Editing Peerages in the United Kingdom (section)

===Honorific===
{{See also|Lord#Modern_usage}}

Individuals who use the appellation ''Lord'' or ''Lady'' are not necessarily peers. There are judicial, ecclesiastic and holders of [[Lord#Chancellors, councillors and privy seal keepers|other crown offices]] who are often accorded the appellation "Lord" or "Lady" as a form of [[courtesy title]] as a product of their office. Those who hold feudal titles are, however, never accorded the honorific "Lord". The holder of a [[Lord of the manor|lordship of the manor]] for example can be styled as Charles S, Lord/Lady of the Manor of [Placename], but would not be referred to as Lord Charles S of [Placename].

In speech, any peer or peeress except a Duke or Duchess is referred to as ''Lord X'' or ''Lady X''. The exception is a ''[[suo jure]]'' baroness (that is, one holding the dignity in her own right, usually a life peeress), who may also be called ''Baroness X'' in normal speech, though ''Lady X'' is also common usage. Hence, [[Margaret Thatcher|The Baroness Thatcher]], a ''suo jure'' life peeress, was referred to as either "Baroness Thatcher" or "Lady Thatcher". "Baroness" is incorrect for female holders of Scottish Lordships of Parliament, who are not Baronesses; for example, the [[Flora Fraser, 21st Lady Saltoun|21st Lady Saltoun]] was known as "Lady Saltoun", not "Baroness Saltoun".

A peer is referred to by his peerage even if it is the same as his surname, thus the [[David Owen|Baron Owen]] is "Lord Owen" not "Lord David Owen", though such erroneous forms are commonly used.

Some peers, particularly life peers who were well known before their ennoblement, do not use their peerage titles.  Others use a combination: for example, the author [[John Julius Norwich]] was John Julius Cooper, 2nd Viscount Norwich.

Children of peers use special titles called [[courtesy title]]s. The [[heir apparent]] of a duke, a marquess, or an earl generally uses his father's highest lesser peerage dignity as his own. Hence, [[Duke of Devonshire|The Duke of Devonshire]]'s son is called the [[Marquess of Hartington]]. Such an heir apparent is called a ''courtesy peer'', but is a commoner until such time as he inherits (unless summoned by a [[writ in acceleration]]).

Younger sons of dukes and marquesses prefix ''Lord'' to their first names as courtesy titles while daughters of dukes, marquesses and earls use ''Lady''. Younger sons of earls and children of viscounts, barons and lords of Parliament use ''The Honourable''.

Divorced peeresses "cannot claim the privileges or status of Peeresses which they derived from their husbands".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Morris|first1=Susan|title=Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage 2019|date=2019|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=99tHEAAAQBAJ&pg=PR73|publisher=Debrett's|isbn=9781999767006|quote=When a lady is divorced she loses any precedence which she gained by marriage. With regard to divorced Peeresses, the [[College of Arms]], acting on an opinion of the [[Lord Chancellor]], has long held that such persons cannot claim the privileges or status of Peeresses which they derived from their husbands}}</ref> While a divorced former wife of a duke is no longer a duchess, she may still use the title, styled with her forename prefixed to the title (without the definite article, ''the'').<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wyse|first1=Elizabeth|title=Debrett's Handbook|date=2016|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XsNHEAAAQBAJ&q=marriage+between+a+duke+and+a+duchess+has+been+dissolved|publisher=Debrett's|isbn=978-0992934866|quote=If a marriage between a duke and a duchess has been dissolved, the former wife (although no longer a peeress) may continue to use her title as a duke's wife, preceded by her forename (unless she remarries)}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Morris|first1=Susan|title=Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage 2019|date=2019|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=99tHEAAAQBAJ&pg=PR73|publisher=Debrett's|isbn=9781999767006|quote=The correct style and description of divorced ladies who have not remarried nor have taken steps to resume their maiden name with the prefix of Mrs, is as follows: The former wife of a Peer or courtesy Peer,——Mary, Viscountess——}}</ref> Her forename is used primarily to differentiate her from any new wife of her former husband. However, should the former husband remain unmarried, the former wife may continue to use the title without her forename attached.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://debretts.com/expertise/rites-of-passage/divorce/forms-of-address/ |title=Forms of Address Divorce |publisher=Debrett's |access-date=17 December 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202210417/https://debretts.com/expertise/rites-of-passage/divorce/forms-of-address/ |archive-date=2 February 2019}}</ref> Should a former wife of a peer remarry, she would lose the style of a divorced peeress and take on a style relating to her new husband.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wyse|first1=Elizabeth|title=Debrett's Handbook|date=2016|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XsNHEAAAQBAJ&q=she+remarries|publisher=Debrett's|isbn=978-0992934866|quote=if she remarries, she would take the style of her subsequent husband...if Tessa, Viscountess Tilney, marries Mr George Robinson she becomes Mrs George Robinson}}</ref> Examples include [[Louise Timpson]], who during her marriage to [[Ian Douglas Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll|The Duke of Argyll]] was known as ''Her Grace'' The Duchess of Argyll but became ''Louise, Duchess of Argyll'' following her divorce, a style which she eventually lost after her subsequent marriage upon which she became known as Mrs. Robert Timpson.