Thread: How to address members of royalty

I was wondering how I should write a letter to an important member of royalty, let's say a princess. I thought of following this pattern, but I'd like to receive your opinions in the matter... Thanks in advance!

Here goes my first attempt:

Princess XX
Her Royal Highness
(Address)

Dear Madam,

I am pleased to contact Her Royal Highness, in my capacity as (...), to formally request that she consider my proposal.

(...)

I look forward to hearing from Her Royal Highness, remaining at your/her? disposal for any further information.

Kind regards,

Originally Posted by Guadalupe

I was wondering how I should write a letter to an important member of royalty, let's say a princess. I thought of following this pattern, but I'd like to receive your opinions in the matter... Thanks in advance!

Here goes my first attempt:

Princess XX
Her Royal Highness
(Address)

Dear Madam,

I am pleased to contact Her Royal Highness, in my capacity as (...), to formally request that she consider my proposal.

(...)

I look forward to hearing from Her Royal Highness, remaining at your/her? disposal for any further information.

Kind regards,

Hi Guadalupe. I'm pretty sure there is a protocol for addressing royalty and I probably shouldn't even try this. I'm just a peasant!, but just in case nobody else responds, from all I have ever heard along these lines I would think that if you are writing directly to the princess you would address her as Your Royal Highness...and use YOU...and YOUR.

I'm not at all sure you would address her as Madam. Isn't that a title for married lady? If she's single she would be Miss and I don't think you address princesses as Madam or Miss. I would think that instead of Dear Madam/Miss you would write: Your Royal Highness. (not sure "dear" is appropriate when addressing royalty.)

Let's hope one of our Brit members or someone from one of the other monarchies sees this and responds.

There is probably a much better way, i.e., more formal and appropriate, but just following your example my suggestion (until someone more knowledgeable corrects me):

Your Royal Highness,

I am pleased to contact Your Royal Highness, in my capacity as (...), to formally request that you consider my proposal.

(...)

I look forward to hearing from Your Royal Highness, remaining at your disposal for any further information.

Thanks, Vicente!!! It seemed to me out of protocol treating a Princess in a direct way. Therefore, I came out with this idea of treating her as "Her Royal Highness". Perhaps, in practice, you may address letters to her Secretary or some other officer. I mean: I don't think she herself will read this kind of letters, especially because, as you have said, I'm a peasant, too!

Any other enlightening thoughts?

Hi Guadalupe, I will give it some more thought. I agree that you that a princess probably would not read just any correspondence and it might be sent to her secretary or assistant or attendant or whomever, in which case you woud refer to her as Her Royal Highness, and use her and she. But I think you might still send the letter to the princess ... so you'd go back to addressing her directly.

If nobody else responds, I will try to find some more definitive information for you. In the meantime try these links. There are more by querying "addressing royalty correspondence".

http://www.libraryonline.com/default.asp?pID=63

http://www.ehow.com/how_7836487_addr...s-royalty.html

P.S. I already see that I was wrong in one respect. A princess MAY be addressed as Madam in correspondence.

Thanks, Vicente! Very illustrative sites!!!!

In order to confirm what Vicente has already said and given that no Brit members have contributed to this post, I include an interesting and trusty site on the matter: http://www.royal.gov.uk/HMTheQueen/C.../Overview.aspx.

Hi Guadalupe! It appears that in the 21st century they have relaxed the formality somewhat.

"...traditional approach is by no means obligatory. You should feel free to write in whatever style you feel comfortable"

It's good to know that now we wouldn't be flogged and thrown into the dungeon for inadvertent disrespect.

Thank God, Vicente!

It's also good to know that nowadays you do not have to take care of your head, in case someone might chop it off...