how to write a letter to king

EXPLORE Coupons Tech Help Pro Random Article About Us Quizzes Contribute Train Your Brain Game Improve Your English Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
HELP US Support wikiHow Community Dashboard Write an Article Request a New Article More Ideas...
EDIT Edit this Article
PRO Courses New Tech Help Pro New Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Coupons Quizzes Upgrade Sign In
Browse Articles
Quizzes New
Train Your Brain New
Improve Your English New
Support wikiHow
About wikiHow
Easy Ways to Help
Approve Questions
Fix Spelling
More Things to Try...
H&M Coupons
Hotwire Promo Codes
StubHub Discount Codes
Ashley Furniture Coupons
Blue Nile Promo Codes
NordVPN Coupons
Samsung Promo Codes
Chewy Promo Codes
Ulta Coupons
Vistaprint Promo Codes
Shutterfly Promo Codes
DoorDash Promo Codes
Office Depot Coupons
adidas Promo Codes
Home Depot Coupons
DSW Coupons
Bed Bath and Beyond Coupons
Lowe's Coupons
Surfshark Coupons
Nordstrom Coupons
Walmart Promo Codes
Dick's Sporting Goods Coupons
Fanatics Coupons
Edible Arrangements Coupons
eBay Coupons
Log in / Sign up
Finance and Business
Writing Letters to Officials

How to Address a Letter to the King & Follow Formal Protocol

Last Updated: October 31, 2022 References Approved

This article was co-authored by Tami Claytor . Tami Claytor is an Etiquette Coach, Image Consultant, and the Owner of Always Appropriate Image and Etiquette Consulting in New York, New York. With over 20 years of experience, Tami specializes in teaching etiquette classes to individuals, students, companies, and community organizations. Tami has spent decades studying cultures through her extensive travels across five continents and has created cultural diversity workshops to promote social justice and cross-cultural awareness. She holds a BA in Economics with a concentration in International Relations from Clark University. Tami studied at the Ophelia DeVore School of Charm and the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she earned her Image Consultant Certification. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 30 testimonials and 89% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 529,653 times.

Queen Elizabeth II was an important figure of the world for over half a century. Her successor King Charles III became Monarch on the 9th of September 2022. Whether you live in the United Kingdom or any other country, a letter would be a great way of showing your respect to him. You should be respectful and polite in a letter. To write to His Majesty King Charles III, make sure you follow all available protocol, even if all the rules are not necessarily mandatory. [1] X Research source

Reaching His Majesty and Writing a Salutation

Image titled Write to HM Queen Elizabeth II Step 1

Be sure to divide your thoughts with different forms of bullets, including Roman numerals, lowercase letters, and numbers.

Image titled Write to HM Queen Elizabeth II Step 2

Image titled Write to HM Queen Elizabeth II Step 3

Writing the Letter Body

Image titled Write to HM Queen Elizabeth II Step 5

Image titled Write to HM Queen Elizabeth II Step 6

Image titled Write to HM Queen Elizabeth II Step 7

Image titled Write to HM Queen Elizabeth II Step 8

If you are typing rather than handwriting, use spell/grammar check.

Closing and Sending Your Letter

Image titled Write to HM Queen Elizabeth II Step 9

Image titled Write to HM Queen Elizabeth II Step 10

Her Majesty The Queen Buckingham Palace London SW1A 1AA

Image titled Write to HM Queen Elizabeth II Step 11

Things to Say and Avoid and Sample Letter

how to write a letter to king

Community Q&A

how to write a letter to king

You Might Also Like

Write Letters to the Editor

About This Article

To write to HM Queen Elizabeth II, start by writing “May it please Your Majesty” or “Your Majesty” to open your letter. Then, use polite, formal language to state your reason for writing, saying something like, “I wish to inform you of an event that deserves your attention.” Next, provide a detailed explanation of your request, then conclude your letter with a final plea. Finally, close your letter with “I have the honor to remain, Madam, Your Majesty’s most humble and obedient servant” if you’re a U.K. citizen, or “Yours truly” if you’re not a citizen of the U.K. To learn how to address and mail your letter to the Queen, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Did this article help you?

