| How to Address the Governor-General of Australia?
Dear Mr. Hickey
How do I address the Governor General of Australia? Is he an "Excellency" or a "Right Honorable"?
-- MEH, Lowell, MA
Dear MEH:
See page 324. The Governor-General of Australia (always hyphenated in Australia) is addressed orally as "His/Her Excellency" denoting his/her rank as the ambassador of the monarch to the Commonwealth of Australia. In writing it would be:
His/Her Excellency
(Name)
Governor-General of Australia
(Address)
That part is straight forward. But to me (as an American), the most interesting part of the form address is the second line where the individual's name will appear. In the United States the office holder's name would just be their (given name) + (surname), but in the British tradition, his or her name will also include compound honorifics ... personal courtesy titles, honorifics of rank, and post-nominal abbreviations for honors and decorations. In the past Governor-Generals have had (full name(s) such as
The Right Reverend Dr. (full name), AC, OBE
OR -- Major General (full name), AC, CVO, MC
AND -- Sir (full name), AC, CVO, MC
In 2008 the Governor-General's (full name) was Ms. Quentin Bryce, AC
In my book there's more detail, but the above should get you through the basic envelope and conversations you will encounter.
-- Robert Hickey
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