Royal Highness
From Free net encyclopedia
Royal Highness (abbreviation HRH) is a style His Royal Highness or Her Royal Highness. It appears in front of the names of some members of some royal families other than the King or Queen.
The style His/Her Royal Highness ranks below His/Her Imperial Highness (referring to an Imperial House) but above His/Her Highness and His/Her Serene Highness (referring to Princely or Ducal Houses).
In the British monarchy the style of HRH is associated with the rank of prince or princess (although this has not always applied, the notable exception being Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who was given the style of HRH in 1947 but was not created a prince until 1958). This is especially important when a prince has another title such as Duke (or a princess the title of Duchess) by which he or she would usually be addressed. For instance HRH The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a prince and a member of the royal family while His Grace The Duke of Devonshire is a non-royal duke and not a member of the British Royal Family.
In the United Kingdom, a Letters Patent issued on 28 August 1996 states that a style received by a spouse of a member of the Royal Family on their marriage ceases at the point of divorce. For that reason Diana Spencer, when she and Charles, Prince of Wales divorced, ceased to be HRH.