Precedence

General Precedence of Women.

The Queen; (r) the queen dowager; (2) the princess of Wales; (3) daughters of the sov ereign; (4) wives of the sovereign's younger sons; (5) grand daughters of the sovereign (with style of Royal Highness) ; (6) wives of the sovereign's grandsons; (7) sisters of the sovereign; (8) wives of the sovereign's brothers; (9) aunts of the sovereign; (ro) wives of the sovereign's uncles; (r r) nieces of the sovereign; (12) wives of the sovereign's nephews; (13) granddaughters of the sovereign (without style of Royal Highness) ; (i4) wives of dukes of the blood royal; (r5) duchesses; (16) wives of sons of dukes of the blood royal; (17) marchionesses; (r8) wives of the eldest sons of dukes; (19) dukes' daughters; (2o) countesses; (21) wives of the younger sons of dukes of the blood royal; (22) wives of the eldest sons of marquesses; (23) marquesses' daugh ters; (24) wives of the younger sons of dukes; (25) viscountesses; (26) wives of the eldest sons of earls; (27) earls' daughters; (28) wives of the younger sons of marquesses; (29) baronesses; (3o) wives of the eldest sons of viscounts; (31) viscounts' daughters; (32) wives of the younger sons of earls; (33) wives of the eldest sons of barons; (34) baron's daughters; (35) maids of honor to the Queen; (36) wives of knights of the Garter; (37) wives of the younger sons of viscounts; (38) wives of younger sons of barons; (39) daughters of life barons; (4o) wives of the sons of life barons; (41) baronets' wives; (42) dames grand cross of the Order of the British Empire; (43) wives of the knights grand crosses of the Bath, grand commanders of the Star of India, grand crosses of St. Michael and St. George, grand commanders of the Indian Empire, grand crosses of the Royal Victorian Order, and of the order of the British Empire; (44) dames commanders of the Order of the British Empire; (45) wives of knights commanders of the Bath, Star of India, etc.; (46) wives of knights bachelors; (47) commanders of the Order of the British Empire; (48) wives of the companions of the Bath, of the Star of India, of St. Michael and St. George, of the Indian Empire, of commanders of the Royal Victorian Order, and commanders of the Order of the British Em pire; (49) wives of companions of the Distinguished Service Or der; (5o) wives of serjeants-at-law; (50 officers of the Order of the British Empire; (52) wives of members of the Royal Victorian Order (4th class) ; (53) wives of officers of the Order of the British Empire; (54) companions of the Imperial Service Order; (55) wives of companions of the Imperial Service Order; (56) wives of the eldest sons of the younger sons of peers; (57) daugh ters of the younger sons of peers; (58) wives of the eldest sons of baronets; (59) baronets' daughters; (6o) wives of the eldest sons of knights; (6r) knights' daughters; (62) members of the Order of the British Empire; (63) wives of members of the Royal Vic torian Order (5th class) ; (64) wives of members of the Order of the British Empire; (65) wives of the younger sons of the younger sons of peers; (66) wives of the younger sons of bar onets; (67) wives of the younger sons of knights; (68) wives of esquires; (69) wives of gentlemen.

A special table of precedence in Scotland is regulated by a royal warrant dated March 16, 1905, and a special table of pre cedence in Ireland was set forth by authority of the lord lieutenant (Jan. 2, 1895). Both contain errors and will probably be revised.

Personal precedence belongs to the royal family, the peer age and certain specified classes of the commonalty. Official precedence belongs to such dignitaries of the church and such min isters of State and the household as have had rank and place ac corded to them by parliament or the Crown, to the speaker of the House of Commons and to the privy council and the judicature. Substantive precedence, which may be either personal or official, belongs to all those whose rank and place are independent of their connection with anybody else, as by the archbishop of Canterbury, the lord high chancellor or the lord great chamberlain, peers and peeresses, baronets, knights and some esquires. Derivative pre

cedence, which can only be personal, belongs to all whose rank and place are determined by their consanguinity with or affinity to somebody else, as the lineal and collateral relations of the sov ereign, the sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of peers and peer esses in their own right, and the wives, sons, daughters and daugh ters-in-law of baronets, knights and some esquires. The precedence of the sovereign is at once official and personal, the precedence of peeresses by marriage is at once derivative and substantive. In the case of the sovereign it is his or her actual tenure of the office of king or queen which regulates the rank and place of members of the royal family, and in the case of peeresses by marriage, although their rank and place are derivative in origin.

What are termed "titles of courtesy" are borne by all the sons and daughters of peers and peeresses in their own right. The eldest sons of dukes, marquesses and earls are designated by the names of one or other of the inferior peerages of their fathers, usually a marquessate or an earldom in the first, an earldom or a viscounty in the second and a viscounty or barony in the third case. The rule applicable in former times, still adhered to by the older English dignities, was that a duke's eldest son was styled earl, the son of a marquess, viscount, the son of an earl, baron. No such rule obtained in Scotland. But, whatever it may be, it is without effect on the rank and place of the bearer, which are those belonging to him as the eldest son of his father. The younger sons of dukes and marquesses are styled "lords," followed by both their Christian names and surnames. The younger sons of earls and both the eldest and the younger sons of viscounts and barons are described as "honourable" before both their Chris tian names and surnames. The daughters of dukes, marquesses and earls are styled "ladies" before both their Christian names and surnames. The daughters of viscounts and barons are described as "honourable" before both their Christian names and surnames.

If the eldest son of a marquess or an earl marries a woman of rank equal or inferior to his own, she takes his title and prece dence ; but if she is of superior rank she retains, with her own precedence, the prefix "lady" before her Christian name followed by the name of her husband's title of courtesy. Again, if the younger son of a duke or a marquess marries a woman of rank equal or inferior to his own, she is called "lady," with his Chris tian and surname following, and is placed in his precedence, but, if she is of superior rank, she retains, with her own precedence, the prefix "lady" before her Christian name and his surname. If the daughter of a duke, a marquess or an earl marries the younger son of an earl, the eldest or younger son of a viscount or baron, a baronet, a knight or an esquire, etc., she retains, with her own precedence, the prefix "lady" before her Christian name and her husband's surname. If the daughter of a viscount marries the younger son of an earl or anybody of inferior rank to him, or the daughter of a baron marries the younger son of a viscount or anybody of inferior rank to him, she retains her own precedence with the prefix "honourable" before the addition "Mrs." and his surname or Christian name and surname. But, if her husband is a baronet or a knight, she is called the Honourable Lady Smith or the Honourable Lady Jones, as the case may be. The wives of the younger sons of earls and of the eldest and younger sons of viscounts and barons, if they are of inferior rank to their hus bands, take their precedence and are described as the Honourable Mrs., with the surnames or Christian names and surnames of their husbands following. The judges were placed by James I. before the younger sons of viscounts and barons and accorded the title of "honourable" (q.v.). But this does not apply to their wives.