FYI, here is what's come in to the Blog that relates to this office/rank.
   For recent questions sent in, check out Robert Hickey's Blog.
   For specific offices/ranks, check out Robert Hickey's On-Line Guide.

How to Address a Former Lt. Governor of a State?
      How do I address an envelope and letter to a former lieutenant governor?
           -- E-L C, in California

     How should I address our former Lieutenant Governor, who is also a medical doctor, who is married.  I understand that he would be addressed as The Honorable (Full Name), but am in question as to whether or not the title of Dr. would be included?
     If addressed on a wedding invitation, should the outer would read?:
              The Honorable Stephen Wilson and Mrs. Wilson
     As for the inner, should it read?:
              Dr. and Mrs. Wilson
      Any assistance with this question would be greatly appreciated.
     -- Claudia Harrison, Hendersonville, TN

Dear E-L C, and Ms. Harrison:
     While a lieutenant governor might me identified as Lieutenant Governor (Name) by others while in office …. even a current lieutenant governor is formally, directly addressed in an invitation's inside envelope, salutation or conversation as Mr./Ms. (Name).
     A former lieutenant governor is the Honorable (Full Name) but uses whatever honorific to which he or she was entitled before assuming office.
     What Claudia suggests is perfect for her physician/lieutenant governor.  As a former elected official he continues to be the Honorable (Full Name), and as a doctor his honorific goes back to what he was using before his service: Dr. (Name). 
     With the form including a spouse, put her name on a second line ... formally he gets his name on a line of his own, not combined with hers:
        The Honorable Stephen Wilson
            and Mrs. Wilson
    and then on the invitation's inside envelope:
        Dr. and Mrs. Wilson
             -- Robert Hickey

How to Write an Official's Name on a Place Card?
       Can you tell me how to write a mayor's name on a formal place card? Do I refer to him as:
              The Honorable Mayor Darr
       or is it:
              Mayor Mark A. Darr
       -- Nicole in Little Rock

       I am hosting a dinner for a U.S. Senator. How should her place card be written? Is it  Senator Dianne Feinstein? – or – Diane Feinstein, U.S. Senator ?
       -- Debbie in Corporate Affairs

      Can you help me with the proper form to use on a place card for the following person?:  H.E. Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, Minister of Foreign Affairs in Qatar.
       --  William at the Statehouse 

Dear Nicole, Debbie & William:
       I provide complete details on how to write place cards in my book if this sort of question comes up often.
       A formal place card simply identifies a person's seat. The name is written on one side of the card: the side facing the guest.  You write his or her's name as he or she is addressed in conversation:
                     Mr. Hickey
                     Mayor Darr
                     Senator Feinstein
                     Sheikh Mohammed
       At formal events there's likely a centerpiece/floral arrangement so other guests can't see one another's cards anyway. So there is no functional purpose to putting a name on both sides.
      At official events, when the guest holds a high office, it is traditional to write just title of the office the official holds.  E.g.,:
                     The President
                     The Chief Justice
                     The Mayor of (City)
                     The Minister of Foreign Affairs
       At less-formal events larger double-sided tent cards or placards (text on both sides, so others at the table can see who is who and network) can have whatever information the host decides is useful:
              The Honorable Mark A. Darr
              Mayor
      or
              The Honorable Mark A. Darr
              Mayor of (Name of City)
      or
              The Honorable Mark A. Darr
              Mayor of (Name of City), State, Country
      or
              H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani
      or
              H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani
              Minister of Foreign Affairs
      or
              H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani
              Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar
    So don't ask "what do I put on the card?" 
           Ask -- What is the function of the card?
           What information will best support that function?
           Does it only need to show the guest which their seat?
           To provide 'call-by name' for others to see and use?
          ... Or does it need to provide identification for networking?
                          -- Robert Hickey

How to Address a Lieutenant Governor?
Lieutenant Governor? Lieutenant? Governor? 
   It has been said the Lieutenant Governor of a US state should be addressed as Governor just as a Lt. Colonel is addressed as Colonel.  People want to address the Lt. Gov. with the whole title of "Lieutenant Governor", however, that is very cumbersome.  Or should the person address simply be, "Mr. Jones"?
        -- Wondering

