The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-03-10
TITLES OF ENGLISH WOMEN,
Distinctions That May Seem Rather Com
plicated to an American,

Distinctions That May Seem Rather Com.
plicated to an American.
1t is little wonder that foreigners bun.
gle over our titles as they do, when in
our W public speeches and newspa-
pers it is often made plain that many do
not understand how to use English titles.
For ~instaihce, a marquis daughter who
married q man without q title keeps the
title of ''lady" and her own Christian
name and adds to these the husbands
surname.
Thus, when Lady Evelyn Fitzmaurice,
the daughter of the Marquis of Lands
downe, married Mr.. Victor Cavendish
she became Lady Evelyn Cavendish;
but the London dai,ies spoke of Lady
Victor Cavendish's going away DRESS"
The only case i'll which a lady of title
is called by her husbands Christian
name as well as his rnam is in the
case OF the wives of the younger sons of
dukes and m~arquises.
These men bear courtesy titles of
"lord" before their Christian names
n surnames, rs Lord George Hamil-
ton, Lord Charles Beresford, and so on,
and the only correct way of addressing
or speaking of their wives is the same
way, putting 'lady" in the place of
'lord."
10 call the wives of younger sons
Lady Hamilton, Lady Beresford, or
whatever is the surname, without the |
male Christian name, is as incorrect as
to call Lady Evelyn Cavendish by her
husbands full name.
On the other hand, the wife Of n bar
onet or of Il knight is lady" with bis
surname alone after it.
Confusion grows in many minds from
the fact that amy peeress (under the
rank of a duchess) is also spoken of, and
to, by her equals as merely Lady So
and-so'-the name added, however, not
being the family name, but the title of
the husband.
Thus no equal would say. 81 saw the
of Salisbury" or There is
The Countess of LathOm," it would be
Lady Salisbury and Lady Lathom.
A duchess, the highest rank in the
peerage, is the only peeress who escapes
his equality Of title in the everyday
language of her equals in society. She
s never called 'lady" only, but is
'poken of us ''the Duchess of So-and-so"
n full always, and is addressed in con-
by her friends as duchess"
he name of the peeragc not added.
Moreover, every other lady of title.
rom IL knights wife (Which is not u
title, right away up to a march
Oness, is equally my lady to her So
ial interiors.
Sir John Smiths wife is Lady Smith.
he wife Of Lord John Smith, who is a
younger SON.. is Lady John Smith.
nd If you know her on terms of equal
" you may call her Lady John, but
ever Lady Smith. Lady Mary, daugh-
81 of either the earl or the marquis, or
ne duke of somewhere, and the wife of
II. John Smith, is Lady Mary Smith;
all her Lady Mary if she seems friend
:, but not Lady Smith or Lady John
NTH.
The wife Of Lord Smith, or the earl
+ the marquis Of Smithville, o may :
all Lady Smith or Lady Smithville. as ,
lie case may be, but if Smithville is a
uke on no account call his wife Lady
lnithville.
II You think that she will not snub
as too familiar, you may call her
IMPLY duchess" You may say, Ouch. Z
may l get you some tea" for en-
nple. But till you know her well, or
on quite friendly terms, it had bet q
Il be, "Will your grace take II cup of =
=
Finally, the oldest thing of all, if fate a
louid make you acquainted with "a
'ince or princess Of the blood royal,
III will seem very second rate if you .
saying, ''your royal highness." /
You must say "sir" and .'ma'am." Q
OF, if You nsease, 'madam," but
na'am," us your housemaid says to
'ur own meek better half, Mrs. Smith.
ven a duchess calls Il princess
na'am. London Letter.