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When does a bespoke client become “His Excellency”?

mack11211

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Dear Folks:

This week, among my items, I am selling a Henry Poole suit made for a man who was at the time in the Cabinet. Previously, he was Ambassador to France.

Poole is English, of course, but the client was American. The firm has made suits for countless statesmen, so there must be some protocol. Which post merited the honorific?

You can see the label here:
 

Eustace Tilley

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Nothing unusual there - an Ambassador features on the Order of Precedence of most (if not all) countries and is thereby officially titled in some way.
 

onix

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Originally Posted by Eustace Tilley
Nothing unusual there - an Ambassador features on the Order of Precedence of most (if not all) countries and is thereby officially titled in some way.
+1. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excellency
Usually, people styled "Excellency" are counted amongst: heads of state heads of government governors ambassadors certain ecclesiastics certain members of royalty and others holding equivalent rank (e.g., heads of international organizations, high commissioners in the Commonwealth of Nations).
 

Kent Wang

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I recall when Pelosi visited the Knesset she was introduced as Her Excellency. Even though neither the US or Israel has a peerage.
 

aj_del

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The High Commissioner of one of African commonwealth countries used to rent my farm house for her residence and her staff always used to call her "H.E."
 

literasyme

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Originally Posted by mack11211
Which post merited the honorific?

Ambassador. A minister/secretary wouldn't be addressed in that form.
 

koolhistorian

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Originally Posted by literasyme
Ambassador. A minister/secretary wouldn't be addressed in that form.

For the americans (anglo-saxon protocol) it will be Ambassador - the rest are Hon/Rt. Hon. For continental protocol (French) Ambassador, or other ministerial rank (dignitaire). Italian ... well lots of protocolar ranks!
 

cdmoore1855

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Originally Posted by mack11211
Dear Folks:

This week, among my items, I am selling a Henry Poole suit made for a man who was at the time in the Cabinet. Previously, he was Ambassador to France.

Poole is English, of course, but the client was American. The firm has made suits for countless statesmen, so there must be some protocol. Which post merited the honorific?

You can see the label here:


At the time in the cabinet, is that the posh way of being in the closet !!

Ambassador to France. The French Foreign office just fired their senior ambassador in HK for getting caught stealing several bottles of high end Burgundy from a private club in HK. Just goes to show, politicians and statesmen are all a bunch of thieves, at least this french man felt no need to beat around the bush about it.

Sorry I know this is very off topic.
 

Sazerac

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I believe there are lots of different uses for His/Her Excellency. It's not a specific title like Mr. president or reverend or her majesty. Just use it and make it sound like you know what you're doing. Silly honorifics are confusing and nobody but a very few protocol experts within, say, State know who is to be called what.
 

Lightbringer

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It is correct to title ambassadors with "your Excellency". It is not so much being a bespoke client as being an ambassador. It's a nice job perk.
 

BerryWall

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Read his Wikipedia entry. Quite a distinguished life.
 

scurvyfreedman

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In the US letters addressed to any political elected official or appointee requiring Senate confirmation should be addressed The Honorable Name, Title. I'm sure the protocol in England is different.

Would you have felt the same had it said, The Honorable instead of His Excellency?
 

lasbar

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Originally Posted by cdmoore1855
At the time in the cabinet, is that the posh way of being in the closet !!

Ambassador to France. The French Foreign office just fired their senior ambassador in HK for getting caught stealing several bottles of high end Burgundy from a private club in HK. Just goes to show, politicians and statesmen are all a bunch of thieves, at least this french man felt no need to beat around the bush about it.

Sorry I know this is very off topic.


Berlusconi would have promoted him...
 

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