Royal Titles & Forms of Address
Royalty & Forms of Address (Click to enlarge)
Which is higher, Count or Duke? Is it “Your Highness” or “Your Majesty”? What’s the difference: King, Emir, Sultan, or Emperor? Read on…
I sometimes get emails asking these questions. I made a royal fool of myself, literally, when I first started working in the UHNW arena. I once asked someone what HRH meant because I was handed a business card with it printed on. The answer, he said with a grimace, “His Royal Highness.” I almost fainted from embarrassment.
I am, by no means, an expert on this subject. There are literally hundreds of royal titles, and customs vary by country. Here is a basic breakdown:
I sometimes get emails asking these questions. I made a royal fool of myself, literally, when I first started working in the UHNW arena. I once asked someone what HRH meant because I was handed a business card with it printed on. The answer, he said with a grimace, “His Royal Highness.” I almost fainted from embarrassment.
I am, by no means, an expert on this subject. There are literally hundreds of royal titles, and customs vary by country. Here is a basic breakdown:
Royal titles in Europe
European Ranking (Truncated)
- King/Queen
- Prince/Princess
- Duke/Duchess
- Count/Countess
- Baron/Baroness
- Knight – Lady – Dame – Lord
- Lord of the Manor
Middle Eastern royal titles
The Middle East (Highest title)
Another very common title in the middle east is Sheikh (pronounced shake)
- Bahrain: King
- Brunei: Sultan
- Jordan: King
- Kuwait: Emir
- Qatar: Emir
- Saudi Arabia: King
- United Arab Emirates: Emir
Another very common title in the middle east is Sheikh (pronounced shake)
Asian royal titles
Asia (Highest title)
If you would like to learn how to address royalty (i.e. Your Highness or Your Majesty, go here)
- Cambodia: King
- Japan: Emperor
If you would like to learn how to address royalty (i.e. Your Highness or Your Majesty, go here)