Introduction Historical overview General principles How precedence is defined General and special orders of precedence Tables of precedence Disputes over precedence Summary of rules Personal precedence Official precedence Women Annotated table of precedence for men Documents The Lord Chamberlain's Order, 1520 (as amended 1595) Squibb's Table of Precedence, 1981 Men Women
Precedence dictates the order in which men and women arrive, leave, march, are seated, announced or greeted in official functions, ceremonies, receptions, dinners, documents. Certain categories of people are assigned precedence, either by reason of their person (who they are: members of the royal family, peers, knights) or what office they hold (officers of state, judges). Most people are not ranked in any way. There is a "general" order of precedence, and there are special orders for particular occasions.
Most members of the royal family have a place in the order of precedence. However, that place is not based on the order of succession to the throne. Thus, the duke of Edinburgh precedes his son the prince of Wales (except in Parliament), and the brothers of the prince of Wales precede his sons.
The rules governing precedence are based on custom (usually codified or embodied in documents emanating from the king or the Earl Marshal) and on statutes.
Evidence on precedence before 1399 comes from witness lists in diplomas and charters, as (starting around 1100) from salutations in royal charters, and later in statutes. It appears that the order was roughly as follows: the king and his family (sons), archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, earls, barons, justices, sheriffs, reeves and bailiffs. There does not seem to have been much consistency in the ranking of persons within categories, however.
The oldest written order of precedence dates from 1399, and was probably drawn for the coronation of Henry IV. Other important documents date from 1429, 1466-7, 1487, and 1520. These documents are either anonymous (1399), or issued by the Constable of England (1429, 1466-7), High Steward (1487), Lord Chamberlain (1520). They represent the state of law and custom as perceived at the time, rather than prescriptive or legislative dispositions. However, the Order of 1520 was held in high regard, and was adopted by the commissioners for executing the office of Earl Marshal in 1595 when they were asked by Elizabeth I to inquire into place and precedence. "It can be fairly described as the basis of the modern system of precedence, which has been produced by making legislative additions to it" (p. 17).
From the time of the Conquest, lay precedence originated in the King as fount of honor, while ecclesiastical precedence was governed by canon law, the law of the Church. In principle, therefore, there were separate orders of precedence for lay and clerics. On some occasions, attempts were made to meld the two, but the results were not consistent from one time to the next. The Reformation brought about a major change in this respect, placing the King as the sole source of precedence both for lay and clerics. This was done by the House of Lords Precedence Act (1539), which, although deciding only the seats to be occupied in Parliament, and keeping lay and clerics separate, nevertheless affirmed a non-papal source of precedence for ecclesiastics.
Then, in 1595, Elizabeth I decided to solve some difficulties of precedence by commissioning the Lord High Treasurer, the Lord High Admiral and the Lord Chamberlain to inquire into the matter, calling on heralds and researching ancient documents. The commissioners ended up copying the Order of 1520, with a minor amendment, and presented it in the form of an ordinance dated 16 Jan 1595. "The Commissioners' ordinance is the basis of the present law of precedence" (p. 25). The present system results from successive additions and modifications of the ordinance of 1595, with attribution of precedence always defined in relation to existing precedence.
The House of Lords Precedence Act 1539 (31 Hen VIII c. 10; see the Statutes at Large, Pickering edition (vol 4 p. 452) for an earlier version) and the Ordinance of 1595, both of which were to a large extent codifying current practice, form the canvass of the order of precedence. Everyone's place in the order of precedence is defined by reference to this initial list.
Here is the order of precedence defined by the Ordinance of 1595 (the
original text is below). Ranks between parentheses are not actually
cited in the Ordinance.
