Order of Precedence in England and WalesContents
IntroductionThis page is essentially based on D. G. Squibb, Order of Precedence in England and Wales. 1981: Oxford, Clarendon Press. See also the essay on Precedence by Charles Mosley, in the 106th ed. of Burke's Peerage and Baronetage.Precedence dictates the order in which men and women arrive, leave, march, are seated, announced or greeted in official functions, ceremonies, receptions, dinners, documents. Certain categories of people are assigned precedence, either by reason of their person (who they are: members of the royal family, peers, knights) or what office they hold (officers of state, judges). Most people are not ranked in any way. There is a "general" order of precedence, and there are special orders for particular occasions. Most members of the royal family have a place in the order of precedence. However, that place is not based on the order of succession to the throne. Thus, the duke of Edinburgh precedes his son the prince of Wales (except in Parliament), and the brothers of the prince of Wales precede his sons. The rules governing precedence are based on custom (usually codified or embodied in documents emanating from the king or the Earl Marshal) and on statutes. Historical OverviewPrecedence existed in pre-Conquest times: an Anglo-Saxon document states that "in the laws of the English, people and law went by ranks." The Conquest presumably resulted in the introduction of precedence as it was practiced at the court of Normandy, just as titles and offices were imported by the victors.Evidence on precedence before 1399 comes from witness lists in diplomas and charters, as (starting around 1100) from salutations in royal charters, and later in statutes. It appears that the order was roughly as follows: the king and his family (sons), archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, earls, barons, justices, sheriffs, reeves and bailiffs. There does not seem to have been much consistency in the ranking of persons within categories, however. The oldest written order of precedence dates from 1399, and was probably drawn for the coronation of Henry IV. Other important documents date from 1429, 1466-7, 1487, and 1520. These documents are either anonymous (1399), or issued by the Constable of England (1429, 1466-7), High Steward (1487), Lord Chamberlain (1520). They represent the state of law and custom as perceived at the time, rather than prescriptive or legislative dispositions. However, the Order of 1520 was held in high regard, and was adopted by the commissioners for executing the office of Earl Marshal in 1595 when they were asked by Elizabeth I to inquire into place and precedence. "It can be fairly described as the basis of the modern system of precedence, which has been produced by making legislative additions to it" (p. 17). From the time of the Conquest, lay precedence originated in the King as fount of honor, while ecclesiastical precedence was governed by canon law, the law of the Church. In principle, therefore, there were separate orders of precedence for lay and clerics. On some occasions, attempts were made to meld the two, but the results were not consistent from one time to the next. The Reformation brought about a major change in this respect, placing the King as the sole source of precedence both for lay and clerics. This was done by the House of Lords Precedence Act (1539), which, although deciding only the seats to be occupied in Parliament, and keeping lay and clerics separate, nevertheless affirmed a non-papal source of precedence for ecclesiastics. Then, in 1595, Elizabeth I decided to solve some difficulties of precedence by commissioning the Lord High Treasurer, the Lord High Admiral and the Lord Chamberlain to inquire into the matter, calling on heralds and researching ancient documents. The commissioners ended up copying the Order of 1520, with a minor amendment, and presented it in the form of an ordinance dated 16 Jan 1595. "The Commissioners' ordinance is the basis of the present law of precedence" (p. 25). The present system results from successive additions and modifications of the ordinance of 1595, with attribution of precedence always defined in relation to existing precedence. General principlesHow Precedence is definedThe House of Lords Precedence Act 1539 (31 Hen VIII c. 10; see the Statutes at Large, Pickering edition (vol 4 p. 452) for an earlier version) and the Ordinance of 1595, both of which were to a large extent codifying current practice, form the canvass of the order of precedence. Everyone's place in the order of precedence is defined by reference to this initial list. Here is the order of precedence defined by the Ordinance of 1595 (the
original text is below). Ranks between parentheses are not actually
cited in the Ordinance.
