Abbess,
    Christian Orthodox       
Abbot,
    Christian Orthodox        
Accountant        
Acting Official       
Adjutant General     
Admiral         
Admiral, Texas Navy   
Adventist Minister       
Alderman         
Archbishop, Catholic        
Archbishop,
   Christian Orthodox        
Archdeacon, Episcopal        
Archimandrite        
Architect
Archpriest        
Ambassador to the U.S.
   from a foreign country      
Ambassador of the U.S.        
American Indian Chief        
Assemblyman
   U.S., State / or           
   Assemblywoman            
Associate Justice,
   U.S. Supreme Court          
Associate Justice of a
   State Supreme Court
Astronaut      
Attorney         
Attorney General           
Attorney General,
       Assistant   
Attorney, U.S.         
Australian Officials    

Baron, Baroness           
British Officials,
   Royalty, Nobility     
Brother, Catholic         
Brother,
   Christian Orthodox          
Bishop, Catholic            
Bishop,
   Christian Orthodox         
Bishop, Episcopal        
Board Member     
Boy        
Brigadier General       
Business Cards      

Canadian Officials    
Candidate    
Captain,
   USA, USAF, USMC     
Cardinal             
Chairman
    Federal Reserve      
Chairwoman      
Chancellor      
Chaplain in the
    Armed Services        
Chaplain of Congress          
Chargé d’Affaires         
Chief Executive Officer 
Chief Judge          
Chief Justice,
      U.S. Supreme Court 
Chief Justice, of a State
      Supreme Court             
Chief of Police          
Chief of Staff     
Chief Operating
   Officer          
Child            
Chiropractor     
City Manager    
Clergy & Religious
    Officials     
Club Official          
Colonel, Kentucky      
Colonel, USA, USAF,
    or USMC     
Commandant       
Commissioner, Court     
Commissioner         
Commodore of a         
      Yacht Club         
Congressman, U.S.               
Congresswoman, U.S.   
Consul and or
   Consul General    
Consultant      
Corporate Executive         
Councilman
    Councilwoman      
Counselor (Diplomat)      
Countess     
County Officials       
Couples     
Curator        

Dalai Lama          
Deacon         
Dean, academic            
Dean, clergy            
Deceased Persons        
Delegate, U.S., State            
Dentist             
Deputy Chief of Mission      
Deputy Marshal          
Designate, Elect,
    Pro Tempore      
Diplomats      
District Attorney           
Doctor, Chiropractor     
Doctor of Dentistry           
Doctor of Medicine              
Doctor, Military           
Doctor of
   Veterinary Medicine          
Doctor of Osteopathy            
Doctor, Other Disciplines     
Doctorate        
Doctorate, honorary      

Earl            
Elect, Designate
   Pro Tempore      
Emeritus/emerita      
Eminence     
Emperor    
Engineer    
Etiquette    
Excellency           

Family     
Fiancee      
Firefighter    
First, Second,
   Third, etc.        
First Lady, Spouse
   of the President of
   the United States 
First Lady, Member
    of Her   
    White House Staff      
First Lady, Spouse
   of a Governor
   or Lt. Gov.    
First Lieutenant   
Flag Protocol     
Former Officials    
Freeholder       

Gay Couple      
Geshe
General
    USA, USAF, USMC
Girl
Governor General         
Governor, Lieutenant 
Governor, Lt., Spouse   
Governor, Tribal Council          
Governor, U.S. State       
Governor, Former    
Governor
    Spouse of     
Governor's Staff,
    Member of      
Governors, Board of 

High Commissioner    
Honorable, The          
Honorary degrees    
Honourable, The       

Indian Chief         
Inspector General    
Interim Official   
Introductions       
Invitations  
   Writing &  
   Addressing  
Invitations
    Military:
    Writing &
    Addressing

Judge, former     
Judge of US City or
        US Count     
Judge, US Federal            
Junior, Senior,
    I, II, III, etc.       
Justice, Associate
     Federal
     Supreme Court
Justice, Associate
     State
     Supreme Court

King     
Knight      

Late, The
   (deceased persons)        
Lawyer      
Lesbian Couple    
Lieutenant      
Lieutenant Colonel,     
   USA, USAF, USMC          
Lieutenant General,
   USA, USAF, USMC      
Lieutenant Governor         

How to Address a
Prime Minister
Questions & Answers, Frequently Asked Questions, and Blog

