Excellency

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Excellency is an honorific style given to certain holders of high-ranking offices of state or influential organizations.

1 Generalities
2 Statesmen and diplomacy
3 Other uses
4 See also
5 Sources and references

[edit] Generalities

It is sometimes misinterpreted as a title of office in itself, but in fact it is an honorific which goes with and is used before various such titles (such as Mr, President, and so on), both in speech and in writing. In reference to such an official, it takes the form "His/Her Excellency"; in direct address, "Your Excellency", or, less formally, simply "Excellency".

In many states, this form is used for:

Presidents
Governors-General
Other Governors
Prime Ministers
Foreign ambassadors
Roman Catholic Archbishops and Bishops (except if Cardinal, then replaced by Your Eminence).

[edit] Statesmen and diplomacy

[edit] Commonwealth usage

The form "Excellency" has never been used to refer to or address any British Monarch, in any of the countries where that monarchy is or was Head of state. The mistaken belief that it can or should be used may arise from confusion due to errors of protocol in other countries or at the United Nations; however a compound occurs in the "Majestic" style, e.g. on Acts of Parliament: "Excellent Majesty".

Otherwise the style "Excellency" is generally accorded to the current holders of the following offices only:

[edit] United States usage

In the United States, the form "Excellency" was specifically denied to the President, with "Mr./Madam President" or "The Honorable ..." being the only legally accepted forms. However, in many foreign countries and in United Nations protocol the President of the United States is usually referred to as "His Excellency." Diplomatic correspondence to President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War, as during the Trent Affair, for instance, frequently referred to him as "His Excellency."

In the six states of New England, governors have retained the honorific "Excellency," following traditional British colonial practice, though it is rarely used. They are: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine.

All of these states were among the original Thirteen Colonies, either as colonies in their own right, or (in the case of Vermont and Maine) as parts of other colonies. Three of the other original colonies, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia, also use the form "Excellency" in referring to their governors. Although South Carolina legally provides for the Governor to be referred to as "Excellency", neither of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth of Virginia do. Nevertheless, "Excellency" is used frequently when introducing the Governor of Pennsylvania and the Governor of Virginia at formal events.

Though incorrect, other governors are sometimes addressed as "excellency" at public events, usually as a result of organizers analogizing the practice from states that still use the style.

Though ambassadors are traditionally accorded the title elsewhere (see below), the U.S. government does not use "excellency" for its diplomatic corps, preferring "the honorable" instead.

[edit] Other countries

In most republican nations, the president is formally called "His/Her Excellency" and the initials "HE" are often presented in front of his/her name in formal documents. Following the American model, the simpler form "Mr./Madam President" remains the most common means of address for day-to-day conversation.

If a republic has a prime minister, he or she is often addressed as "Excellency" as well. If the nation is a constitutional monarchy, however, rules vary. Many European monarchies do not specifically give this form of address to their prime ministers, while most of the monarchies of Asia do.

In the Philippines, the President is referred to as "His/Her Illustrious Excellency, the Right Honourable the President for the Republic of the Philippines" and is addressed as "Your Illustrious Excellency". Governors of Philippine Provinces are simply addressed as "Your Excellency" or "Excellency".

[edit] International diplomacy

In various international organizations, notably the UN and its agencies, "Excellency" is used as a generic form of address for all heads of state and heads of government. It is often granted to the organization's head as well, and to those chiefs of UN diplomatic missions, such as Resident Coordinators (who are the designated representatives of the Secretary-General), who are accredited at the Head of State (like Ambassadors) - or the lower Head of Government level.

In recent years, some international organisations, such as the OSCE, or the European Union, have designated their Permanent Representatives in third countries as "Ambassadors", although they do not represent sovereign entities. This is now largely accepted, and because these "Ambassadors" rank after the UN representative in the orders of precedence of representatives of international organisations, the UN coming naturally first as pre-eminent, the UN Resident Coordinators are now also commonly but informally referred to in diplomatic circles as "Ambassadors", although the UN itself does not refer to them in this way.

[edit] Other uses

[edit] Aristocracy

In Spain and some other countries, high ranking noblemen titles of nobility (of Peerage rank in British terms), enjoy styling as "His/Her Excellency", while other titled noblemen are styled simply as "more Illustrious Lord/Lady" especially in the British System.

[edit] Other secular excellencies

Excellency can also be attached to an honorary quality, notably in an order of knighthood; e.g. in the empire of Brazil, it was attached to the highest classes, each time styled Grand cross, of all three imperial orders: Imperial Order of Dom Pedro I, Imperial Order of the Southern Cross (in this case, also enjoying the military honours of a Lieutenant general) and Order of the Rose.

[edit] Ecclesiastical use

In the Roman Catholic Church, it is customary in many countries to use this style with Archbishops or Bishop (more formally, "His", or "Your", "Most Reverend Excellency"); the title of Eminence (or, more formally, "His", or "Your", "Most Reverend Eminence") is reserved to cardinals. This is also the official usage, both ecclesiastical and diplomatic, and is the practice followed in the United States.

However in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth or former Commonwealth countries, it is more customary to follow the British tradition, as usual in the Anglican churches, where an (Arch)bishop is rather styled The Most Reverend or the Right Reverend and addressed as Your Grace or My Lord.