| Men | Women |
|---|---|
| dukes by creation | duchesses |
| marquesses by creation | marquesses |
| dukes' eldest sons | wives of dukes' eldest sons |
| daughters of dukes | |
| earls by creation | countesses |
| marquesses' eldest sons | wives of marquesses' eldest sons |
| daughters of marquesses | |
| dukes' younger sons | wives of dukes' younger sons |
| viscounts by creation | viscountesses |
| earls' eldest sons | wives of earls' eldest sons |
| daughters of earls | |
| barons by creation | baronesses |
| marquesses' younger sons | wives of marquesses' younger sons |
| viscounts' eldest sons | wives of viscounts' eldest sons |
| daughters of viscounts | |
| earls' younger sons | wives of earls' younger sons |
| barons' eldest sons | (wives of barons' eldest sons) |
| daughters of barons | |
| knights banneret | wives of knights banneret |
| viscounts' younger sons | wives of viscounts' younger sons |
| barons' younger sons | |
| knights bachelor | wives of knights bachelor |
| (knights' eldest sons) | (wives of knights' eldest sons) |
| (knights' younger sons) | (wives of knights' younger sons) |
The logic of the order is apparent:
Over time, various categories were inserted at various points in this ordering. Knights of the Garter, Thistle, St. Patrick come right after eldest sons of barons, thus taking the place of the obsolete knights banneret. Baronets rank a little lower, after younger sons of barons, but their eldest sons come after knights bachelor, and their younger sons after eldest sons of knights, while knights grand cross and knights commanders of various orders come right after baronets. Other grades of modern orders (RVO, OBE, etc) have been inserted in various places by the statutes of those orders.
In Parliament (at least before the House of Lords Act 1999), precedence was determined by the Roll of Parliament, drawn each year until 1966 by Garter King of Arms, and since then by the Clerk of Parliament with Garter's advice. The Roll is printed at the head of the Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) for each session. The Roll lists all members of the House of Lords (members of the House of Commons have no precedence, although their Speaker does since 1919). The House of Lords Precedence Act 1539 is the basis for that roll, and some provisions of the act make clear that the order in Parliament is not the same as the order outside. Thus, order on the Roll is not necessarily conclusive evidence about order outside Parliament.
For instance, the duke of Edinburgh was always ranked as a duke of the United Kingdom created in 1948, and thus ranked 32 on the roll of 1998, while in the general order of precedence he immediately follows the Queen and precedes his son. That is because his precedence assigned by warrant of 1952 is "unless provided otherwise by Act of Parliament". Interestingly, the duke of Windsor ranked 3d after Gloucester and Kent from 1937 to 1941, but became 2d before Kent after the death of the first duke of Kent in 1942. He was thus ranked after his brothers among sovereign's brothers, but came before a sovereign's nephew.
The Great Officers of State do not have the same rank in and out of Parliament. In Parliament, their office confers upon them precedence before the other peers of their own rank, but not before peers of higher rank. Outside Parliament, their place does not depend on their peerage.
Royal dukes who are not grandsons of sovereigns are ranked among ordinary dukes in Parliament (see "HRH the duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale" ranked 25th between the duke of Northumberland and the duke of Wellington in the Roll of Parliament of 1918, or the 2nd duke of Connaught who ranked 28th in 1942 when his grandfather had ranked 4th in 1941). But their place in the general order of precedence is clearly defined in the 16th century orders that form the basis for modern precedence.
I am not sure what is the effect of the House of Lords Act. The Roll of Parliament is now called a "list of Members of the House," and is purely alphabetical, all non-sitting peers having been removed. But the House of Lords Precedence Act has not been repealed, as far as I know.
Tables appear as early as the 15th c. In the 17th c., numerous attempts at producing a table resulted in somewhat conflicting results. Joseph Edmondson, Mowbray Herald, produced a table in the 1760s, attempting to cite authority for each rank. Sir William Blackstone included a similar table in the 5th edition of his Commentaries on the Laws of England (1773). Blackstone's table is the ancestor of the table in Burke's Peerage and various other publications (such as Dod's and Kelly's Handbook), although each work updated the table independently of the others. The best table is that of Sir Charles Young, Garter King of Arms (Order of Precedence with Authorities and Remarks, 1851), an "impeccable statement of the law as it was in 1851." Squibb based his own updated table on Young's work.
Squibb drew up a table of precedence for his book, based on the rules he had found.
In practice, it appears that cases of precedence, other than between lords of Parliament, have been resolved by the king, either directly, or refering the matter to the Earl Marshal or to commissioners for executing his office. This is perfectly logical, since precedence originates in the king's exercise of his royal prerogative, and disputes over precedence are resolved not in a judicial manner, but by having the sovereign make his will explicit (of course, the sovereign may choose to use quasi-judicial proceedings in order to form an opinion). Cases arising between lords of Parliament have been referred since the 15th c. to the House of Lords.
Finally, some precedence has its source in statutes (such as the House of Lords Precedence Act of 1539), and disputes over precedence that arises from statute would have to be decided by common-law judges, according to Coke. But no such case is known to have ever arisen.