How to Address a Foreign Prime Minister?
     I am currently working on a document for my office and I could really use your expertise.
     The document includes a list of Heads of State whom we received in the last year in Washington, DC.  I need to include each Head of State’s name and have hit a few snags with certain countries. For example, listing the President of Haiti I would say “His Excellency Rene Garcia Preval President of Haiti”.  I realized; however, that some countries would list both their President and Prime Minister as “His/Her Excellency”, though not all do.
     I’m also wondering about the PM of Moldova, the PM/Chairman, Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, The PM of Lithuania, The President of France, the President of Nigeria, the PM of Haiti and the PM of Cameroon.
     Forgive me if I’m making this more complicated than necessary!
              -- KB on The Hill

Dear KB:
     Each prime minister may have a specific way they are addressed by their fellow countrymen .... but when the official is traveling, use:
           His Excellency (full name)
           Prime Minister of the (official country name)
    You will find country-by-country information on 184 countries in my book.
    Prime Ministers when representing their countries on official visits are typically addressed as "Your Excellency" whether or not they are addressed that way in their own country.
     The officials who are addressed with this courtesy title are:
            head of government
            chief of state
            speakers of houses & chambers
            minister of ministries / secretaries of departments.
     The logic is they are traveling as 'ambassadors of their government"  and as such they are given the forms of address typical for accredited ambassadors.
      It is also acceptable to use the form they use 'at home."  So, see the forms for some specific countries below.
              -- Robert Hickey

How to Address the British Prime Minister in Conversation?
      I am trying to confirm how one would address a former Prime Minister directly when meeting him/her for the first time. Do you say Hello Mr. Prime Minister or Hello Prime Minister or Hello Mr. (surname)?  I appreciate your guidance.
                   -- A. K. @ RWB & Co.

Dear A.K.:
        I show that form on page 358 in my chapter on British Officials.
       In conversation a current office holder would be addressed as Prime Minister in conversation.
                   -- Robert Hickey

How to Address a Former British Prime Minister?
      I have a question for you regarding sending a letter to a former P.M. of the U.K., Tony Blair.
      What is the proper way to address him in the “Address” line and “Dear” line? One person in our office suggested for the salutation Dear Rt. Honourable Blair. We think the following might be more correct:
          Address Line:    The Rt. Hon. Anthony Charles Lynton Blair

          Salutation:         Dear Mr. Blair:
                     -- Lorenza & Vinayak

Dear Lorenza & Vinayak,
       Your forms look good.
            Address Line:    The Rt. Hon. Anthony Charles Lynton Blair
            Salutation:         Dear Mr. Blair:  
      ... with the following comments:
      I note on even on his website he refers to himself as "Tony Blair" .... so I'd be inclined to use the form of his name as he presents it: The Right Honourable Tony Blair
    Using his full name would not be wrong .... but I always say a person's name belongs to them, so the rest of us need to address them as they want us to address them. Check out his website. 
    In the U.K. they routinely abbreviate The Right Honourable to The  Rt. Honourable or even The Rt. Hon. ....   But's it's completely acceptable to spell everything out too.  If you do spell it out use the British spelling Honourable rather than the U.S. spelling Honorable. It's always best to present a name the way the person is accustomed to seeing it presented.
     -- Robert Hickey

How Do I Introduce a Former British Prime Minister?
       In the case of wishing to introduce the former British Prime Minister and former President of Mexico before their spoken addresses, what's the right form?
         --- Katherine Littefield, New York

Dear Ms. Littlefield:
    FYI, I cover all this in my book: the UK, Mexico and more than 180 other countries.
    You didn't mention which individuals, but I am going to answer using Tony Blair and Vicente Fox. If you were going to introduce them to the audience -- here are some good forms:
    Tony Blair would be The Right Honourable Tony Blair, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 1997 to 2007.  A British prime minister will have been appointed to the Privy Council, and as a Privy Counsellor is The Right Honourable for life.
    Vicente Fox would be Vicente Fox, President of the United States of Mexico from 2000-2006. Mexicans don't use the courtesy titles when addressing their officials, so I'd use just (first name)+(last name) for Vincente Fox.
    Of course you could describe them as formers. Or the United States we identify former Presidents by their number, e.g., the 43rd President.  But maybe including the years provides a bit more information? So, do it however you like.
    Using the formal country names (e.g., United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) is correct .... just like we most formally say "The President of the United States of America."
           -- Robert Hickey

How to Address A Canadian Prime Minister?
       How to I address an invitation to the Prime Minister of Canada and his wife Laureen Harper??
       -- Sarah

Dear Sarah:
    It is always appropriate to use the form of address used 'at home' if you know it.
    In this case since his wife uses the same last name it would be:
        The Right Honorable Stephen Harper
            and Mrs. Harper
                Address
    The inside envelope would be
        Prime Minister and Mrs. Harper
    I have a full chapter in my book on Canadian forms of address should this sort of question come up often. I have all the forms of address for the Prime Minister of Canada on page 301.
                 -- Robert Hickey