Most Gracious Majesty

Most Gracious Majesty is a form of address in the United Kingdom. It is an elaborate version of Your Majesty and is only used in the most formal of occasions.
==Historical background==
Around 1519 King Henry VIII decided Majesty should become the style of the sovereign of England. "Majesty", however, was not used exclusively; it arbitrarily alternated with both "Highness" and "Grace", even in official documents. For example, one legal judgment issued by Henry VIII uses all three indiscriminately; Article 15 begins with "the Kinges Highness hath ordered," Article 16 with "the Kinges Majestie" and Article 17 with "the Kinges Grace."
In pre-Union Scotland, sovereigns were only addressed as Your Grace.
During the reign of James VI of Scotland and I of England and Ireland, however, James made Majesty the official title, to the exclusion of others.
The style "His/Her Most Excellent Majesty" is used solely for a present or past reigning monarch. The style "Her Most Gracious Majesty" may be used for a queen consort, queen mother, or dowager queen, in addition to a present or past reigning monarch.
In 2012, the Speaker of the House of Commons and Lord Speaker used a modified version of this style, addressing Queen Elizabeth II as 'Most Gracious Sovereign'.https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2012/march/speaker-addresses-hm-the-queen/ https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2012/march/lords-speaker-addresses-hm-the-queen/ 
==See also==
*Forms of address in the United Kingdom
*Style of the British Sovereign
*Your Majesty
*Your Grace
==References==
Category:Style of the British sovereign
Category:Superlatives