how to write a letter to king

Ioana Luminita Musceleanu

Am I a Narcissist or an Empath Quiz

Featured Articles

Order at Starbucks

Trending Articles

What's Your Mindset Quiz

Watch Articles

Make Tabasco Sauce

Don’t miss out! Sign up for

wikiHow’s newsletter

How to Address a King How to Address a Queen

How to Address a King | How to Address a Queen

This format, based on the British form used for the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is acceptable, when the common language is English, for all kings and queens, except the King of Saudi Arabia. See next post for the King of Saudi Arabia.

—- Envelope or address block on an email: How to Address a Queen —- —- His Majesty —- —- The King of (full name of country) —- —- (Address)

—- —- Her Majesty —- —- The Queen of (full name of country) —- —- (Address)

———- —- Their Majesties ———- —- The King and Queen of (country/people) ———- —- (Address)

—- Letter salutation: How to Address a King —- —- Your Majesty: How to A

—- Conversation: How to Address a King ——– Your Majesty How to a ddress a Queen

how to write a letter to king

Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”

How to Address the King of Saudi Arabia?

This afternoon I am to draft a congratulatory message for the National Day of Saudi Arabia to the King of Saudi Arabia and would welcome your expertise. What would be the appropriate form of address both on the envelope and in the salutation? ——————– – Renata Bankoff

Dear Ms. Bankoff: The King of Saudi Arabia has a special courtesy title all to himself:

—- Envelope or address block on an email: —- —- The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques —- —- The King of Saudi Arabia —- —- (Address )

—- Salutation: —- —- Your Majesty:

—- Conversation: —- —- Your Majesty

Two holy mosques are the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina.

— Robert Hickey

See these Related Posts: – —- — King/Queen – —- — Duke/Duchess – —- — Marquess/Marchioness – —- — Earl/Countess – —- — Viscount/Viscountess – —- — Baron/Baroness – —- — Knight/Dame – —- — Noble Titles: Social Use Only

When Should You Use the Forms on this Page?

You can use these forms of address for any mode of communication: addressing a letter, invitation, card or Email. (If there are differences between the official and social forms of address, I will have mentioned the different forms.) The form noted in the salutation is the same form you say when you say their name in conversation or when you greet them. ___ What I don’t cover on this site are many things I do cover in my book: all the rules of forms of address, about names, international titles, precedence, complimentary closes, details on invitations, place cards, all sorts of introductions , etc. I hope you’ll get a copy of the book if you’d like the further detail.

Not Finding Your Answer?

—- #1) At right on desktops , at the bottom of every page on tablets and phones , is a list of all the offices, officials & topics covered on the site.

—- #2) If you don’t see the official you seek included or your question answered send me an e-mail . I am pretty fast at sending a reply: usually the next day or so (unless I am traveling.) Note: I don’t have mailing or Email addresses for any of the officials and I don’t keep track of offices that exist only in history books.

—- #3) If I think your question is of interest to others, Sometimes I post the question – but always change all the specifics.

— Robert Hickey

Recommended Resources: The Protocol School of Washington (PSOW) and Protocol and Diplomacy International – Protocol Officers Association (PDI-POA) For more information see the Protocol Resources page.

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

how to write a letter to king

Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.

Winston-Salem Journal

Copy article link

Ask SAM: How do I send a sympathy card or letter to King Charles?

Sep 15, 2022

King Charles has previously hinted at his preference for a slimmed-down version of the British monarchy. David Common breaks down what that could look like.

Q: I am not online and I would like the address to send King Charles a sympathy letter. Since Charles and Camilla have new titles, how do I address them in the letter?

Answer: To answer your question, SAM turned to Debrett’s, an authority on the British aristocracy, society, and modern manners, since 1769.

Begin the letter to King Charles with “Dear Sir” and end it with “Yours faithfully.”

For Queen Camilla, begin the letter with “Dear Ma’am” and end it with “Yours faithfully.”

According to Debrett’s, one doesn’t use pronouns when addressing a royal.