The logic of the order is apparent:
Over time, various categories were inserted at various points in this ordering. Knights of the Garter, Thistle, St. Patrick come right after eldest sons of barons, thus taking the place of the obsolete knights banneret. Baronets rank a little lower, after younger sons of barons, but their eldest sons come after knights bachelor, and their younger sons after eldest sons of knights, while knights grand cross and knights commanders of various orders come right after baronets. Other grades of modern orders (RVO, OBE, etc) have been inserted in various places by the statutes of those orders. General and special orders of precedenceThe general order of precedence is the one that applies under most circumstances. There are other special orders, such as during ceremonies of the Order of the Garter (knights are ranked by investiture irrespective of peerage), or in certain judiciary ceremonies. There are local orders of precedence in which local officials are assigned particular rank.In Parliament (at least before the House of Lords Act 1999), precedence was determined by the Roll of Parliament, drawn each year until 1966 by Garter King of Arms, and since then by the Clerk of Parliament with Garter's advice. The Roll is printed at the head of the Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) for each session. The Roll lists all members of the House of Lords (members of the House of Commons have no precedence, although their Speaker does since 1919). The House of Lords Precedence Act 1539 is the basis for that roll, and some provisions of the act make clear that the order in Parliament is not the same as the order outside. Thus, order on the Roll is not necessarily conclusive evidence about order outside Parliament. For instance, the duke of Edinburgh was always ranked as a duke of the United Kingdom created in 1948, and thus ranked 32 on the roll of 1998, while in the general order of precedence he immediately follows the Queen and precedes his son. That is because his precedence assigned by warrant of 1952 is "unless provided otherwise by Act of Parliament". Interestingly, the duke of Windsor ranked 3d after Gloucester and Kent from 1937 to 1941, but became 2d before Kent after the death of the first duke of Kent in 1942. He was thus ranked after his brothers among sovereign's brothers, but came before a sovereign's nephew. The Great Officers of State do not have the same rank in and out of Parliament. In Parliament, their office confers upon them precedence before the other peers of their own rank, but not before peers of higher rank. Outside Parliament, their place does not depend on their peerage. Royal dukes who are not grandsons of sovereigns are ranked among ordinary dukes in Parliament (see "HRH the duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale" ranked 25th between the duke of Northumberland and the duke of Wellington in the Roll of Parliament of 1918, or the 2nd duke of Connaught who ranked 28th in 1942 when his grandfather had ranked 4th in 1941). But their place in the general order of precedence is clearly defined in the 16th century orders that form the basis for modern precedence. I am not sure what is the effect of the House of Lords Act. The Roll of Parliament is now called a "list of Members of the House," and is purely alphabetical, all non-sitting peers having been removed. But the House of Lords Precedence Act has not been repealed, as far as I know. Tables v. orders of precedenceA table of precedence is a list of persons established by application of the laws of precedence. It is not equivalent to the laws of precedence, and contains less information. No single table of precedence can be regarded as authoritative.Tables appear as early as the 15th c. In the 17th c., numerous attempts at producing a table resulted in somewhat conflicting results. Joseph Edmondson, Mowbray Herald, produced a table in the 1760s, attempting to cite authority for each rank. Sir William Blackstone included a similar table in the 5th edition of his Commentaries on the Laws of England (1773). Blackstone's table is the ancestor of the table in Burke's Peerage and various other publications (such as Dod's and Kelly's Handbook), although each work updated the table independently of the others. The best table is that of Sir Charles Young, Garter King of Arms (Order of Precedence with Authorities and Remarks, 1851), an "impeccable statement of the law as it was in 1851." Squibb based his own updated table on Young's work. Squibb drew up a table of precedence for his book, based on the rules he had found. Disputes over precedenceCoke, in his Institutes, wrote that cases of precedence other than between lords of Parliament belonged before the Court of Chivalry (1648). This opinion was also expressed in Ashton v. Jennings (1674), by Sir Matthew Hale (1713) and Blackstone in his Commentaries. The problem is that there are no known cases of precedence having come before the Court