The king's ability to alter the precedence within a rank of the peerage was effectively curtailed by the House of Lords Precedence Act 1539, which states that peers should sit after their "ancienty" (i.e.e, the date of creation of the peerage). Attempts by James I and Charles I to assign higher precedence than normal to newly created peers met with opposition in the House of Lords, and no sovereign has attempted to do so since.
The relative precedence of peers of England, Scotland, Ireland and the United Kingdom is determined by the Act of Union 1706 (art. 23) and the Act of Union 1800 (art. 4).
Children of lords of appeal or life peers have no statutory precedence, since their parent's rank is not hereditary. Their ranks are set by a royal warrant of 21 Jul 1958.
While the Acts of Union of 1706 and 1800 set the precedence between the peerages of England, Scotland, Great Britain, Ireland and the United Kingdom, they are silent on the matter of baronets. It is therefore assumed that the precedence is set by the date of creation only (rule followed by the Registrars of the Baronetage appointed under a royal warrant of 8 Feb 1910 to keep a roll of the baronetage).
The enlargement of the Order of the Bath in 1815 introduced classes of members who were not knights. They were given precedence before all esquires of the United Kingdom, which has been taken to mean those esquires who do not have precedence higher than knights (such as sons of peers). The other orders with such classes of members (Star of India, St. Michael and St. George, Indian Empire, Distinguished Service Order, Royal Victorian Order, British Empire)
Their precedence, in Parliament and outside Parliament, is set by the House of Lords Precedence Act 1539.
In Parliament:
The other main categories of officials are bishops and judges.
Women traditionally derive their precedence from three sources:
In principle, women do not lose their precedence upon death of the husband or divorce (Cowley (Earl) v. Cowley (Countess), [1901] A.C. 450). A widow or divorcee of a peer retains her precedence until remarriage. For non-peer precedence, it seems that the widowed or divorced wife retains it even after remarriage. The wife of a peer who disclaimed loses her precedence, but not his daughters. Daughters of peers who marry below the rank of baron retain their rank, but if they marry a baron they rank as the wife of a baron. Daughters of sons of peers were first granted precedence in tables drawn on order of the Earl Marshal in 1763 and in 1812.
The case of divorces in the royal family is special: letters patent of 28 Aug 1996 specify that the "style, title or attribute of Royal Highness" acquired by marriage is lost upon divorce, but I do not know if anything is said about precedence.
Out of curiosity, I have given some names of office-holders as I was
able to find them. They are valid roughly as of early 2001. (See
the full list
of HM's government (2 Feb 2001), senior
judiciary list (April 2001)).
| Rank or Office | Present Holder | Authority | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sovereign | Queen Elizabeth II | Queen Regent's Prerogative Act 1554 | |
| HRH the Duke of Edinburgh | warrant 15 Sep 1952 | except in Parliament | |
| Sovereign's sons | HRH the Prince of Wales
HRH the Duke of York HRH the Earl of Wessex |
Precedence Act 1539 | |
| Sovereign's grandsons | HRH Prince William of Wales
HRH Prince Henry of Wales |
13 Dec 1726, practice | |
| Sovereign's brothers | (none) | Precedence Act 1539 | |
| Sovereign's uncles | (none living) | Precedence Act 1539 | |
| Sovereign's nephews | Viscount Linley | Precedence Act 1539 | |
| grandsons of former sovereigns who are dukes |
HRH the Duke of Gloucester
HRH the Duke of Kent |
precedent 1850 | |
| grandsons of former sovereigns who are not dukes |
HRH Prince Michael of Kent The 7th Earl of Harewood |
practice | |
| Vicegerent in Spirituals | (vacant since 1540) | ||
| Archbishop of Canterbury | Rt Rev George Carey | Precedence Act 1539 | |
| Lord Chancellor | Rt Hon Lord Irvine of Lairg | Precedence Act 1539 (s.10), custom | except in Parliament (s.4,8) |
| Archbishop of York | Rt Rev David Hope | Precedence Act 1539 | |
| Prime Minister | Rt Hon Tony Blair MP | warrant 10 Dec 1905 | |
| Lord High Treasurer | (in commission since 1714) | Precedence Act 1539 (s.10) | except in Parliament (s.4,8) |