The first time you mention the royal, use “His Majesty The King” or “Her Majesty The Queen.”

People are also reading…

Afterwards use “His or Her Majesty” or “His or Her Royal Highness.”

The cards or letters for King Charles III should be sent to:

The Private Secretary to His Majesty The King

Buckingham Palace

London SW1A 1AA

Cards or letters for Queen Camilla should be sent to:

The Private Secretary to Her Majesty The Queen

Q: What kind of caterpillar is this? It’s one of the biggest I’ve ever seen.

091622-wsj-nws-ask-sam caterpillar picture Lindy Ritz

Answer: Michael Waldvogel, an entomology associate professor emeritus at N.C. State University, took a look at the picture you sent. He said that the angle made it a difficult to see some of the markings, so he consulted Clyde Sorenson, another entomology professor.

Sorenson said that it’s a lunar caterpillar.

“They are in the group called ‘Saturniid moths’ or ‘giant silk moths.’ The caterpillars feed on the leaves of sweet-gum, hickory, walnut and a few other tree species,” Waldvogel said.

This time of year, when the caterpillars are grown, they will spin cocoons in leaves. When the leaves fall from the trees, the cocoons will stay on the ground in the leaves until the moth appears next spring.

Q: Is the city of Winston-Salem responsible for maintaining Rolling Knoll Lane? There are parts of this street full of potholes and broken pavement making it very rough to drive on. Are there any plans to repair it in the near future?

Answer: There are not any plans right now for repaving Rolling Knoll Lane, which is a city street, according to David Avalos with the City of Winston-Salem Department of Transportation.

“If a citizen would like to report a pothole for repair they can call Citylink at 311 and the field office will be notified” he said.

Saturday shredding

*Fries Memorial Moravian Church, 251 N. Hawthorne Road, Winston-Salem, will have a community shred day from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Shamrock Shredding will be shredding documents on-site in the church parking lot. Donations of $5 per file box or bag are requested. Paper only; no plastic or non-paper trash will be accepted. Proceeds will benefit local youth and family ministries.

*Holy Family Catholic Church, 4820 Kinnamon Road, Clemmons, will have a shredding event from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in the church parking lot. A donation of $5 per bag is suggested and checks may be made payable to the Knights of Columbus. Paper only and no metal other than staples or paper clips.

Melissa Hall, Straight Answer Ma’am

Email: [email protected]

Write: Ask SAM, 418 N. Marshall St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101

Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!

{{description}}

Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

Followed notifications

Please log in to use this feature, related to this story, how king charles could slim down the monarchy.

King Charles has previously hinted at his preference for a slimmed-down version of the British monarchy. David Common breaks down what that co…

Watch Now: Related Video

Professional women’s cricket league launches in india, norfolk southern ceo "deeply sorry" for derailment, ukraine's battle to hold bakhmut grinds on, historic facts about the crown king charles will wear during his coronation.

091622-wsj-nws-ask-sam

how to write a letter to king

Notifications

Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.

Breaking News

Royal Family and etiquette

Some of the information on this page may be out of date following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We are in the process of reviewing and updating this content.

Contacting members of The Royal Family

Due to the sheer numbers of people who wish to contact the Royal Family, correspondence is only possible via letter. Members of the Royal Family cannot be contacted directly via email or telephone.

There is no strict protocol about how a letter should be written, though some people wish to observe the traditional forms.

In which case, people may write to The King with the formal opening "Sir" and close the letter with the form "I have the honour to be, Sir, Your Majesty’s humble and obedient servant."

For other members of the Royal Family the formal opening is "Sir" or "Madam". Other people prefer to open their letter with "Your Majesty" or "Your Royal Highness" and end it with "Yours sincerely."

Addressing members of the Royal Family

For female members of The Royal Family who hold the title Her Royal Highness: "Your Royal Highness" on the first occasion, and then "Ma'am."

For male members of The Royal Family who hold the title His Royal Highness: "Your Royal Highness" on the first occasion and "Sir" thereafter.