of Chivalry. Various cases of precedence were decided by the Earl Marshal in the 16th c. and early 17th c., but at a time when a properly constituted Court of Chivalry did not exist (between 1521, when the office of Lord High Constable became vacant, until 1622, it was thought that only the Constable could preside the court).In practice, it appears that cases of precedence, other than between lords of Parliament, have been resolved by the king, either directly, or refering the matter to the Earl Marshal or to commissioners for executing his office. This is perfectly logical, since precedence originates in the king's exercise of his royal prerogative, and disputes over precedence are resolved not in a judicial manner, but by having the sovereign make his will explicit (of course, the sovereign may choose to use quasi-judicial proceedings in order to form an opinion). Cases arising between lords of Parliament have been referred since the 15th c. to the House of Lords. Finally, some precedence has its source in statutes (such as the House of Lords Precedence Act of 1539), and disputes over precedence that arises from statute would have to be decided by common-law judges, according to Coke. But no such case is known to have ever arisen. A Summary of RulesThe ranks can be distinguished depending on whether they pertain to a person or to an office.Personal precedenceSovereignThe sovereign heads the order of precedence as successors to the pre-Reformation kings for the temporal part, and as successors to the papacy (Act of Supremacy 1558). A queen regnant has the same prerogatives as a king (Queen Regent's Prerogative Act 1554).RegentThe duke of Somerset, as Protector of the Realm under Edward VI, was given precedence next to the king by letters patent.Consort
He was jointly king (articles of marriage) he was king as William III (Bill of Rights) he was given precedence as "the first nobleman of England" by his act of naturalization of 1688. a statute of 1816 gave the Prince Regent authority to assign precedence to his son-in-law Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, which he did by warrant of 3 May 1816 (immediately after the sons of the King's brothers and sisters). when Queen Victoria married Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha a bill in Parliament assigning him precedence next after the queen was defeated. His precedence was assigned by warrant of 4 Mar 1840 "except where otherwise provided by Act of Parliament". the warrant of 15 Sep 1952 assigns him precedence after the Queen "except where otherwise provided by Act of Parliament" (e.g., his place on the Parliament Roll is assigned by the date of creation of his peerage, namely 1948, the last of all dukes) Male Members of the Royal FamilyThe traditional order is:
PeersEarls came before barons from the earliest days. The first non-royal duke was created in 1397, but a statute of 1382 already lists dukes before earls and barons. Marquesses came before earls almost as soon as they were first created (1386), as viscounts did after earls (1440) although their position with respect to eldest sons of earls was not resolved until 1520. Lords of appeal in ordinary have precedence as if they were barons (Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876) as do life peers (Life Peerages Act 1958). There is no distinction made within the rank of baron between hereditary barons, lords of appeal and life peers.The king's ability to alter the precedence within a rank of the peerage was effectively curtailed by the House of Lords Precedence Act 1539, which states that peers should sit after their "ancienty" (i.e.e, the date of creation of the peerage). Attempts by James I and Charles I to assign higher precedence than normal to newly created peers met with opposition in the House of Lords, and no sovereign has attempted to do so since. The relative precedence of peers of England, Scotland, Ireland and the United Kingdom is determined by the Act of Union 1706 (art. 23) and the Act of Union 1800 (art. 4). Children and Grandchildren of PeersChildren of peers were given precedence as early as the 14th c., with differences made between eldest and younger sons. The ordering has been basically unchanged since 1399, although the position of sons of viscounts was altered in 1595. All sons of peers rank above knights bachelor. A peer who disclaims loses his precedence, as does his wife, but his children do not. If a peer's eldest son dies, his eldest son inherits his precedence. Grandchildren of peers were first assigned precedence in the 17th c.Children of lords of appeal or life peers have no statutory precedence, since their parent's rank is not hereditary. Their ranks are set by a royal warrant of 21 Jul 1958. BaronetsThe creation of the new rank of baronet in 1611 occasioned considerable controversy. James I had to settle the matter with letters patent od 28 May 1612 (which incidentally set the precedence of a number of officials). Originally, the