Dear Wondering:
    Addressing a lieutenant governor as Governor (name) is really going to displease the Governor of your state. There is only one Governor. 
     Actually, lieutenant governors don't have a special honorific for their office. Simply address him or her as Mr./Ms./etc. (name) ... and identify as the Lieutenant Governor of (state) as necessary.
    You might hear the Lieutenant Governor referred to as  "Lieutenant Governor Herbert" or "Lieutenant Governor Bell" in the media, but these are phrases used to identify these officials in a news story, not a direct forms of address.
         -- Robert Hickey

Is the Wife of a Lieutenant Governor a "Second Lady"?
      Is there an official guideline in print somewhere that states we are to address the wife of a Lt. Governor as second lady.  I have not found anything that refers to this or gives that title to a LT. Governor’s spouse.  Any information would be greatly appreciated.
        -- Diane

Dear Diane:
     I see the spouses of many officials informally described as a First Lady to define who they are.  But it's not a form of address. The wife of a lieutenant governor is most formally Mrs. (Surname), wife of the Lieutenant Governor of (Name of State). There is no title.
    The only spouses of government officials I know of having official special forms of address are (1) the spouse of the Queen's representative to a Commonwealth realm ... addressed as His/Her Excellency Mrs. (Husband's full name) in writing and in Your Excellency conversation ... and (2) the spouse of the Queen's representative to a province ... addressed as His/Her Honor (full name) in writing and in Your Honor conversation.
    Even "First Lady of the United States" is not an office. When the wife of the President attends events as The President's representative she is granted his precedence, but she has no official precedence.
    I've seen "First Lady" used as an honorific at some African-American churches where they address the spouse of their pastor First Lady (Surname). But using "First Lady" as an honorific is not the tradition at the White House or with other political spouses. A current first lady if is correctly addressed as Mrs. (Surname).
                     -- Robert Hickey

Not Finding Your Question Answered?
Below are other topics covered in my blog and at right is a list of officials, Between the two I probably have what you are looking for.
     After hunting around a bit, if you don't see your question answered send me an e-mail. I am pretty fast at sending a reply: usually the next day (unless I am traveling.)
      If I think your question is of interest to others, I will post the question & answer – with your name and any personal specifics changed.
      -- Robert Hickey

USE OF NAMES & HONORIFICS   
Mr., Miss, Jr., III, & Names        
Married Women       
Deceased Persons         
People with Two Titles
Post-Nominal Abbreviations and Initials         
Sequence Post-Nominal Abbreviations: Sr., Jr., etc.    
 
Couples: Private Citizens / Joint Forms of Address 
Couples: U.S. Military / Joint Forms of Address     
Couples: U.S. Officials / Joint Forms of Address      

USE OF SPECIFIC OFFICIAL TITLES        
Former Officials            
Professionals and Academics        

United States Federal Officials, Currently In Office             
United States State Officials, Currently In Office              
United States Municipal Officials, Currently In Office             
       All About The Honorable with U.S. Officials         
       Former United States Officials of all types             
United States Armed Services
       Addressing Active Duty Personnel              
       Addressing Retired Personnel      
       Use of Rank by Retired Personnel      
       Use of Rank by Veterans      

Tribal Officials             
Clergy and Religious Officials           
Canadian Officials         
Australian Officials          
British Officials, Royalty, and Nobility        
Diplomats and International Representatives            
Foreign National Officials and Nobility        

SPECIFIC SITUATIONS
Author's Name on His/Her Book       
Business Cards, Names on,       
Couples              
Introductions, Names in            
Invitations: Names on       
Invitations: Names of Armed Service Personnel on        
Name Badges & Tags            
Names on Programs, Signs, & Lists            
Naming a Building or Road            
Place Cards            
Plaques, Awards, Diplomas, Certificates, Names on    
Precedence: Ordering Officials           
Tombstones, Names on      

Site updated by Robert Hickey on 29 October 2018

Back to directory of titles  /  See who is using Honor & Respect

For forms of address for invitations, place cards, name badges, introductions, conversation, and all other formal uses, see Honor & Respect: the Official Guide to Names, Titles, and Forms of Address.

Copyright © 2018 Robert Hickey.     All Rights Reserved.
Photo: Marc Goodman.