Contacting members of the Royal Family

You can write to members of the Royal family at the following addresses:

The King Buckingham Palace London SW1A 1AA

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall Clarence House London SW1A 1BA

His Royal Highness The Duke of York Buckingham Palace London SW1A 1AA

Their Royal Highnesses The Earl and Countess of Wessex Bagshot Park Bagshot Surrey GU19 5PL

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal Buckingham Palace London SW1A 1AA

Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester Kensington Palace London W8 4PU His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent St. James’s Palace London SW1A 1BQ

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent Wren House Palace Green London W8 4PY

How to request a Royal visit

The Lord-Lieutenant is responsible for making all the arrangements for a Royal visit to Nottinghamshire by a member of the Royal Family. The Officer to the Lieutenancy makes all the necessary planning arrangements direct with the Royal Household, the host organisation and the Police to ensure the visit is a success and is enjoyed by everyone involved.

A Royal Visit is a memorable occasion which honours the work and achievements of an organisation or community. It is an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the different ways in which people have been involved in either a special piece of work or occasion.

These visits are an important part of the Royal Family’s role and are much valued by those organisations that are fortunate enough to receive such a visit. Many of the visits are connected to charities and other organisations with which members of the Royal Family are associated.

For further information about Members of the Royal Family and the charities or organisations they support please go to the British Monarchy website.

Extending an invitation

Invitations to members of the Royal Family may be made in a number of ways.

Invitations may be extended through the Lord-Lieutenant and may be submitted to specific members of the Royal Family on an organisation’s behalf. If in doubt the Officer will advise as to who may be the most appropriate member of the Royal Family to approach and it is advisable to consult the Officer at the earliest opportunity if unsure.

Alternatively, invitations can be extended direct to the relevant Royal Household, via the Private Secretary. When using this route, it would be much appreciated if a copy of the invitation could be sent to the Lord-Lieutenant for his information. Include as much information as possible but try to keep it concise. The sort of information that will be needed will vary according to the type of invitation and the Officer can advise on what is best to send.

If the invitation involves a visit to a new or refurbished building, it is vital that the work is fully completed and the people in place and the project up and running before the Member of the Royal Family visits. Such invitations need to be put forward for a date well after completion to ensure that everything is in place. This sometimes means that the Royal visit does not take place until sometime after the building or project has opened but that is quite usual.

When to make the invitation

All invitations received are very carefully considered. If you wish to invite a member of the Royal Family to an event taking place in Nottinghamshire you should invite them at least six months in advance. However, if you want a Royal visit for a special occasion on a particular day then you will need to extend your invitation about a year beforehand. If in doubt please contact the Officer who will be happy to advise on timings.

An invitation refused

The King and other members of the royal family make at least 3,000 visits every year, with around 1,000 invitations sent to The King alone each year. If your invitation is refused – as many sadly must be – it will not be sent on automatically to another Member of the Royal Family. You may extend it yourself to another Member, even if the second invitee is more senior than the first, although discretion should be exercised in extending subsequent invitations and you may find it helpful to consult the Officer if you are considering this course of action.

An invitation accepted

Once an invitation has been accepted, the appropriate Royal Household will inform the Lord-Lieutenant and the organisation to advise on a date when the member of the Royal Family wishes to visit. At this early stage of the proceedings, all details relating to the venue and the visit are STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL and no details should be given to anyone that is not involved in the visit.

The Officer to the Lieutenancy will make contact with the organisation and will arrange to meet with the hosts to work on a draft programme for submission to the Royal Household. Detailed information on how to help with the arrangements of a Royal Visit can be found in the Royal Visit Guide on page 6. Once the Royal Visit is confirmed and all arrangements are in place, the details of the visit will be included on the official British Monarchy website . Approximately one week before a member of the Royal Family is due to visit Nottinghamshire, details will be added to the Nottinghamshire Lieutenancy website for general information.

Duplication of an invitation

Occasionally, organisations issue an invitation for a member of The Royal Family to visit, only to find another member of that organisation has already issued, and had accepted, an invitation to a third party. This can cause considerable embarrassment. It is strongly advised that when a Royal invitation is being planned, everyone in management of the event is aware of the intention to issue an invitation to a member of the Royal Family, to prevent embarrassment to all concerned.