precedence of baronets was set in each letters patent of creation. Thereafter, the letters patent of creation repeated the wording of the decree of 1612, and later still just referred to the customary precedences and advantages. The letters patent of creation also set the precedence of the sons of the baronet. James I made a promise never to create any other "degree, order, name, title, rank, dignity or state" between the lords of Parliament and the baronets. BaronetsWhile the Acts of Union of 1706 and 1800 set the precedence between the peerages of England, Scotland, Great Britain, Ireland and the United Kingdom, they are silent on the matter of baronets. It is therefore assumed that the precedence is set by the date of creation only (rule followed by the Registrars of the Baronetage appointed under a royal warrant of 8 Feb 1910 to keep a roll of the baronetage). KnightsThe order in medieval times was knights of the Garter, knights of the Bath, knights bannerets and knights bachelors. For the modern orders, precedence is defined in the statutes of the order. The statutes often refer to each other in defining relative precedence, resulting in one bizarre case of circularity: the women members of the Royal Victorian Order are given precedence immediately before women members of the corresponding classes of the Order of the British Empire, while the women members of the Order of the British Empire are given by that order's statutes precedence immediately after women members of the corresponding classes of the Royal Victorian Order!The enlargement of the Order of the Bath in 1815 introduced classes of members who were not knights. They were given precedence before all esquires of the United Kingdom, which has been taken to mean those esquires who do not have precedence higher than knights (such as sons of peers). The other orders with such classes of members (Star of India, St. Michael and St. George, Indian Empire, Distinguished Service Order, Royal Victorian Order, British Empire) EsquiresEsquires form an ill-defined category. The only esquires to have a firm place in the order of precedence are sons of peers, who come before knights bachelor, and sons of baronets and knights, who come after them. Below younger sons of knights bachelor there is no lawful authority for any order of precedence, although attempts have been made.Official precedenceGreat Officers of StateTheir precedence, in Parliament and outside Parliament, is set by the House of Lords Precedence Act 1539. In Parliament:
If not peers, they should "sit at the uppermost parts of the sacks in the Parliament Chamber".(s.8) This means that, if the Lord Steward is a viscount, he precedes all viscounts; but he does not precede the Lord Chamberlain if the latter is an earl or above. In 1714 the Lord Great Chamberlain, who was a marquess, was made duke of Ancaster; but his precedence remained that of his creation except when in the actual execution of his office, lest he always precede the duke of Norfolk (Earl Marshal). This provision expired when the dukedom of Ancaster became extinct in 1779, but the provision was erroneously repeated in Burke's Peerage ever since.
The other main categories of officials are bishops and judges. WomenPrecedence for women remains separate from precedence for men, although the increasing number of women holding offices listed in the order of precedence for men makes this increasingly untenable.Women traditionally derive their precedence from three sources:
In principle, women do not lose their precedence upon death of the husband or divorce (Cowley (Earl) v. Cowley (Countess), [1901] A.C. 450). A widow or divorcee of a peer retains her precedence until remarriage. For non-peer precedence, it seems that the widowed or divorced wife retains it even after remarriage. The wife of a peer who disclaimed loses her precedence, but not his daughters. Daughters of peers who marry below the rank of baron retain their rank, but if they marry a baron they rank as the wife of a baron. Daughters of sons of peers were first granted precedence in tables drawn on order of the Earl Marshal in 1763 and in 1812. The case of divorces in the royal family is special: letters patent of 28 Aug 1996 specify that the "style, title or attribute of Royal Highness" acquired by marriage is lost upon divorce, but I do not know if anything is said about precedence. Table of precedence for menThis is substantially the same as the list in Squibb given below, with the difference that Squibb did not list all possible categories (he omitted categories of the royal family who did not exist in 1981, like grandchildren of the sovereign). I also try to cite the authorities that he gives for the ranks, which are scattered through the text of his book.Out of curiosity, I have given some names of office-holders as I was
able to find them. They are valid roughly as of early 2001. (See
the full list
of HM's government (2 Feb 2001), senior
judiciary list (April 2001)).
