The Rt. Honorary form of address

[HappyStroller]

When should the address "The Right Honorary So & So" be used? Why the "Right"?

[pvpatty]

On memory they have to be a Minister of the Crown, or at least have been (this is in Australia).

Wikipedia usually helps with these matters: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Right_Honourable

People entitled to the prefix in a personal capacity are:

* Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom and the Privy Council of Northern Ireland.
o This includes the current and all former Prime Ministers, all current and former members of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom, a committee of the Privy Council, with the exception of those who have resigned from the Privy Council;
* Barons, viscounts and earls (marquesses are "The Most Honourable" and dukes are "The Most Noble" or "His Grace", and, if Privy Counsellors, retain these higher styles); and
* The holders of certain offices of state in Canada, including the Governor General, Prime Minister and Chief Justice.

In order to differentiate peers who are Privy Counsellors from those who are not, sometimes the suffix PC is added to the title.

In addition, some people are entitled to the prefix in an official capacity, i.e. the prefix is added to the name of the office, not the name of the person:

* The Lord Mayors of London, Cardiff, Belfast, York and Bristol; and of Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Hobart; and
* The Lords Provost of Edinburgh and Glasgow.

All other Lord Mayors are "The Right Worshipful", other Lords Provost do not use an honorific.

[Algernon]

Dear HS,

I think the word 'right' is used in the formulation to mean something like 'very' - thus a 'right honorouble gentleman' is supposed to be more noteworthy than an 'honourable gentleman'.

Best wishes,
WGFK.

[couch]

And one should note that the form for either address would be "honorable" or "honourable" (U.K. spelling) rather than "honorary." "Honourable" is a term of respect for the person; "honorary" would refer to an honor bestowed as a courtesy (rather than something earned) like an honorary academic degree.

[arch]

When should the address "The Right Honorary So & So" be used? Why the "Right"?

It is used for MP's.

[Cordovan]

When should the address "The Right Honorary So & So" be used? Why the "Right"?

It is used for MP's.

I believe that one's party member is referred to as my "Right Honorable Friend" and a member from the opposing party is Gentleman in place of friend.

Cordovan

[Algernon]

It is used for MP's.

Well, for Privy Councillors. MPs who aren't PCs are 'honorable members'. And the majority of the titled nobility takes the appelation too.

[masterfred]

"The Right Reverend" and "The Reverend Doctor" was a form of address for priests/ministers once used in the Anglican and Episcopal Churches in England and the U.S.

[RWS]

Still are: "the Right Reverend" for bishops in the Anglican Communion (including the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, still -- if scarcely -- a member of that communion), "the Reverend Mr. [or Dr.]" for ministers. Also, "Very Reverend", etc.

[HappyStroller]

Thank you, gentlemen, for your various helpful replies.

Can either "the Right Honorable" or "the Reverend" form of address be part of an oral address, or should they be restricted to written form only?

[zegnamtl]

"The Right Honourable Stephen Joseph Harper, Prime Minister of Canada"

There is nothing right, nor honorable about the man,
however, protocol states that this is the title we must bestow upon him, for the time being.

[RWS]

Ah, the glories and satisfactions of representative democracy!

[Algernon]

There is nothing right [...] about the man.

I thought he was very much on the right?

Sorry.

[masterfred]

Still are: "the Right Reverend" for bishops in the Anglican Communion (including the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, still -- if scarcely -- a member of that communion), "the Reverend Mr. [or Dr.]" for ministers. Also, "Very Reverend", etc.

I'm sure that is true in older, established congregations in the U.S. - and perhaps moreso in areas such as the NE - but I notice the younger, more casual ones tend to dispose with the more traditional forms of address.

The last time I attended services at an Episcopal church (in the company of a friend who was a congregant), the service had more in common with an early Sixties hootenanny than what I think of as an Episcopal service.

[storeynicholas]

This is quite complex: Right Honourable applies mainly to Privy Councillors (government ministers are , as well as other people, PCs). It is also a prefix for peers of the realm who, if they are PCs append PC to the end of their titles as they are already Rt Hons. Ordinary members of the house of commons are addressed as the Honourable member for (name of constituency) unless they are members of the Bar when they are addressed as Honourable or Rt Honourable (as the case may be) and 'learned' member, 'friend' for same party member or 'gentleman' for opposition. Children of some lesser peers, who do not hold a courtesy title, such as The Viscount Duplin are also addressed as the Honourable [first name and second name].
NJS