Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoffC
Not sure, i got a headache trying to work that one out looking at Burkes Peerage and other references. Interestingly none of them referred to the second example. Perhaps the second is only for close friends/family ....
or perhaps I'd better shut up and genuflect accordingly .... whilst doffing my hat and keeping my eye level to the ground in the hope I don't get whipped.
What ! they don't whip the peasants any more - shocking ....
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Wow, sorry Geoff, I certainly didn't mean to give you a headache. But if British subjects cannot keep these things straight, how is a poor French woman supposed to?
I had a look at the wikipedia pages about
peerage,
lords and
ladies, and my head is starting to hurt too.
The only reference I find is this:
Quote:
In the case of younger sons of a duke or marquess, who by courtesy have "Lord" prefixed to their given and family name, the wife is known by the husband's given and family name with "The Lady" prefixed, e.g. The Lady John Smith. The daughters of dukes, marquesses and earls are by courtesy ladies; here that title is prefixed to the given and family name of the lady, e.g. The Lady Jane Smith, and this is preserved if the lady marries a commoner, e.g. Mr John and The Lady Jane Smith. The predicate 'The' should be used prior to "Lady" or "Lord" in all cases, except after a divorce for women who do not hold the courtesy title of "Lady" in their own right, e.g. or Jane, Lady Smith (the ex-wife of Lord John Smith).
"Lady" is also the customary title of the wife of a baronet or knight, but in this case with neither the article nor Christian name: "Lady" with the surname of the husband only, Sir John and Lady Smith. When a woman divorces a knight and he marries again, the new wife will be Lady Smith while the ex-wife becomes Jane, Lady Smith.
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But that doesn't quite make sense in the case of Elizabeth, as the lady in question is the widow of an earl, not divorced.