See AlsoDocumentsThe Lord Chamberlain's Order of 1520, as amended in 1595Source: Squibb, op. cit., Appendix I, p. 99-101. The text of the Order survives in its amended form in a copy of a paper lent to Richard Lee, Clarenceux King of Arms, on 17 January 1595 by Lord Treasurer Burghley, one of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the precedence of 'personages of great Estate birth and callinge.' A note in the handwriting of Ralph Brooke, York Herald, states that he saw Burleigh deliver the paper to Lee (Coll. Arm. MS R.36, Hare I, po. 181). The preamble stating the circumstances in which the Order was drawn up must have been prepared after 28 January 1547, since it describes Henry VIII as 'of glorious memory.' On Mondaye in the Easter Weeke in the xjth yere of the raigne of King Henry the Eyght of glorious memory the Earle of Worcester then beynge Chamberlayne to the Kinge, dyned in the Greate Chamber att Richmont in his Roome and Mons. de la Batye Ambassador to the ffrenche kinge dyned with him sittinge directly on the over syde against the sayde Lord Chamberlayne, The Ambassador of Venyce, sittinge next unto the L. Chamberlayne on the insyde, The Earle of Westmorland on the over syde next to the ffrench Ambassador. The Earle of Ketitt on the insyde next to the Ambassador of Venyce. The Earle of Devonshire on the owtesyde next unto the Earle of Westmerlande. At whiche tyme order was taken for the placynge of Lordes and Ladyes as hereunder is sett downe. 1.—Firste the Duke to goo after his Creation, and the Duches his wyfe to goo after the same. 2 Item.—A Dukes eldiste son is borne a Marquis, savinge he shall goo beneath all Marquisses, and his wyfe beneath all Marquisses wyves, and above all Dukes daughters. 3 Item.—Dukes daughters be borne as Marquisses in all degrees, savinge they shall goo beneathe all Marquisses and Dukes eldiste sonns Wyves. And yf they be married to a Baron, they shall goo after the Estate of their housbands. And if they marye with a Knight, or under the degree of a Knight, then to go after ther birth. 4 Item.—Dukes younger sonns be borne as Earles, and shall goo above all Viscounts, and beneath all the eldiste sonns of Marquisses, and ther wyves to go accordynge to the same. 5 Item.—A Marquis to goo after his Creation and the Marquisses ther Wyves to goo after the same. 6 Item.—A Marques eldiste soñe is borne an Earle and shall goo above all Dukes younger sonns and above all Viscounts and their Wyves accordinge to the same. 7 Item.—All Marquisses daughters to be borne as Countisses and shall goo above all Dukes younger sonns Wyves and above all Viscountisses, and yf they be maried to a baron they shall goo after ther housbande, and yf thay be maried to a Knight, or under the degree of a Knight, thay shall goo accordinge to ther byrthe. 8 Item.—All Marquisses younger sonns to be borne as Barons and shall goo beneath all barons and above all Viscounts eldist sonns, and ther Wyves to goo accordinge to the same. 9 Item.—An Earle to goo after his Creation and the Countisses their Wyves to goo after the same. 10 Item.—An Earles eldiste sonne is borne as a Viscounte savinge he shall goo beneath all Viscounts and his Wyfe beneath all Viscountisses and above all other Earles daughters. 11 Item. —Earles daughters are borne as Viscounts savinge thay shall goo beneath all Viscountisses and the Earles eldist sonns wyves and yf thay be maried to a baron thay shall goo after the degree of ther housbande. And yf thay marle with a Knight or under the degree ofa Knight thay shall goo after theire birthe. 12 Item. —Earles younger sonnes be borne as barons sayinge thay shall goo beneath all barons and Viscounts eldiste sonns and above all Baronetts [i.e. bannerets] and their Wyves to goo beneath all baronesses and Viscounts daughters and above all Baronetts Wyves. 13 Item. —A Viscount to goo after his Creation and the Viscountes theire wyves after the same. 14 Item. —Viscounts eldiste sonns be borne as barons and shall goo as Barons savinge thay shall goo beneath all Barons all Marquisses younger sonns and above all Earls younger sonns and their wyves shall goo beneath all baronnesses and above all Viscounts daughters. 15 Item.—Viscounts daughters be borne as Baronesses savinge they shall goo beneath all Baronesses and Viscounts eldist sonns wyves, and yf they be maried to a Baron thay shall goo after the degree of their housbandes and yf they marye a Knighte or under the degree of a Knighte thay shall goo after theire byrthes. 16 Item.—All Viscounts younger sonns as Baronetts [i.e. bannerets] and shall goo as Baneretts savinge thay shall goo beneath all Baneretts and theire wyves to goo accordinge to the same. 17 Item.—A Baron to goo after his Creation and the Barronesses their wyves to go after the same. 18 Item.—Barons eldiste sonns be borne as Banerets and shall goo as Baneretts savinge they shall goo above all Baronetts [i.e. bannerets] and all Barons younger sonns to goo above all Batchler Knights because their ffather is a Piere of the Realme. 19 Item.—[This was set downe & ordered by the 3 Lo.