| Lord President of the Council | Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP | Precedence Act 1539 (s.10) | except in Parliament (s.4,8) |
| Speaker of the House of Commons | Rt Hon Michael Martin MP | Order in Council 30 May 1919 | |
| Lord Privy Seal | Rt Hon Baroness Jay of Paddington | Precedence Act 1539 (s.10) | except in Parliament (s.4,8) |
| Ambassadors and High Commissioners of Commonwealth countries |
warrant 24 Dec 1948 | ||
| Lord Great Chamberlain | Marquess of Cholmondeley, deputy | Precedence Act 1539 (s.10) | except in Parliament (s.5) |
| Lord High Constable | (vacant since 1521) | Precedence Act 1539 (s.10) | except in Parliament (s.5) |
| Earl Marshal | His Grace the Duke of Norfolk | Precedence Act 1539 (s.10) | except in Parliament (s.5) |
| Lord High Admiral | (in commission since 1828) | Precedence Act 1539 (s.10) | except in Parliament (s.5) |
| Lord Steward of the Household | Viscount Ridley, KG, GCVO, TD | Precedence Act 1539 (s.10) | except in Parliament (s.5) |
| Lord Chamberlain | Rt Hon Lord Luce DL | Precedence Act 1539 (s.10) | except in Parliament (s.5) |
| Master of the Horse | Lord Somerleyton, KCVO | warrant 6 May 1907 | |
| Royal Dukes not grandsons of sovereign | Lord Chamberlain's Order 1595 | except in Parliament | |
| Dukes of England | |||
| Dukes of Scotland | Act of Union 1706, art. 23 | ||
| Dukes of Great Britain | Act of Union 1706, art. 23 | ||
| Dukes of Ireland created before 1801 |
Act of Union 1800, art. 4 | ||
| Dukes of the UK and of Ireland created after 1801 |
Act of Union 1800, art. 4 | ||
| Eldest sons of Dukes of the blood royal | Earl of Ulster
Earl of St. Andrews |
||
| Marquesses of England | |||
| Marquesses of Scotland | Act of Union 1706, art. 23 | ||
| Marquesses of Great Britain | Act of Union 1706, art. 23 | ||
| Marquesses of Ireland created before 1801 | Act of Union 1800, art. 4 | ||
| Marquesses of the UK and of Ireland created after 1801 |
Act of Union 1800, art. 4 | ||
| Eldest sons of Dukes not of the Blood Royal |
|||
| Earls of England | |||
| Earls of Scotland | Act of Union 1706, art. 23 | ||
| Earls of Great Britain | Act of Union 1706, art. 23 | ||
| Earls of Ireland created before 1801 | Act of Union 1800, art. 4 | ||
| Earls of the United Kingdom and Earls of Ireland created after 1801 |
Act of Union 1800, art. 4 | ||
| Younger sons of Dukes of the Blood Royal | Lord Nicholas Windsor | ||
| Eldest Sons of Marquesses | |||
| Younger sons of Dukes not of the Blood Royal |
|||
| Viscounts of England | |||
| Viscounts of Scotland | Act of Union 1706, art. 23 | ||
| Viscounts of Great Britain | Act of Union 1706, art. 23 | ||
| Viscounts of Ireland created before 1801 | Act of Union 1800, art. 4 | ||
| Viscounts of the United Kingdom and Viscounts of Ireland created after 1800 |
Act of Union 1800, art. 4 | ||
| Eldest sons of Earls | |||
| Younger sons of Marquesses | including Lord Frederick Windsor | ||
| Bishop of London | Precedence Act 1539, s.3 | ||
| Bishop of Durham | Precedence Act 1539, s.3 | ||
| Bishop of Winchester | Precedence Act 1539, s.3 | ||
| Other English Diocesan Bishops (by seniority of consecration) |
Precedence Act 1539, s.3 | 21 bishops | |
| Suffragan and retired Bishops | Suffragan Bishops Act 1534, s.2 | ||
| Secretary of State, if a baron | Precedence Act 1539, s.5 | ||
| Barons of England | |||
| Barons of Scotland | Act of Union 1706, art. 23 | ||
| Barons of Great Britain | Act of Union 1706, art. 23 | ||
| Barons of Ireland created before 1801 | Act of Union 1800, art. 4 | ||
| Barons of the United Kingdom, Barons of Ireland created since 1800, Lords of Appeal in Ordinary and Life Peers according to their dates of appointment or creation |
Act of Union 1800, art. 4 | ||
| Commissioners of the Great Seal | (none except briefly since 1850) | ||
| Treasurer of the Household | Rt Hon Keith Bradley MP | warrant March 1540 | |
| Comptroller of the Household | Thomas McAvoy MP | warrant March 1540 | |
| Vice-Chamberlain of the Household | Graham Allen MP | warrant March 1540 | |
| Secretary of State, if under the degree of a baron | warrant March 1540 | ||
| Eldest sons of Viscounts | Lord Chamberlain's Order 1595 | ||
| Younger sons of Earls | royal decision 1620 | ||
| Eldest sons of Barons | |||
| Knights of the Garter | |||
| Knights of the Thistle | |||
| Knights of St Patrick | none since 1974 | ||
| Privy Councillors (by date of oath-taking) | letters patent 28 May 1612 | the Privy Council has 510 members ( list of members) | |
