Royal Highness
- His Royal Highness redirects here. For the 1932 Australian film, see His Royal Highness (1932 film)
Royal Highness (abbreviation HRH) is a style (His Royal Highness or Her Royal Highness); plural Royal Highnesses (abbreviation TRH, Their Royal Highnesses). It appears in front of the names of some members of some royal families but is not used for Kings or Queens who are styled Majesty.
The style Royal Highness ranks below Imperial Highness, but above Grand Ducal Highness, Highness, Serene Highness and some other styles.
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[edit] Origin
By the 17th century, all local rulers in Italy adopted the style Highness, that was once used by kings and emperors only. According to Denis Diderot's Encyclopédie, the style of Royal Highness was created on the insistence of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, Infante of Spain, a younger son of King Philip III of Spain. The Archduke was travelling through Italy on his way to the Low Countries and, upon meeting Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy, refused to address him as Highness unless the Duke addressed him as Royal Highness. Thus, the first use of the style Royal Highness was recorded in 1633. Gaston, Duke of Orléans, younger son of King Henry IV of France, encountered the style in Brussels and assumed it himself. His children later used the style, considering it their prerogative as grandchildren of France.[1]
[edit] United Kingdom
In the British monarchy the style of Royal Highness is associated with the rank of prince or princess (although this has not always applied, the notable exception being Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who was given the style of HRH in 1947 but was not created a prince until 1957). This is especially important when a prince has another title such as Duke (or a princess the title of Duchess) by which he or she would usually be addressed. For instance HRH The Duke of Connaught was a prince and a member of the royal family while His Grace The Duke of Devonshire is a non-royal duke and not a member of the British Royal Family.
In the United Kingdom, letters patent dated 21 August 1996 states that a style received by a spouse of a member of the Royal Family on their marriage ceases at the point of divorce.[2] For that reason HRH The Princess of Wales, when she and HRH The Prince of Wales divorced, ceased to be a Royal Highness, and was styled Diana, Princess of Wales. Similarly, HRH The Duchess of York was restyled Sarah, Duchess of York after her divorce from Prince Andrew, Duke of York.
[edit] See also
- British prince
- British princess
- Forms of address in the United Kingdom
- Royal and noble styles
- Table of Ranks (Russian)
- Use of courtesy titles and honorifics in professional writing
[edit] References
- ^ Royal Styles and the uses of "Highness"
- ^ London Gazette: no. 54510, p. 11603, 30 August 1996. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
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