It is sometimes difficult to know how to address personally people of high rank. The Queen is addressed as “Ma’am” by those immediately surrounding her person and by princesses, duchesses, and others who are on terms that may be described as those of acquaintanceship with her Majesty. All others would speak to her as “Your Majesty.”
The Princess of Wales.
The Princess of Wales and all other princesses are in the same way addressed as “Ma’am,” or “Your Royal Highness,” according to the position of the person speaking to them.
The Prince of Wales and royal dukes.
The Prince of Wales, with all other royal dukes and princes, is addressed as “Sir,” or “Your Royal Highness”; the Duke of Teck as “Your Serene Highness,” as well as many foreign princes. Equals would address all these as “Prince.”
Formal and informal modes of addressing nobility in person.
The following list will show the correct modes of addressing the nobility informally and formally, in conversation, the first being the custom among acquaintances, the latter by all others:—
| Rank. | Informal. | Formal. |
| Duke | Duke. | Your Grace. |
| Duchess | Duchess. | Your Grace. |
| Marquis | Lord A. | My Lord, or Your Lordship. |
| Marchioness | Lady A. | My Lady, or Your Ladyship. |
| Earl | Lord B. | My Lord, or Your Lordship. |
| Countess | Lady B. | My Lady, or Your Ladyship. |
| Viscount | Lord C. | My Lord, or Your Lordship. |
| Viscountess | Lady C. | My Lady, or Your Ladyship. |
| Baron | Lord D. | My Lord, or Your Lordship. |
| Baroness | Lady D. | My Lady, or Your Ladyship. |
It is one of the rules of etiquette that, in speaking with royal persons, the inferior leaves it to them to originate subjects of conversation, and never introduces any topic of his own.
Letters of condolence.