Garden parties

The Lieutenancy assists Buckingham Palace in identifying local people who through their work or voluntary commitment have done something extra.

As they are identified, the Lieutenancy submits names as a possible guest to one of the three annual Royal Garden parties at Buckingham Palace.

Share this page?

how to write a letter to king

Send an enquiry to our customer service team.

Communicate with us through our sign video services

Download our MyNotts app

Easy access to Council services while you're on the move.

We use cookies on our website. By using our site you agree that we can store and access cookies on your device. Read our cookie policy.

Essay on letter to the king

His Majesty The King Buckingham Palace London, England May, 9th 1765 Dear King George III, I am Esteban Julio Ricardo Dela Rosa Ramirez of Stoneflower, Massachusetts. As a local pastor, I have always been a strong supporter of the British government and have been loyal through and through. My life has changed ever since the end of the French and Indian War because I have seen many of my congregants grow angrier and angrier, but not me. I understand the debts that we owe our mother England and am willing to make sacrifices in order to ensure that we are safe and prosperous once again. I have preached about the necessities of the Proclamation Line. I have given sermons about our duties to help pay off our nation’s debt through the Townshend Acts. I even support your so-called “Intolerable Acts” as a fair response to the inappropriate behavior of my fellow colonists who wasted so much good tea. Through it all, I remain loyally devoted to my two kings, George III and Jesus. The Proclamation Line of 1763 was not only brilliant but necessary. I appreciate that my leaders back in England were looking out for our safety. After winning the land West of the Appalachians, thousands of settlers were eager to keep moving farther towards the Mississippi River. The law declaring that colonists could not move West of the Appalachians probably saved thousands of lives. I know many local men who fought and died in the French and Indian War. I believe they would be upset to find out that they had died only so we could start more and more wars with the Native Americans who live on that land. Your law Proclamation Line has made our colonies save from invasion and war. The Townshend Acts were a necessary move by the British Government. Nobody wants to pay taxes, but everyone has to. Yes, it is a tough to start paying more for goods such as tea, lead or paper and I understand many people being concerned about making ends meet. But, England was in debt because they wanted to protect us from the threat of the French. We are now safer and have the chance to be more prosperous in the future. But, that means it is up to us to pay off that debt now. If we don’t, how will England support to pay soldiers for our protection from possible invasions by the Spanish or local Indian Tribes. All of the taxes that Britain has imposed have been nothing more than minor Show More

Related Documents: Essay on letter to the king

Response paper birmingham letter king.

Letter from Birmingham Jail Response Paper Martin Luther king (1929-1968) was both a Baptist minister and civil rights activist that had a very important impact on race relationships in the United States in the 50’s and 60’s. Thanks to his activism he helped to end the legal segregation of African-American citizens in most of the areas of the country. He also created the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. King received a lot of honors, including the Noble Peace Prize…

Words 454 - Pages 2

how to write a letter to king

A Letter To King And Queen Of England

Dear King and Queen of England, I come to you today humbled in the high hopes that you will grant me what I ask of you. I have come and stood in front of you today only to ask of you one thing, that you will let me and my men go on yet another adventure to the Americas. I ask of this because of all of the wonderful things and experiences that I had there the last time your highness gave us permission to partake on that adventure. I will re-account the experience of our last voyage in hopes that…

Words 374 - Pages 2

how to write a letter to king

Comparing Columbus's Letter To The King And Queen Of Spain

In the letter Columbus wrote to the King and Queen of Spain he exudes their royalty as being superior to him. In his letter, he describes an island that offers an abundance of land for agriculture and with a location that makes it easier to exchange goods. Columbus continues with his persuasion tactics with them by acknowledging that settlers of the island would be able to establish towns which would make it easier to transition into colonization. Columbus writes “the land being safer and better…