| Chancellor of the Order of the Garter | (office annexed to the bishopric of Oxford since 1837) |
decree of the chapter of the order, 23 Apr 1629 | |
| Chancellor of the Exchequer | Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP | letters patent 28 May 1612 | |
| Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | Rt Hon Dr Mo Mowlam MP | letters patent 28 May 1612, Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1873, s.11 | ranks as a Privy Councillor |
| Lord Chief Justice of England | Rt Hon The Lord Woolf | letters patent 28 May 1612, Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1873, s.11 | ranks as life peer |
| Master of the Rolls | Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers | letters patent 28 May 1612 | ranks as a Privy Councillor |
| President of the Family Division of the High Court |
Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss | letters patent 28 May 1612, Supreme Court of Judicature Consolidation Act 1925 s.16(2) | ranks as a Privy Councillor |
| Lords Justices of Appeal (usually rank as a PC) |
Rt Hon Lord/Lady Justice ... | letters patent 28 May 1612, Supreme Court of Judicature Consolidation Act 1925 s.16(3) | |
| Judges of the High Court in order of appointment, irrespective of the Divisions to which they are assigned | The Hon Justice ... | letters patent 28 May 1612, Supreme Court of Judicature Consolidation Act 1925 s.16(4) | |
| Younger sons of Viscounts | letters patent 28 May 1612 | ||
| Younger sons of Barons and sons of Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, Life Peers and Life Peeresses | warrant 21 July 1958 | ||
| Baronets | letters patent 28 May 1612 | ||
| Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath |
Earl Marshal's Order 4 Feb 1626, Statutes of the Order of the Bath 1725, 1815, 1847, 1972 | ||
| Knights Grand Commanders of the Order of the Star of India |
|||
| Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George |
|||
| Knights Grand Commanders of the Order of the Indian Empire |
|||
| Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order |
|||
| Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire |
|||
| Knights Commanders of the Order of the Bath |
Statutes of the Order of the Bath 1972 | ||
| Knights Commanders of the Order of the Star of India |
|||
| Knights Commanders of the Order of St Michael and St George |
|||
| Knights Commanders of the Order of the Indian Empire |
|||
| Knights Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order |
|||
| Knights Commanders of the Order of the British Empire |
|||
| Knights Bachelors | |||
| Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster |
warrant 29 March 1972 | ||
| Recorder of London | warrant 29 March 1972 | ||
| Recorders of Liverpool and Manchester
(by priority of appointment) |
warrant 29 March 1972 | ||
| Common Serjeant | warrant 29 March 1972 | ||
| Other Circuit judges according to the (by priority or order of their respective appointments) |
warrant 29 March 1972 | ||
| Master of the Court of Protection | Denzil Lush | precedents, 8 & 9 Vict c.100, Patients Estates Order 1947 | |
| Companions of the Order of the Bath |
Statutes of the Order of the Bath 1815 | ||
| Companions of the Order of the Star of India |
|||
| Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George |
|||
| Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire |
|||
| Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order |
Statutes of the Royal Victorian Order | ||
| Commanders of the Order of the British Empire |
Statutes of the Order of the British Empire | ||
| Companions of the Distinguished Service Order |
|||
| Members of the Royal Victorian Order (4th class) |
Statutes of the Royal Victorian Order | ||
| Officers of the Order of the British Empire |
Statutes of the Order of the British Empire | ||
| Companions of the Imperial Service Order |
|||
| Eldest sons of the younger sons of Peers | Earl Marshal 18 March 1615, 1677 | ||
| Eldest sons of Baronets | letters patents creating baronets | ||
| Eldest sons of Knights | |||
| Members of the Royal Victorian Order (5th class) |
Statutes of the Royal Victorian Order | ||
| Members of the Order of the British Empire |
Statutes of the Order of the British Empire | ||
| Younger sons of Baronets | letters patents creating baronets | ||
| Younger sons of Knights |
Source: Squibb, op. cit., Appendix I, p. 99-101.
