Queen Elizabeth in Ottawa.

[toadinakilt]

I should have known, I should have known, I should have known not to try and use a throwaway term referring to royalty on this website. But I did think I was safe in that single instance! I stand corrected, but with the excuse that almost every Canadian would do the same.

EDIT: Hey waitaminnit! She's the Queen Of Canada in this country- are you sure you're not imposing British usage on us? Do Brits invite her to BBQs?

Do Brits even KNOW about BBQ?

[ronstew]

Yes, it is the Canadian usage. Hence, Her Majesty's Canadian Ship Ottawa.

Yours, aye,

[ThistleDown]

Canadians can actually get away with referring to her as Your Grace when talking with her in person; or Your Majesty, but never Your Highness. In an informal setting Ma'am (pronounced a bit like Muum) is acceptable, too.

[Beertigger]

Canadians can actually get away with referring to her as Your Grace when talking with her in person; or Your Majesty, but never Your Highness. In an informal setting Ma'am (pronounced a bit like Muum) is acceptable, too.

No matter your nationality, Friend Elizabeth is always acceptable, as well.

[McClef]

Canadians can actually get away with referring to her as Your Grace when talking with her in person; or Your Majesty, but never Your Highness. In an informal setting Ma'am (pronounced a bit like Muum) is acceptable, too.

It should be Ma'am as in ham not Ma'am as in harm. The convention is to use "Your Majesty" once in a conversation with the Queen and "Ma'am" thereafter.

I am surprised at the usage of "Your Grace" as this is the form of address for a Duke/Duchess or an Archbishop. The highest title always takes precedence so although the Queen is Duke of Lancaster and Duchess of Edinburgh, Majesty tops Grace just as the Duke of Edinburgh is Highness which tops Grace. It would be an archaic usage for a monarch in direct address in any case though indirectly "The Queen's Grace" or "Her Gracious Majesty" were used in past times.

No matter your nationality, Friend Elizabeth is always acceptable, as well.

I appreciate your sentiments but I wouldn't call the President of the USA "Friend Barack" but "Mr President."

Such a familiar form of address is not acceptable in protocol for any head of state, royal or otherwise.

[Downunder Kilt]

It should be Ma'am as in ham not Ma'am as in harm. The convention is to use "Your Majesty" once in a conversation with the Queen and "Ma'am" thereafter.

Looks like different accents and pronunciation on different sides of the Atlantic, call for different ways to say Ma'am. In Australia it's done the way that ThistleDown suggests, without any emphasis on the A's

[Beertigger]

It should be Ma'am as in ham not Ma'am as in harm. The convention is to use "Your Majesty" once in a conversation with the Queen and "Ma'am" thereafter.

I am surprised at the usage of "Your Grace" as this is the form of address for a Duke/Duchess or an Archbishop. The highest title always takes precedence so although the Queen is Duke of Lancaster and Duchess of Edinburgh, Majesty tops Grace just as the Duke of Edinburgh is Highness which tops Grace. It would be an archaic usage for a monarch in direct address in any case though indirectly "The Queen's Grace" or "Her Gracious Majesty" were used in past times.



I appreciate your sentiments but I wouldn't call the President of the USA "Friend Barack" but "Mr President."

Such a familiar form of address is not acceptable in protocol for any head of state, royal or otherwise.

For a member of the Society of Friends, addressing someone by a title and not by their name isn't acceptable.

Coincidentally, I ran across this amusing anecdote a while back:

FWIW, I have it on good authority that HM the Queen gets as informal as is practical when out of the public eye. (A friend of mine was an officer on whatever ship it was she and HRH Prince Philip stayed on when they visited Canada in 1982. Philip showed up in the officer's wardroom (is that the right term?) and bought the officers a drink. She showed up a few minutes later, had a gin & tonic, told the men "Oh, please don't. Just call me Ma'am if you really must call me anything but Elizabeth," and then they toddled off to bed.)

[1mason]

I live in Ottawa and I must say that Her Majesty's visit did not cause much disruption at all. She is well received in Ottawa and while I am not what you would call a monarchist, it is always nice when the Royals visit.