Eldest Son of a Marquess

The eldest (or only) son of a marquess will use either a peerage title by courtesy or a courtesy style (of a rank junior to his father) and should be addressed accordingly. For example, the son and heir apparent of the the Marquess of Linlithgow is known as the Earl of Hopetoun and the appropriate forms of address for a peer by courtesy therefore apply to him and his family.

See Peerages by Courtesy

Younger Sons of a Marquess

The younger sons of a marquess have the courtesy title of 'Lord' before their forename and surname. For example, the younger son of the Marquess of Linlithgow is Lord Alexander Hope.

Prefixes such as His Excellency, Major General, The Rt Rev, The Rt Hon etc. precede his courtesy title.

How to Address the Younger Sons of a Marquess

The recommended (social) style of address is as follows:

*Note that, traditionally, invitations to a married couple, when sent to their home address, are addressed to the wife alone, with both names being inscribed on the invitation card. It has become increasingly acceptable, however, to address the envelope with both names.

Wife of a Younger Son of a Marquess

The wife of the younger son of a marquess has the courtesy title of 'Lady' followed by her husband's forename and surname (unless herself the daughter of a duke, marquess, or earl). For example, the wife of the younger son of the late Marquess of Lothian is Lady Ralph Kerr.

How to address the Wife of a Younger Son of a Marquess

The recommended (social) style of address is as follows:

* If she is the daughter of a duke or marquess, she may continue to use her own title instead of that of her husband. This style should only be used if it known to be the preferred form of address.

Widow of the Younger Son of a Marquess

Her style in widowhood does not change, except on remarriage, when she adopts the style from her husband.

See Essential Guide to the Peerage: Courtesy Titles

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