The text of the Order survives in its amended form in a copy of a paper lent to Richard Lee, Clarenceux King of Arms, on 17 January 1595 by Lord Treasurer Burghley, one of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the precedence of 'personages of great Estate birth and callinge.' A note in the handwriting of Ralph Brooke, York Herald, states that he saw Burleigh deliver the paper to Lee (Coll. Arm. MS R.36, Hare I, po. 181). The preamble stating the circumstances in which the Order was drawn up must have been prepared after 28 January 1547, since it describes Henry VIII as 'of glorious memory.'
On Mondaye in the Easter Weeke in the xjth yere of the raigne of King Henry the Eyght of glorious memory the Earle of Worcester then beynge Chamberlayne to the Kinge, dyned in the Greate Chamber att Richmont in his Roome and Mons. de la Batye Ambassador to the ffrenche kinge dyned with him sittinge directly on the over syde against the sayde Lord Chamberlayne, The Ambassador of Venyce, sittinge next unto the L. Chamberlayne on the insyde, The Earle of Westmorland on the over syde next to the ffrench Ambassador. The Earle of Ketitt on the insyde next to the Ambassador of Venyce. The Earle of Devonshire on the owtesyde next unto the Earle of Westmerlande. At whiche tyme order was taken for the placynge of Lordes and Ladyes as hereunder is sett downe.
1.—Firste the Duke to goo after his Creation, and the Duches his wyfe to goo after the same.
2 Item.—A Dukes eldiste son is borne a Marquis, savinge he shall goo beneath all Marquisses, and his wyfe beneath all Marquisses wyves, and above all Dukes daughters.
3 Item.—Dukes daughters be borne as Marquisses in all degrees, savinge they shall goo beneathe all Marquisses and Dukes eldiste sonns Wyves. And yf they be married to a Baron, they shall goo after the Estate of their housbands. And if they marye with a Knight, or under the degree of a Knight, then to go after ther birth.
4 Item.—Dukes younger sonns be borne as Earles, and shall goo above all Viscounts, and beneath all the eldiste sonns of Marquisses, and ther wyves to go accordynge to the same.
5 Item.—A Marquis to goo after his Creation and the Marquisses ther Wyves to goo after the same.
6 Item.—A Marques eldiste soñe is borne an Earle and shall goo above all Dukes younger sonns and above all Viscounts and their Wyves accordinge to the same.
7 Item.—All Marquisses daughters to be borne as Countisses and shall goo above all Dukes younger sonns Wyves and above all Viscountisses, and yf they be maried to a baron they shall goo after ther housbande, and yf thay be maried to a Knight, or under the degree of a Knight, thay shall goo accordinge to ther byrthe.
8 Item.—All Marquisses younger sonns to be borne as Barons and shall goo beneath all barons and above all Viscounts eldist sonns, and ther Wyves to goo accordinge to the same.
9 Item.—An Earle to goo after his Creation and the Countisses their Wyves to goo after the same.
10 Item.—An Earles eldiste sonne is borne as a Viscounte savinge he shall goo beneath all Viscounts and his Wyfe beneath all Viscountisses and above all other Earles daughters.
11 Item. —Earles daughters are borne as Viscounts savinge thay shall goo beneath all Viscountisses and the Earles eldist sonns wyves and yf thay be maried to a baron thay shall goo after the degree of ther housbande. And yf thay marle with a Knight or under the degree ofa Knight thay shall goo after theire birthe.
12 Item. —Earles younger sonnes be borne as barons sayinge thay shall goo beneath all barons and Viscounts eldiste sonns and above all Baronetts [i.e. bannerets] and their Wyves to goo beneath all baronesses and Viscounts daughters and above all Baronetts Wyves.
13 Item. —A Viscount to goo after his Creation and the Viscountes theire wyves after the same.
14 Item. —Viscounts eldiste sonns be borne as barons and shall goo as Barons savinge thay shall goo beneath all Barons all Marquisses younger sonns and above all Earls younger sonns and their wyves shall goo beneath all baronnesses and above all Viscounts daughters.
