Diplomats, because officially they're appointed by the Queen. Well, over here anyway, lol. We don't have counts over here, and dukes are one step down from princes. In fact, most of our dukes are princes. Earls go way back to the Saxons, actually - they were local lords one step above thanes and one down from royalty. The Normans brought counts over, but the two got muddled up, and we keep the Saxon name for the position. Viscounts and marquis-es (what the heck is the plural? And I can't remember if they're marquess-es in the UK, either) came straight from the Normans, and dukes from the Romans via the Normans. Oh, and we have squires instead of barons for the little manors - Jane Austen's country gentry, although they no longer exist.
As far as I remember, viscounts are referred to as Tom Smith, Viscount Wherever, Earls as Lord Smith, Earl of Wherever, Marquis-es as Lord Wherever, Dukes as His Grace the Duke of Wherever, and minor royalty as His Highness Prince Whoever and major royalty as His Royal Highness Prince Charles or Her Majesty the Queen. Addressing them personally it's Milord for anyone who's a lord, then Graces and Highnesses and so on. England is just peculiar.
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Date: 18 Apr 2005 03:18 pm (UTC)As far as I remember, viscounts are referred to as Tom Smith, Viscount Wherever, Earls as Lord Smith, Earl of Wherever, Marquis-es as Lord Wherever, Dukes as His Grace the Duke of Wherever, and minor royalty as His Highness Prince Whoever and major royalty as His Royal Highness Prince Charles or Her Majesty the Queen. Addressing them personally it's Milord for anyone who's a lord, then Graces and Highnesses and so on. England is just peculiar.