STYLES OF SOVEREIGNS and STYLES OF CHILDREN OF SOVEREIGNS

Summary:

This alt.talk.royalty mini-FAQ on styles is an attempt at providing examples of the many
styles used today and in the past by the monarchies of Europe.  The answer to this
question is meant to be more of a general overview of styles rather than a comprehensive
and definitive exposé.

Last updated on: 1 August 1998

Compiled by:

Yvonne Demoskoff

Copyright:

Copyright (c) 1998 François Velde.  All rights reserved.

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The following reference sources were used:

- Burke's Royal Families of the World, Vol I, 1977

- various articles posted to the newsgroups alt.talk.royalty and rec.heraldry

- "On Styles of Royal Families and the uses of Highness"
  (found at:  http://www.heraldica.org/topics/highness.htm)  

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A) STYLES of SOVEREIGNS:

Style

Definition

Particulars
H.I.M. His (Her ) Imperial Majesty for emperors,  empresses
H.I. & R.H.
 His (Her) Imperial &
Royal Majesty		 for the Austrian emperor/Hungarian
king or empress-queen
H.M. His (Her) Majesty for kings, queens & sometimes
for their mothers when so created
H.R.H. His (Her) Royal Highness for princes, grand dukes, grand
duchesses, dukes and heads of
electoral &  ducal houses
H.H. His (Her) Highness for princes & dukes
H.S.H. His (Her) Serene Highness for princes
H.Ill.H. His (Her) Illustrious Highness for princes, mediatised princes
& counts

B) STYLES of CHILDREN of SOVEREIGNS:

Style

Definition

Particulars
H.I.H. His (Her) Imperial Highness for children, male-line grandchildren &
siblings of Russian emperors &
empresses; for certain members of
imperial houses (Brazil & France)
H.I.&R.H. His (Her) Imperial &
Royal Highness		 for members of the Austrian-Hungarian
dual monarchy; for members of the
house of Tuscany; for members of the
house of Modena; for the eldest son &
heir of the German Emperor, King of
Prussia as well as for that of the Head
of Brazilian Imperial House
H.R.H. His (Her) Royal Highness for children of kings, queens, grand
dukes, dukes & for their heirs or
heiresses; for morganatic spouses of
kings & queens when so created;
for siblings of queens
H.H. His (Her) Highness for male-line great-grandchildren & the
eldest son of each great-grandson of
Russian emperors; for siblings of kings;
for children of princes, grand dukes
& dukes; for heirs of princes; for
certain members of imperial, royal &
grand ducal houses (Brazil, France,
Mexico; Denmark, Montenegro,
Portugal; Oldenburg,
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach)
H.S.H. His (Her) Serene Highness for other remote descendants of Russian
emperors; for children & members of
princely houses; for morganatic wives
& children of  Russian emperors,
electors & non-sovereign princes
& dukes
H.G.D.H.
 His (Her) Grand Ducal
Highness		 for children of grand dukes;
for sisters of grand duchesses
H.Ill.H. His (Her) Illustrious Highness for members of the countly branch of
the princely family of Waldeck und
Pyrmont; for children of mediatised
princes & counts; for morganatic wives
of non-sovereign princes
H.E. His (Her) Excellency for children of the daughters & sisters
of King Juan Carlos of Spain; for the
descendants of Spanish monarchs who
are not "Infante" or "Infanta"; for the
Danish Counts of Rosenborg; for a
Bonaparte prince (Napoléon Charles,
d. 1899) when titled "Principe Romano")

Other Styles Include:

• Fürstliche Gnaden (= Your Princely Grace)

• Hoch- und Wohlgeboren (= High- and Well Born)

• Hochgeboren (= High Born)