British Forms of Address

The peerage of the United Kingdom has five degrees: duke, marquess, earl, viscount and baron. Each has its own spoken form, its own salutation in a letter and its own form on an envelope, and the three are rarely the same. A baron, for example, is addressed as Lord in speech and on an envelope; a duke uses different forms according to the setting.

The six guides below cover the questions people actually search for and most often get wrong. They set out what each title means, how to speak to the holder, how to open and close a letter, what to write on an envelope or invitation, how spouses and children are styled, and where courtesy styles differ from substantive titles.

These pages are Brattleby editorial guidance. They are not an official publication of, and are not endorsed or affiliated with, Debrett's, Burke's, the College of Arms, Parliament, the Royal Household or any government body. Each guide cites public sources so that any form can be verified independently.

These guides deal with etiquette — how to speak and write to a title holder. If you are instead asking what each rank is, where it sits in the hierarchy and what it means constitutionally today, see our companion reference on British nobility ranks and titles. The feudal barony from which this House takes its name is described alongside the Lincolnshire village of Brattleby, which is a separate entity from the House itself. For a wider view of how the House approaches etiquette and protocol education, explore the Brattleby Academy overview. To practise these conventions in realistic situations — introductions, seating, correspondence — try the interactive Etiquette Oracle.