Enter Title Here

I am fed up of seeing British-set historical romances that mess up with titles. If you’re going to write aristocracy in your romance, this is fundamental stuff, and it really does stamp COULDN’T BE BOTHERED across your book if you get it wrong.

A briefish guide follows. Titles are ranked in order of importance and we’re going to work our way up from low to high. Also, this is English and some titles work differently in Scotland: I can’t help you with that so check separately.

(This is a revamp of an older post which I somehow lost when I redid my website, btw.)

1) Knighthood

Mr David Fisher is living a simple life with his wife Eleanor (formally Mrs David Fisher), when he receives a knighthood for his services to the Board of Taxes. He is now Sir David Fisher. He is addressed as Sir David.

He is NEVER. EVER. EVER. EVER addressed as “Sir Fisher”. This form DOES NOT EXIST. “Sir” only ever goes with the first name—Sir David. I swear to God, I will come after you with a brick if you get this wrong.

Mrs Fisher is now Lady Fisher. She would not be called “Lady Eleanor” or “Lady Eleanor Fisher” under any circumstances whatsoever. Internalise that.

A knighthood is not heritable. Sir David’s children are Mr John Fisher and Miss Jane Fisher.

2) Baronet

Baronets don’t count as peers, but baronetcies are heritable. When the knight Sir David Fisher is upgraded to baronet for services to the crown, he remains Sir David, married to Lady Fisher (not Lady Eleanor, don’t be a fool), but now his son John will inherit the baronetcy on his death to become Sir John Fisher.

In the event of a woman holding a baronetcy in her own right, she is Dame Jane Hodgson, addressed as Lady Hodgson. Not—do I need to say this?—Lady Jane.

3) Baron

The lowest rung of the peerage. When David gets elevated to the peerage, he becomes David Fisher, The Baron Tarlton, and is addressed as Lord Tarlton (not as “Baron Tarlton” or “Baron”). In writing, The Right Honourable Baron Tarlton. His wife the baroness is addressed as Lady Tarlton (still not “Lady Eleanor”, don’t try me).

His children are The Honourable John Fisher and The Honourable Jane Fisher in writing but addressed in speech as Mr/Miss Fisher. When David dies, John becomes Lord Tarlton.

A baron might be titled with a territorial designation (Baron Tarlton) or just with their surname (Mrs Thatcher became Baroness Thatcher) or as surname plus territorial designation (Baron Rees of Ludlow). This surname may or may not be their actual surname, so a bloke called Richard Gilbey is currently Baron Vaux of Harrowden. On the plus side, I’m assured barons don’t sell, so you can easily avoid this one.

4) Viscount

The Viscount Tarlton is called Lord Tarlton and his viscountess is Lady Tarlton and you didn’t even think about calling her “Lady Eleanor” did you. Children are Hons.

Note that barons and viscounts are the ones where the title is most likely to lack an “of”. The Baron Tarlton, The Viscount Tarlton. There are some higher titles without a territorial designation (The Earl Grey, as in tea, The Earl Crane in my Magpie books) but they’re less usual.

5) Earl

Peter Vaudrey, The Earl of Lychdale is addressed as Lord Lychdale. He is absolutely never addressed as “Earl”, “Earl Lychdale” or “Lord Peter”. His wife Mary is The Countess of Lychdale and addressed as—you know this—Lady Lychdale.  

NB: Quite often a high ranking aristo (earl, marquess or duke) may have several titles.

Vernon Fortescue Cassian George de Vere Crosse, the fourth Duke of Severn, the Earl of Harmsford, Baron Crosse of Wotton, and Baron Vere walked into an inn. They were all the same man. (The Duke at Hazard)

An earl, marquess or duke’s eldest son (the heir apparent) will probably be given one of his father’s lesser titles. This is called a courtesy title because it’s a politeness, not a right. The heir apparent is the eldest son, and only the eldest son. If there are no sons, the title-holder’s brother, cousin, or daughter where the title can descend through the female doesn’t get a courtesy title because they are only an heir presumptive, i.e. could be pushed out of the way by the birth of a son.

NB If a title is substantive (i.e. it’s yours by right and nobody can take it off you) you are The Viscount Fortunegate. If it’s a courtesy title, you’re just Viscount Fortunegate, no The. The capital is technically correct; I’d only bother using it in a book if presenting the text of a letter/invitation, but you do you.

So. Peter Vaudrey is The Earl of Lychdale and The Viscount Fortunegate. You always use the higher title, so we call him Lord Lychdale. When he has his first son, baby Hector is his heir apparent and is accorded the viscountcy as a courtesy title. So Hector is immediately Viscount Fortunegate (not The), addressed as Lord Fortunegate. When the existing Lord Lychdale dies, Hector becomes The Earl of Lychdale and The Viscount Fortunegate, unless he already has a son, in which case the son gets the courtesy title.

Lord Lychdale’s younger son Lucien is The Hon Lucien Vaudrey, called Mr Vaudrey.

HOWEVER, Lychdale’s daughter Lucy is Lady Lucy Vaudrey, and yes, she is addressed as Lady Lucy. At last!  

Why is the daughter of an earl styled Lady Firstname, when his younger sons are mere Misters? Well, it’s because hahahaha you think there’s reason in this.

6) Marquess

A marquess is married to a marchioness and possesses a marquessate. This mostly works like earls. The Marquess of Cirencester is addressed as Lord Cirencester; his wife is Lady Cirencester; his eldest son probably has a courtesy title that makes him Earl of Cricklade or Viscount Cricklade; his daughters are Lady Firstname.

