Styles represent the fashion by which monarchs and noblemen are properly addressed. Throughout history, many different styles were used, with little standardization. This page will detail the various styles used by royalty and nobility in Europe, in the final form arrived at in the nineteenth century.
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Only those classified within the social class of royalty and upper nobility have a style of "Highness" attached before their title. Reigning bearers of forms of Highness included grand princes, grand dukes, sovereign princes, reigning dukes and princely counts, their families and the agnatic descendants of emperors and kings. Royals (usually emperors to princely counts) are all considered "princes" (German: Fürsten).
Emperors and Empresses enjoyed the style of His/Her Imperial Majesty (HIM).
Members of imperial families were generally styled His/Her Imperial Highness (HIH).
Kings and queens have the style of Majesty (HM). Some, throughout history have also used Royal Majesty (HRM)
Members of royal families (princes and princesses) generally have the style of Royal Highness (HRH), although in some royal families (for instance, Denmark), more junior princes and princesses only bear the style of His or Her Highness (HH).
Reigning grand dukes and grand duchesses hold the style of Royal Highness (HRH).
The styles of members of grand ducal families have been inconsistent. In Luxembourg, more senior members of the family have also been Royal Highnesses, but only due to their status as Bourbon princes of Parma (itself an inconsistency as Parma was only ducal, but this family has male-line descent from kings of Etruria, Spain and France). In Baden and Hesse and by Rhine, junior members held the style of Grand Ducal Highness (HGDH). Members of other grand ducal families generally held the style of Highness (HH).
Reigning dukes and duchesses bore the style of Highness (HH), as did other members of ducal families. Junior members of some ducal families bore the style of Ducal Serene Highness (HDSH), although it fell out of fashion.
The Elector of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) also bore the style of Highness, as did other members of the Hesse-Kassel family.
Mediatized dukes and reigning and mediatized princes (Fürsten) bear the style of Serene Highness (HSH, German: Durchlaucht), as do other members of princely families. Members of reigning princely families are also styled Serene Highness (HSH).
Mediatized princely counts and countesses bear the style of Illustrious Highness (HIllH, German Erlaucht).
In addition to their national Royal Styles many monarchs had 'Treaty Styles' to distinguish one Monarch from another in international settings.
For more details, see Forms of Address in the United Kingdom
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It has been suggested that Hochwohlgeboren be merged into this article or section. (Discuss) |
The nobility and all related styles were abolished with the Weimar Constitution of 1919, but are used socially.
Non-mediatized noble dukes (German: Herzöge) in Germany bear the style of High Born (German: Hochgeboren).
Non-mediatized noble princes (German: Fürsten) in Germany bear the styles of Princely Grace (German: fürstliche Gnaden), or High Born.
Other non-mediatized German nobles of the rank of count or higher bear the style of High Born.
German nobles below the rank of count bear the style of High Well Born (German: Hochwohlgeboren). Another style is Well Born (German: Wohlgeborn) which ranks below High Well Born.
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