Words 588 - Pages 3

Dr King Letter From Birmingham Jail Analysis

inequality, Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail reached all over the world and impacted various social movements. Dr. King’s letter embodied his beliefs of nonviolent action to fight for what is right. Not only for its historical importance, but for its clear explanation of the concepts of the current time, Dr. King’s Letter can be applied to many historical events, along with modern issues. In order for one to fully understand the present day application of Dr. King’s letter, they must comprehend…

Words 550 - Pages 3

King's letter from a Birmingham a jail i do agree strongly with his stance. Dr. King's stance is standing up for himself, birmingham, and peace equality. One of the things Dr. King said in his letter was “He can not sit idly and in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. He also he also said that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. What i think is Dr. King is trying to bring justice justice to the street and the city of Birmingham. Also in the letter it said…

Words 879 - Pages 4

Dr King Letter From Birmingham Jail Summary

Dr. King responds in his letter to the eight clergymen who criticized the actions of King and said that his demonstrations were injudicious and inconvenient. In his letter, King first provides reasons why he came to Birmingham and how he feels compelled to work for justice anywhere that injustice is being practiced. Later he explains how he organizes the non-violent protests and why direct action is a better path than negotiation. Furthermore, King points out to his critics that freedom is never…

Words 358 - Pages 2

Summary Of Martin Luther King Letter To Birmingham Jail

activists, Martin Luther King, Jr., the leader in the Civil Rights Movement. While incarcerated at Birmingham Jail, King writes a letter responding to the clergymen about their expressed concerns over King’s approach on achieving freedom, claiming his protests were “unwise and untimely.” In this letter, King talks about individual civil rights, and the laws impending those rights. He…

Words 728 - Pages 3

Martin Luther King Letter From Birmingham Jail

Martin Luther King, Jr’s Letter from Birmingham Jail is a powerful and persuasive piece of writing that helped the perception of unjust laws spread to others around the country. He addressed one of the most controversial issues in the United States, especially in the city of Birmingham. This controversial issue dealt with segregation in the United States and all of the harmful effects it had towards our citizens. The letter was written in a jail cell after King’s arrest in Birmingham, Alabama after…

Words 1245 - Pages 5

In Dr. King’s letter from Birmingham, he believed if the nation knew what was going on then they would react differently than they did. The Birmingham police treated the protesters violently. To give an example the police allowed their violent dogs to attack the protesters. He states that society should protect people being robbed of their right and punish those you took those rights from them. Condemning the rights of the protesters is not logical for the police to do so. Police are there to protect…

Words 235 - Pages 1

Martin Luther Kings 'Letter From A Birmingham Jail'

person’s attitude affect you. In Martin Luther Kings “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” he makes it clear that the attitudes of the clergyman have ultimately led him to voice out. King writes the letter to voice his concern about the clergymen’s opinion and to do it in, “patient and reasonable terms” (564). King is upset about the lack of support he is getting from his fellow clergymen, but he’s not letting that anger and hostility be apparent in his letter, because the recipients would be affected by…

Words 1256 - Pages 6

how to write a letter to king

how to write a letter to king

Writing to the Queen (and other titles)

Writing to the Queen (and other titles)

Author : Catie Holdridge

Posted : 30 / 04 / 10

writing to the Queen

Write Now reader Joanne King asked us for a guide to using salutations and ‘Yours sincerely/faithfully’ for titled individuals, such as service men and women, religious leaders and people who have been honoured or decorated.

Happy to oblige, Joanne.

It seems that the necessary formality of this task these days is not what it was, and the occasional slip will be more readily forgiven. But even in today’s informal, fast-paced, flick-a-switch world, the courtesy of addressing people correctly still counts.

These days, ‘Dear’ is almost always the best place to start (rather than, say, ‘My lord’ or ‘Very Reverend Sir’). That is, unless you have cause to write to the Pope, in which case, you should begin ‘Your Holiness’ or ‘Most Holy Father’.

Religious leaders

Apart from when dropping an email to his Holiness, the best rule of thumb is to begin ‘Dear [position]’, so just ‘Dear Bishop’, ‘Dear Chief Rabbi’ or ‘Dear Vicar’ will suffice. For priests and rabbis, you might add their surname, eg ‘Dear Father Jones’.

