from the spiritual rank of their husbands.

=Officers in the Army= should be respectively addressed as ”General A.,”

”Colonel B.,” ”Major C.,” or ”Captain D.,” and not as ”General,”

”Colonel,” or ”Major,” except by their very intimate friends.

The wives of officers should be addressed as ”Mrs. A.,” ”Mrs. B.,” ”Mrs.

C.,” or ”Mrs. D.” They should never be addressed as ”Mrs. General A.,”

”Mrs. Colonel B.,” ”Mrs. Major C.,” or ”Mrs. Captain D.”

A lady should not address her husband colloquially by his surname only, as ”Jones,” ”Brown,” or by whatever his surname might be, or speak of him without the prefix of ”Mr.”

The usual rule is for a wife to speak of her husband as ”Mr. Brown,” or ”My husband,” except to intimate friends, when the christian name only is frequently used, and to address him by his christian name only.

A wife should not address her husband by the initial letter of his surname, as ”Mr. B.” or ”Mr. P.”; neither should a husband address his wife by the initial letter of his surname.

When intimate friends address each other by the initial letter of their names it is by way of pleasantry only, and such cases, of course, do not come within the rules of etiquette.

Peeresses frequently address their husbands, and speak of them, by the name attached to their t.i.tle, in place of using their christian or family name. Thus, the ”Earl of Blanks.h.i.+re” would be styled ”Blanks.h.i.+re”

by his wife, without the prefix of ”Lord,” and his usual signature would be ”Blanks.h.i.+re,” without the addition of any christian name.

Baronets' wives should not address their husbands by their surnames, but by their christian names, and should speak of them as ”Sir George” or ”Sir John.”

The wives of knights also should not address their husbands by their surnames, but by their christian names, and should speak of them as ”Sir George” or ”Sir John.”

The Lord Mayor should be addressed as ”Lord Mayor,” colloquially, and the Lady Mayoress as ”Lady Mayoress,” unless the Lord Mayor during office is created a baronet or receives the honour of knighthood, when he should be addressed as ”Sir John” or ”Sir Henry,” and his wife as ”Lady A.”

CHAPTER VII

POINTS OF ETIQUETTE AS REGARDS ROYAL PERSONAGES