Comyssioners for these purpoises, 1595.] All Barons daughters to
goo above all Baneretts wyves and Batchler Knightes Wyves 20 Item. —Yf there be any of the degree above written come of the blood
Royall or be any kynne to the Kinges highnes thay ought to stance above
the degrees that they be of themselves, as a Duke above all other Dukes
and so foorthe all the degrees in lyke sorte unlesse the pleasure of the
Prince be to the contrarye.
Modern Tables of Precedence (1981)Source: Squibb , op. cit., Appendix IV, pp.119-125.MENThe QueenPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh The Prince of Wales The Queen's Younger Sons Dukes of the Blood Royal Prince Michael of Kent Vicegerent in Spirituals (vacant since 1540) Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Chancellors Archbishop of York Prime Minister Lord High Treasurer (in commission since 1714) Lord President of the Council Speaker of the House of Commons Lord Privy Seal Ambassadors and High Commissioners in order of seniority based on dates of arrival in the United Kingdom Lord Great Chamberlain Lord High Constable (vacant since 1521) Earl Marshal Lord High Admiral (in commission since 1828) Lord Steward of the Household Lord Chamberlain Master of the Horse [Successors of Dukes of the Blood Royal] Dukes of England Dukes of Scotland Dukes of Great Britain Dukes of Ireland created before 1801 (only the duke of Leinster) Dukes of the United Kingdom and Dukes of Ireland created after 1800 (only the duke of Abercorn) Eldest sons of Dukes of the Blood Royal Marquesses of England Marquesses of Scotland Marquesses of Great Britain Marquesses of Ireland created before 1801 Marquesses of the United Kingdom and Marquesses of Ireland created after 1800 Eldest sons of Dukes not of the Blood Royal Earls of England Earls of Scotland Earls of Great Britain Earls of Ireland created before 1801 Earls of the United Kingdom and Earls of Ireland created after 1800 Younger sons Dukes of the Blood Royal Eldest Sons of Marquesses Younger sons of Dukes not of the Blood Royal Viscounts of England Viscounts of Scotland Viscounts of Great Britain Viscounts of Ireland created before 1801 Viscounts of the United Kingdom and Viscounts of Ireland created after 1800 Eldest sons of Earls Younger sons of Marquesses Bishop of London Bishop of Durham Bishop of Winchester Other English Diocesan Bishops according to their seniority of consecration Suffragan and retired Bishops Secretary of State, if a baron Barons of England Barons of Scotland Barons of Great Britain Barons of Ireland created before 1801 Barons of the United Kingdom, Barons of Ireland created since 1800, Lords of Appeal in Ordinary and Life Peers according to their dates of appointment or creation Commissioners of the Great Seal (none except briefly since 1850) Treasurer of the Household Comptroller of the Household Vice-Chamberlain of the Household Secretary of State, if under the degree of a baron Eldest sons of Viscounts Younger sons of Earls Eldest sons of Barons Knights of the Garter Knights of the Thistle Knights of St Patrick Privy Councillors Chancellor of the Order of the Garter (office annexed to the bishopric of Oxford since 1837) Chancellor of the Exchequer Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Lord Chief Justice of England (usually ranks as a PC) Master of the Rolls (usually ranks as a PC) President of the Family Division of the High Court (usually ranks as a PC) Lords Justices of Appeal (usually ranks as a PC) Judges of the High Court in order of appointment, irrespective of the Divisions to which they are assigned Younger sons of Viscounts Younger sons of Barons and sons of Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, Life Peers and Life Peeresses Baronets Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knights Grand Commanders of the Order of the Star of India Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights Grand Commanders of the Order of the Indian Empire Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knights Commanders of the Order of the Bath Knights Commanders of the Order of the Star of India Knights Commanders of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights Commanders of the Order of the Indian Empire Knights Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Knights Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Knights Bachelors Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster Recorder of London Recorders of Liverpool and Manchester according to priority of appointment Common Serjeant Other Circuit judges according to the priority or order of their respective appointments Master of the Court of Protection Companions of the Order of the Bath Companions of the Order of the Star of India Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Members of the Royal Victorian Order (4th class) Officers of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Imperial Service Order Eldest sons of the younger sons of Peers Eldest sons of Baronets Eldest sons of Knights Members of the Royal Victorian Order (5th class) Members of the Order of the British Empire Younger sons of Baronets Younger sons of Knights WOMENThe QueenQueen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother The Queen's Daughter The Queen's Sister Wives of Dukes of the Blood Royal the Princess Alexandra of Kent, the Hon. Mrs Angus Ogilvy Duchesses of England Duchesses of Scotland Duchesses of Great Britain Duchess of Leinster Duchess of the United Kingdom and the Duchess of Abercorn Wives of the eldest sons of Dukes of the Blood Royal Daughters of Dukes of the Blood Royal Marchionesses of England Marchionesses of Scotland Marchionesses of Great Britain Marchionesses of Ireland created before 1801 Marchionesses of the United Kingdom and Marchionesses of Ireland created after 1800 Wives of the eldest sons of Dukes not of the Blood Royal Daughters of' Dukes not of the Blood Royal not married to Peers Countesses of England Countesses of Scotland Countesses of Great Britain Countesses of Ireland created before 1801 Countesses of the United Kingdom and Countesses of Ireland created after 1800 Wives of the younger sons of Dukes of the Blood Royal 22 Wives of the eldest sons of Marquesses Daughters of Marquesses not married to Peers Wives of the younger sons of Dukes not of the Blood Royal Viscountesses of England Viscountesses of Scotland Viscountesses of Great Britain Viscountesses of Ireland created before 1801 Viscountesses of the United Kingdom and Viscountesses of Ireland created after 1800 Wives of the eldest sons of Earls Daughters of Earls not married to Peers Wives of younger sons of Marqusses Baronesses of England Baronesses of Scotland Baronesses of Great Britain Baronesses of Ireland created before 1801 Baronesses of the United Kingdom, Baronesses of Ireland created after 1800, Life Peeresses, Wives of Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, and Wives of Life Peers Wives of the eldest sons of Viscounts Daughters of Viscounts no married to Peers Wives of the younger sons of Earls Wives of the eldest sons of Barons Daughters of Barons,. Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, Life Peers, and Life Peeresses not married to Peers Maids of Honour Wives of Knights of the Garter Wives of the younger sons of Viscounts Wives of the younger sons of Barons Wives of Baronets Dames Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Dames Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Dames Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Dames Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Dames Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Wives of Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Wives of Knights Grand Commanders of the Order of the Star of India Wives of Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Wives of Knights Grand Commanders of the Order of the Indian Empire Wives of Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Wives of Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Dames Commanders of the Order of the Bath Dames Commanders of the Order of the Star of India Dames Commanders of the Order of St Michael and St George Dames Commanders of the Order of the Indian Empire Dames Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Dames Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Wives of Knights Bachelors Companions of the Order of the Bath Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Wives of Companions and Commanders of the Orders of the Bath, the Star of India, St Michael and St George, and the Indian Empire, the Royal Victorian Order, and the British Empire Members of the Royal Victorian Order (4th class) Officers of the Order of the British Empire Wives Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Members of the Royal Victorian Order (4th class) Wives of Members of the Royal Victorian Order (4th class) Wives of Officers of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Imperial Service Order Wives of the eldest sons of the younger sons of Peers Daughters of the younger sons of Peers Wives of the eldest sons of Baronets Wives of the eldest sons of Knights Members of the Royal Victorian Order (5th class) Members of the Order of the British Empire Wives of Members of the Royal Victorian Order (5th class) Wives of Members of the Order of the British Empire Wives of younger sons of Baronets Wives of younger sons of Knights Forms of Address
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