Here you will mostly find yourself writing (if not exclaiming) ‘Dear Lord’ (or ‘Dear Lady’), plus the surname, eg Dear Lord Albright. This rule goes for a peer, baron, viscount/viscountess and a marquess/marchioness. But there are some exceptions:

• Earl/their wife – Dear Lord/Lady [place they are Earl ‘of’] • Duke/Duchess – Dear Duke/Duchess • Knight or Baronet – Dear Sir [first name], eg Dear Sir Sean (‘You’re still my favourite Bond…’) • Dame – Dear Dame [first name], eg Dear Dame Judi (‘Please petition to bring back Sean Connery…’)

These rules aren’t quite as strict as they once were, but politeness is still important. As, naturally, is rank, and it’s vital to note the differences between the different branches. For example, for a lieutenant in the Army, you write ‘Dear Mr [surname]’, while a Naval lieutenant should be greeted ‘Dear Lieutenant [surname]’.

Again, the general rule (no pun intended), is: ‘Dear [rank] [surname]’.

For the lowest ranks in each Force – a pilot or flying officer, a midshipman or a lieutenant (in the Army) – put ‘Dear Mr [surname]’.

And for the highest ranks, do your research and find out what titles they hold. An admiral, field marshal or RAF marshal would most likely also be a knight or a peer. Try to find out whether they prefer to be addressed by rank or as ‘Lord’ or ‘Sir’, and salute them accordingly.

Unfortunately, no-one but personal acquaintances should write directly to a member of the Royal Family. So if you are holding out to turn the tables on the Queen by sending her a one hundredth birthday card, along, perhaps, with a letter of commiseration for Prince Charles, you’ll actually need to send each letter to their Private Secretaries. Find out if this Secretary is male or female, then start your letter ‘Dear Sir’ or ‘Dear Madam’, and finish ‘Yours faithfully’.

It’s worth noting that although you don’t need to open your letter with the full name in the formal style, you should observe this on the envelope, including their full title plus any ranks, decorations or honours as applicable. For example, although your letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury began simply ‘Dear Archbishop’, the envelope would read: The Most Rev and Rt Hon the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury. And your Christmas card to Gordon Brown would be addressed to: The Rt Hon Gordon Brown, MP, Prime Minister (for now at least).

The straightforward rule for writing to any of the above is that if you are writing to an unnamed ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’, you use ‘Yours faithfully’. If you are addressing a specific person, whether by name or by title/position, you use ‘Yours sincerely’. (And you only need to capitalise the Y, never the first letter of the second word.)

Once again, the Pope is the exception (as well he might be). If you are Roman Catholic, finish with, ‘I have the honour to be, Your Holiness’s most devoted and obedient child’. If you aren’t, go with ‘I have the honour to be, Your Holiness’s obedient servant’. And try to resist the urge to put ‘hugs and kisses’.

More etiquette advice

Since the sheer quantity of titles out there could rival the shelves in Waterstone’s, it’s not possible to create an exhaustive guide here. But, if in doubt, every eventuality of etiquette for forms of address is available from the very polite people at Debrett’s .

Image credit: OpenClipart-Vectors / Pixabay

how to write a letter to king

The definitive guide to transforming the writing of individuals and teams

Author: catie holdridge.

Catie joined Emphasis with an English literature and creative writing degree and a keen interest in what makes language work. Having researched and written dozens of articles for the Emphasis blog, she now knows more about the intricacies of effective professional writing than she ever thought possible.

She produced and co-wrote our online training programme, The Complete Business Writer , and these days oversees all the Emphasis marketing efforts. And she keeps office repartee at a suitably literary level.

Read more...

