Excellency

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

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:

Statesmen and dipomacy

Commonwealth usage

The form "Excellency" has never been used to refer to or address The Queen or any earlier British monarch, in any of the countries where that monarchy is recognized. The mistaken belief that it can or should be used may arise either from (a) errors of protocol in other countries, or at the UN; or (b) the fact that in Britain and some other Commonwealth countries Acts of Parliament begin with the phrase: "Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty…"

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

Presidents of republics
Governors-General and their spouses;
Governors
Foreign ambassadors
Commonwealth High Commissioners
The Commonwealth Secretary-General

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. Although South Carolina legally provides for the Governor to be referred to as "Excellency", both the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth of Virginia does not. Nevertheless, "Excellency" is used frequently when introducing the Governor of Pennsylvania and the Governor of Virginia at formal events, most notably the annual State of the Commonwealth address, when the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates introduces the Governor as "His Excellency."

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".

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.

Other uses

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.

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.

Ecclesiastical use

In the Catholic Church, it is customary to use this style with Archbishops (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.

Sources and references

(incomplete)

RoyalArk- here Brazil

Honorifics | Styles

Exzellenz | Son Excellence | Excellens

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