HOWEVER (of course there’s a however), the younger sons of a marquess get a courtesy style. They are called Lord Firstname.

So if George Vane, The Marquess of Cirencester has kids Emma, Matthew, and James, in that order, they are addressed respectively as Lady Emma, Lord Cricklade, and Lord James.  

If your MC is Henry Fotherington, Lord Albany, i.e. he possesses a substantive title, he will never EVER be called Lord Henry. Not by anyone. Never. Don’t fuck with me. “Lord Henry” is the younger son of a marquess or duke, and that is all she wrote. Too many Regency blurbs begin along the lines of “Lord Henry Fotherington, the Earl of Albany…”, which makes as much sense as “Captain Henry Fotherington, General of the Fifth Army…”. Way to torpedo your book before the reader’s even opened it.

7) Dukes

Dukes have a duchy or dukedom. (A duchy refers to territory, like the duchy of Cornwall, whereas dukedom can refer only to the rank/title.) Duke’s wife = duchess. You will be profoundly relieved to hear it’s otherwise the same as marquesses EXCEPT (lol you thought there wasn’t an except) dukes are the only rank of the peerage addressed by rank in conversation/introduction. “Good evening, Duke.” “Duchess, what do you think?”

The Duke of Warminster can be addressed as Duke, Your Grace or Sir (only dukes are called Sir in this way). You won’t find him addressed as Lord Warminster. His Duchess is addressed as Duchess or Your Grace. (Do I need to say it? Don’t make me say it.)

8) Widows

When the Marquess of Cirencester dies, his widow Eustacia remains the Marchioness of Cirencester, addressed as Lady Cirencester, until the new marquess marries. At that point the widow becomes the Dowager Marchioness of Cirencester / the Dowager Lady Cirencester. She is still addressed as Lady Cirencester, but may be referred to as Eustacia, Lady Cirencester to avoid confusion. Do we think she is ever called Lady Eustacia? Do we??? /slaps baseball bat meaningfully into hand/

9) Inheritance/promotion

All right, we’re going to run a couple of generations. Hold on.

Let’s say we have two boys in the Vane family, elder George and younger Gideon.

George Vane is The Marquess of Cirencester and The Viscount Rodmarton. He is addressed as Lord Cirencester. His younger brother is Lord Gideon Vane because he was the younger son of a marquess (the previous Lord Cirencester); that didn’t change when their father died and George became marquess.

Lord Cirencester (George) has two sons, Philip and Richard, and a daughter, Abigail. Philip is styled Viscount Rodmarton (courtesy title for the heir apparent), Richard is Lord Richard, Abigail is Lady Abigail. Philip’s son Eustace is the Hon Eustace Vane. When Lord Cirencester (George) dies, Rodmarton (Philip) becomes Lord Cirencester and Eustace becomes Lord Rodmarton. Lord Richard Vane (Philip’s brother) remains Lord Richard.

If Lady Abigail Vane marries commoner Mr Simon Nichols, she becomes Lady Abigail Nichols, addressed as Lady Abigail, while her husband remains Mr Nichols. If she marries Sir James Parrish, she becomes Lady Abigail Parrish, called Lady Abigail. (Not Lady Parrish, because the daughter of a marquess ranks higher than the wife of a knight and you generally use the higher style.) However, if she marries the Earl of Bute, she will go by Lady Bute, because a countess in her own right gets more social points than a courtesy style.

When George’s brother Lord Gideon Vane marries Miss Anne Smith, she becomes Lady Gideon Vane, addressed as Lady Gideon. (Not Lady Anne, but you didn’t need me to tell you that.)

What happens if Lord Gideon Vane marries Lady Anne Smith, the daughter of a marquess? That is in fact a bloody good question to which I couldn’t find a definitive answer. I would hazard she’d stick to Lady Anne but I’m prepared to be corrected.

Lord and Lady Gideon’s children don’t even get an Hon.

Key facts reminder

• “Sir” for a knight/baronet is ALWAYS used with the forename, NEVER the surname. Sir Ian, not Sir McKellen.

• Any woman addressed as Lady Firstname is the daughter of an earl or above. This is not negotiable.

• Any man addressed as Lord Firstname is the younger son of a marquess or duke. This is not negotiable.

• Forms of address are not random. They only change when circumstances do, with a marriage or a promotion-by-relative’s-death. If you are angry with Lady Amelia Vane, you do not demonstrate it by switching from the friendly “Lady Amelia” to a chilly “Lady Vane”, in the same way that if you’re angry with Colonel Jones, you don’t demonstrate it by calling him “Private Jones” or “General Jones” because that would sound really stupid. (It is obviously fine to switch from an intimate '“Amelia” to a chilly “Lady Amelia”/“Lady Vane”, as appropriate.)

• Nobody is addressed by their rank except dukes. You do not say, “What do you think, Marquess?” or “Good evening, Viscount Rodmarton.” That should be “What do you think, my lord?” or “Good evening, Lord Rodmarton,” or “Evening, Rodmarton, old chap.”

• Most titles go by male primogeniture. Some older baronies, viscountcies and a very few earldoms can be inherited through the female line if there is no male heir. See this blog post for much more details on inheritance of titles.

• This may be ridiculous, but it is not optional. Again, see this blog post. If you don’t want to get mired in it, write about normal people.

None of this was my idea. It’s also not something that has to be explained on page: frankly the less said, the better. Just make sure you know what your aristo characters are meant to be called, both title and form of address, stick it to the screen on a Post-It note, and bask in the quiet glory of righteousness.

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If you like me telling you what to do, my writing advice book Think, Write, Edit, Romance comes out in December!