Talk:Highness

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Untitled[edit]

Whoever is reverting the list of styles, stop. I created the list and have added styles on as they have come to notice; all exist and are legitimate. I have no idea what you are on about. Yanksta x 13:48, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

  • I have never heard of some of the more obscure styles ("Exalted Highness" for the Nizam is an exception). Could you share your sources for them, and especially for the translations and ranking you assign them? I have a difficult time understanding how "Your Princely Highness" can signal a higher style than "Your Grand Ducal Highness"? And I have always understood that some of the adjectives layered on top of or coupled with "Durchlaucht" are not translated literally into English, but are simply translated as "Serene Highness" since they do not suggest a higher style than that borne by monarchs (and their families) who use the unadorned Durchlaucht/Altesse Serenissime? I do, however, much appreciate the usually ignored fact you make clear that sytles may suggest rank, but do not define or carry it in and of themselves.Lethiere 02:02, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I would personally seperate the styles so that Eastern ones are seperate. The levels of "exaltation" are more clear among European styles than for European and Eastern combined. Charles 02:30, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • I'll dig up some sources; the rank is based mostly on British protocol. For example, under the British Empire, Indian princes bearing the style of Highness ranked immediately below dukes, and those breaing the Sultanic Highness style of Egypt ranked immediately after those bearing the style of Royal Highness. What you seem to be confused about regarding Princel/Grand Ducal is the type of state involved. The princes of Germany were not princes in the royal sense, and used the title of "Durchlaucht" or Serenity. This is usually translated into English as HSH Prince, although there was never any prince in the royal sense or Highness involved. Exceptions to this rule included royalty who used that style, such as certain cadet members of the french royal family and male-line grandchildren of certain Italian monarchs. Princely Highness was a style used by certain monarchs colonialized by European powers. the ranking as assigned based on the wishes of the European power. Yanksta x 15:28, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]


I understand that HH The Aga Khan was granted the style of His Highness by HM Queen Elisabeth II in 1957.

It was later upgraded to His Royal Highness by the Shah of Iran. Yanksta x 13:48, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Use of Highness by British Royal Family[edit]

The article states "Before 1917, it was also used by some junior members of the British royal house." In fact it was used after that time, by Princess Marie Louise and Princess Helena.

It was also used by Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk.

Pincess Maud's sister, Princess Alexandra did not use it after she married HRH Prince Arthur of Connaught. And their son Prince Alastair of Connaught who was born HH lost the style in 1917.

Royal Highness vs Imperial Highness[edit]

It would appear that those using the style of imperial highness would outrank a royal highness. With this being the case would member of the Imperial House of Japan, outrank member of the british royal family i.e in theory would The Prince of Wales be expected to bow before The Crown Prince of Japan ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.93.21.103 (talkcontribs)

That is only the case within a singular system, such as the system within the Holy Roman Empire or in the German Empire. Between nations in the present day, the style of the heir does not grant a specific precedence. I *believe* precedence is calculated by the length of the monarch's reign, so his or her heir would outrank another heir based on that. Charles 02:10, 4 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Norway[edit]

The styles used officially in Norway are majestet (Majesty) and kongelig høyhet (Royal Highness) only. Styles such as høyhet (Highness) or eksellense (Excellence) do not exist. Junior members of the royal family, including the king's sisters, the crown prince's sister, or his younger children, do not hold any styles at all. Occasionally some of them may be referred to as "Highness" by foreigners merely by courtesy or assumption or pretence, but this style has no legal basis in Norway and they are not "official holders of the style Highness". Garn Svend (talk) 15:08, 30 April 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Another Highness?[edit]

What about the historical German title of Electoral Highness?93.55.51.142 (talk) 23:43, 2 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Variations and precedence[edit]

I am pretty sure that Highness (HH) has a higher precedence than Serene Highness. In fact I believe it comes directly after Royal Highness (HRH) in precedence. I am happy to be proven wrong, but this is how these styled are usually understood in royal and princely circles ¬¬¬¬ — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2407:7000:8402:B200:D81F:F7CA:2C7:5926 (talk) 02:31, 15 December 2018 (UTC)[reply]

In German, Austrian, English and Russian usage, yes, the style of "Highness" (Hoheit), which was the usual translation of the 19th century style attributed to a sovereign duke (Herzog) ranks above "Serene Highness" (Durchlaucht), associated with a sovereign prince (Fürst), which ranks immediately above "Illustrious Highness" (Erlaucht", borne by a sovereign count (Reichsgraf).
But the rank is reversed in Latin countries, such as Belgium, France, Italy, Monaco, Portugal and Spain. There, Serene Highness (altesse sérénissime) outranks Highness (altesse), as the former was assigned in France to princes du sang (who were in the line of succession to the French throne), whereas Highness was accorded to the princes étrangers (foreign princes, e.g. House of Guise, House of Rohan, La Tour d'Auvergne, etc) at the French court who were not reigning sovereigns. Thus the Belgian Prince de Ligne is only "Highness", whereas the mediatized Dukes of Arenberg and of Cröy rank higher, and are "Serene Highness", all of them, of course, below members of the monarch's dynasty, who are "Royal Highness". Not all Benelux dukes (Beaufort-Spontin, Ursel) or princes (Chimay, Merode, Bernadotte af Wisborg) were allowed to use the style of Highness.
Above Highness, but below Royal Highness are "Electoral Highness" and "Grand Ducal Highness". That is why the latter has been abandoned by the family of the Grand Dukes of Luxembourg, since they are all now descendants of Grand Duchess Charlotte's marriage to Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma, who descends from the Kings of Spain and of France, but who was actually the son of a deposed Duke of Parma when he married. FactStraight (talk) 23:19, 19 December 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Highness is wrong[edit]

The style of Highness ranks above all the other variations bar Royal Highness and Imperial Highness.2407:7000:8402:B200:A432:9E16:864A:8D1D (talk) 10:04, 15 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]

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Help job 119.152.209.146 (talk) 10:51, 13 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

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Sir I neeu I need you 94.129.49.140 (talk) 22:32, 8 July 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Merger proposal[edit]

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section. A summary of the conclusions reached follows.
The result of this discussion was Merge. Unopposed Estar8806 (talk) 22:47, 31 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I propose that Exalted Highness be merged into this article. It would fit well if merged into Highness#Modified forms considering the other entire article is barely even a brief paragraph. Estar8806 (talk) 00:03, 6 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.