Posted by: Catie Holdridge

Writing to the Government

Will you have something you just have to say to the next government of this country? It seems fitting somehow (not sure why) to follow-up our last blog with a quick clarification on how to write to MPs. After all, the wait is nearly over. The campaigning is all but finished. We know the results […]

How to know if you should write ‘public is’ or ‘public are’

The English language is littered with grey areas and apparent paradoxes that cause confusion. One of our former delegates, Richard, got in touch to ask our advice on just such a troublesome topic. Hello Emphasis What do you think of this sentence? ‘We need to balance the need for security with the ability of the […]

Popular topics

Advice and tips (179)

Choose your words wisely (46)

Bids and tenders (29)

Plain English (26)

Psychology and linguistics (22)

Language abuse (22)

Report writing (22)

60-second fix (21)

Reader-centred writing (20)

Uncategorised (19)

Technology (17)

Online and social media (16)

Punctuation (16)

News from Emphasis (13)

Technical writing (13)

Presentations and speeches (13)

Customer relations (12)

International issues (11)

Letters and CVs (10)

Design and formatting (9)

Numbers and finance (9)

Proofreading (8)

Courses for companies (8)

Advertising (6)

Literacy and education (5)

Writing news stories (5)

Legal writing (4)

Social media (4)

Development of English (4)

Style guide (4)

Pitches and proposals (3)

PDF downloads (3)

Writing for media (3)

storytelling (2)

Internal communication (2)

Learning and development (2)

Conferences and exhibitions (2)

Book reviews (1)

Policies and procedures (1)

IMAGES

King lettering hand drawing written word and Vector Image
The Letter For King Season 2
How Would You Write A Letter To The King
How Would You Write A Letter To The King
Writing King
A Letter to the King

VIDEO

cursive writing (King) #shorts #calligraphy #handwriting #english #cursivewriting #writing
How to write A letter 😲😱 #shorts
How to write Ck Capital letter and Small letter in cursive writing
Write A Letter
How to write English capital letter K " Kingston " @cursivepenmanship
Letter for King

COMMENTS

How Do You Write a Personal Letter?
Personal letters are usually given to family and friends to express thoughts of gratitude and love. They typically include the basic parts of a letter, which are the heading, date, greeting, content, closing, signature and post script.
How Do You Write an Open Letter?
The form and content of an open letter depends on its purpose. If the goal is to inform the public about something that happened, it should specify what took place. Some people write open letters to express opinions.
How Do You Write a Letter About Yourself?
When introducing yourself in a letter, provide background information about city of residence, schools attended, jobs or tasks completed, degrees awarded, athletic team participation, extracurricular activities, volunteer engagements, and l...
Contact
If you wish to write a formal letter, you can open with 'Sir' and close the letter with the form 'I have the honour to be, Sir, Your
How to Write to King Charles III: Showing Your Respect
Draft the body of your letter. In a polite, formal tone, state your purpose clearly and concisely. It is courteous to briefly inform the reader of the general
How to Address a King
How to Address a King How to Address a Queen ; —- · His Majesty · The King of (full name of country) ; —- · Her Majesty · The Queen of (full name of
A letter to his most Excellent Majesty, George the third, King of Great
TO permit an unworthy, but loyal subject to approach your Majesty's throne in this manner, as your ministers will not let me do it in any other; declaring that
Ask SAM: How do I send a sympathy card or letter to King Charles?
Begin the letter to King Charles with “Dear Sir” and end it with “Yours faithfully.” For Queen Camilla, begin the letter with “Dear Ma'am” and
Royal Family and etiquette
In which case, people may write to The King with the formal opening "Sir" and close the letter with the form "I have the honour to be, Sir, Your Majesty's
writing a formal letter to a king asking for money,new ships
i can'
How should I send a letter to the King?
Every year the King receives thousands of petitions, in the form of letters from people who appeal to the government for help with their problems.
Essay on letter to the king
Dear King and Queen of England, I come to you today humbled in the high hopes that you will grant me what I ask of you. I have come and stood in front of you
Writing to the Queen (and other titles)
Apart from when dropping an email to his Holiness, the best rule of thumb is to begin 'Dear [position]', so just 'Dear Bishop', 'Dear Chief Rabbi' or 'Dear
FREE!
Children may wish to use the writing frames to write a message of support or letter of condolence, after the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Read More...