Editing Viscount (section)

===United Kingdom===
{{Peerage |Ranks=expanded}}
Viscounts are the fourth rank in the [[Peerages in the United Kingdom|British peerage]], standing directly below an [[earl]] and above a [[baron]] ([[Lord of Parliament]] in [[Scotland]]). There are approximately 270 viscountcies extant in the peerages of the [[British Isles]], though most are [[Subsidiary title|secondary titles]].<ref name="The Roll of the Peerage">{{cite web|title=The Roll of the Peerage|last1=Denyer|first1=Ian|last2=Bavister|first2=Grant|publisher=[[College of Arms]]|url=http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/images/downloads/Roll%20of%20the%20Peerage.pdf|access-date=18 June 2014|orig-year=2004|year=2014|archive-date=17 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170717034647/http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/images/downloads/Roll%20of%20the%20Peerage.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In British practice, the title of a viscount may be a place name, a surname, or a combination: examples include [[Viscount Falmouth]], [[Viscount Hardinge]] and [[Viscount Colville of Culross]]. Some viscounts in the peerage of Scotland were traditionally styled "The Viscount ''of'' [X]", such as the [[Viscount of Arbuthnott]]. In practice, however, very few maintain this style, instead using the more common version "Viscount [X]" in general parlance, for example [[Viscount of Falkland]] who is referred to as Viscount Falkland.

A British viscount is addressed in speech as ''Lord [X]'', while his wife is ''Lady [X]'', and he is formally styled "[[The Right Honourable]] The Viscount [X]". The children of a viscount are known as ''[[The Honourable]] [Forename] [Surname]'', with the exception of a Scottish viscount, whose eldest child may be styled as "[[The Honourable]] [[Master (Peerage of Scotland)|Master]] of [X]".<ref name="Debrett's: Viscount and Viscountess">{{cite web|title=Viscount and Viscountess|url=http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/viscount-and-viscountess|date=n.d.|access-date=18 June 2014|publisher=[[Debrett's]]}}</ref>

====Ireland====
The title of viscount ({{Langx|ga|bíocunta}}) was introduced to the [[Peerage of Ireland]] in 1478 with the creation of the title of [[Viscount Gormanston]], the premier viscountcy of Britain and Ireland, held today by [[Nicholas Preston, 17th Viscount Gormanston]]. Other early Irish viscountcies were [[Viscount Baltinglass]] (1541), [[John Rawson, 1st Viscount Clontarf|Viscount Clontarf]] (1541), [[Viscount Mountgarret]] (1550) and [[Viscount Decies]] (1569).

====Use as a courtesy title====
A specifically British custom is the use of viscount as a [[courtesy title]] for the heir of an earl or [[marquess]]. The peer's [[heir apparent]] will sometimes be referred to as a viscount, if the second most senior title held by the head of the family is a viscountcy. For example, the eldest son of the [[Earl Howe]] is [[Viscount Curzon]], because this is the second most senior title held by the Earl.<ref name="Debrett's: Courtesy Titles">{{cite web|title=Courtesy Titles|url=http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/courtesy-titles|date=n.d.|publisher=[[Debrett's]]|access-date=18 June 2014}}</ref>

However, the son of a marquess or an earl can be referred to as a viscount when the title of viscount is not the second most senior if those above it share their name with the [[substantive title]]. For example, the second most senior title of the [[Marquess of Salisbury]] is the [[Earl of Salisbury]], so his heir uses the lower title of [[Viscount Cranborne]].

Sometimes, the son of a peer is referred to as a viscount even when he could use a more senior courtesy title which differs in name from the substantive title. Family tradition plays a role in this. For example, the eldest son of the [[Marquess of Londonderry]] is Viscount Castlereagh, even though the Marquess is also the Earl Vane.

On occasion, the title of viscount may be the courtesy title used for the grandson of a duke, provided that he is the eldest son of the duke's eldest son.  This is because the eldest son of the duke will be given the second-highest title of his father (marquess or earl), and so the third-highest is left for his eldest son. It is possible for the great-grandson of a duke to hold the courtesy title of viscount if the duke's eldest son has the courtesy title marquess and his eldest son, in turn, uses the title of earl.

====Coronet====
[[File:Coronet of a British Viscount.svg|right|thumb|150px|[[Coronet]] of a British viscount.]]
[[File:Coronet of a British Viscount.jpg|right|thumb|150px|[[Coronet]] of the 6th [[Viscount Clifden]].]]
A viscount's [[coronet]] of rank bears 16 silver balls around the rim. Like all heraldic coronets, it is mostly worn at the [[Coronation of the British monarch]], but a viscount has the right to bear his coronet of rank on his [[coat of arms]], above the shield. In this guise, the coronet is shown face-on, featuring 9 silver balls.<ref name="Debrett's:Ceremonial Robes">{{cite web|url=http://www.debretts.com/people/essential-guide-peerage/ceremonial-robes|publisher=[[Debrett's]]|date=n.d.|access-date=18 June 2014|title=Ceremonial Robes}}</ref>