Courtesy title

A courtesy title is a form of address in the British peerage system used for wives, children, and other close relatives of a peer. These styles may mislead those unacquainted with the system into thinking that they have substantive titles.

Related Topics:
British - Peerage - Styles - Substantive titles

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If a peer of the rank of Duke, Marquess or Earl has more than one title, his eldest son, not himself a peer, uses one of the lesser titles; that title is only "loaned" to him - technically the son actually remains a commoner. (The eldest sons of Barons and Viscounts do not receive such a privilege - they are styled 'The Honourable'.) Similarly, if that eldest son has an eldest son, and there are additional titles available, he too may use a lesser title.

Related Topics:
Duke - Marquess - Earl - Commoner - Baron - Viscount - The Honourable

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For example, the Duke of Norfolk is also the Earl of Arundel and the Lord Maltravers, and so his son may be styled Earl of Arundel, and the grandson styled Lord Maltravers. However, only the grandfather is actually a peer: the other two remain commoners until they actually acquire a substantive title. Also, such courtesy titles are only used by the peer's eldest son, and the eldest son's eldest son, and so forth. Other descendants are not permitted to use the peer's subsidiary titles. In other words, only the Heir Apparent (and Heir Apparent to the Heir Apparent and so on) can use the titles. An Heir Presumptive has no right to use the courtesy title, since it is not certain that he will in time inherit the substantive title.

Related Topics:
Duke of Norfolk - Earl of Arundel - Lord Maltravers - Subsidiary title - Heir Apparent - Heir Presumptive

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For the British peerage, written references to courtesy peers are supposed to be in the form "Marquess of Blandford", "Earl of Arundel", etc., i.e. without the preceding definite article ("The"); substantive peers are named with the article, e.g. "The Marquess of Winchester", "The Earl of Derby", etc.

Related Topics:
Marquess of Blandford - Marquess of Winchester - Earl of Derby

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