15 Item.—Viscounts daughters be borne as Baronesses savinge they shall goo beneath all Baronesses and Viscounts eldist sonns wyves, and yf they be maried to a Baron thay shall goo after the degree of their housbandes and yf they marye a Knighte or under the degree of a Knighte thay shall goo after theire byrthes.
16 Item.—All Viscounts younger sonns as Baronetts [i.e. bannerets] and shall goo as Baneretts savinge thay shall goo beneath all Baneretts and theire wyves to goo accordinge to the same.
17 Item.—A Baron to goo after his Creation and the Barronesses their wyves to go after the same.
18 Item.—Barons eldiste sonns be borne as Banerets and shall goo as Baneretts savinge they shall goo above all Baronetts [i.e. bannerets] and all Barons younger sonns to goo above all Batchler Knights because their ffather is a Piere of the Realme.
19 Item.—[This was set downe & ordered by the 3 Lo.
Comyssioners for these purpoises, 1595.] All Barons daughters to
goo above all Baneretts wyves and Batchler Knightes Wyves so longe
as thay be unmaryed and yf thay marie under degree of a Knight
thay shall then goo beneath above
all Knights wyves according to ther Birth and Estate.
20 Item. —Yf there be any of the degree above written come of the blood
Royall or be any kynne to the Kinges highnes thay ought to stance above
the degrees that they be of themselves, as a Duke above all other Dukes
and so foorthe all the degrees in lyke sorte unlesse the pleasure of the
Prince be to the contrarye.
| Men | Women | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| dukes | His Grace the Duke of N | duchesses | Her Grace the Duchess of N |
| marquesses | The Most Hon the Marquess of N | marquesses | The Most Hon the Marchioness of N |
| dukes' eldest sons | The Most Hon the Marquess of N | wives of dukes' eldest sons | The Most Hon the Marchioness of N |
| daughters of dukes | The Lady Julia Smith | ||
| earls | The Right Hon the Earl of N | countesses | The Right Hon the Countess N |
| marquesses' eldest sons | The Right Hon the Earl of N | wives of marquesses' eldest sons | The Right Hon the Countess N |
| daughters of marquesses | The Lady Julia Smith | ||
| dukes' younger sons | The Lord John Smith | wives of dukes' younger sons | The Lady John Smith |
| viscounts | The Right Hon the Viscount N | viscountesses | The Right Hon the Viscountess N |
| earls' eldest sons | The Right Hon the Viscount N | wives of earls' eldest sons | The Right Hon the Viscountess N |
| daughters of earls | The Lady Julia Smith | ||
| barons | The Right Hon Lord N | baronesses | The Right Hon Lady N |
| marquesses' younger sons | The Lord John Smith | wives of marquesses' younger sons | The Lady John Smith |
| viscounts' eldest sons | The Hon John Smith | wives of viscounts' eldest sons | The Hon Mrs. John Smith |
| daughters of viscounts | The Hon Julia Smith | ||
| earls' younger sons | The Hon John Smith | wives of earls' younger sons | The Hon Mrs. John Smith |
| barons' eldest sons | The Hon John Smith | (wives of barons' eldest sons) | The Hon Mrs Smith |
| daughters of barons | The Hon Julia Smith | ||
| knights of collar orders | Sir John Smith | wives of knights of collar orders | Lady Smith |
| viscounts' younger sons | The Hon John Smith | wives of viscounts' younger sons | The Hon Mrs. John Smith |
| barons' younger sons | The Hon John Smith | The Hon Mrs. John Smith | |
| baronets | Sir John Smith, Bt | wives of baronets | Lady Smith |
| knights grand-cross, commander | Sir John Smith | wives of knights GC, KC | Lady Smith |
| knights bachelor | Sir John Smith | wives of knights bachelor | Lady Smith |
| grandchildren of peers | Mr. Smith | Mrs. Smith | |
| baronets' eldest sons | Mr. Smith | Mrs. Smith | |
| knights' eldest sons | Mr. Smith | wives of knights' eldest sons | Mrs. Smith |
| baronets' younger sons | Mr. Smith | Mrs. Smith | |
| knights' younger sons | Mr. Smith | wives of knights' younger sons | Mrs. Smith |