View source for The Right Honourable

{{Short description|Honorific prefix}}
{{distinguish|The Honourable|The Most Honourable|The Much Honoured}}
[[File:Portrait of The Right Honourable Sir George Cornewall Lewis, Bart (4671604) (cropped).jpg|thumb|This [[Stipple engraving|engraving]] of [[George Cornewall Lewis]] includes ''The Right Honourable'' in its caption, reflecting the [[Home Secretary]] position he held at the time of its creation.]]
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}'''''The Right Honourable''''' ([[abbreviation]]: '''The Rt Hon.''' or variations) is an [[honorific]] [[Style (form of address)|style]] traditionally applied to certain persons and collective bodies in the [[United Kingdom]], the former [[British Empire]], and the [[Commonwealth of Nations]]. The term is predominantly used today as a style associated with the holding of certain senior public offices in the United Kingdom, [[Canada]], [[New Zealand]], and, to a lesser extent, [[Australia]].

''Right'' in this context is an [[adverb]] meaning 'very' or 'fully'.<ref>{{OED|right|id=165857|date=March 2022}}</ref> Grammatically, ''The Right Honourable'' is an [[adjectival phrase]] which gives information about a person.<ref>{{OED|Right Honourable|id=372163|date=March 2022}}</ref> As such, it is not considered correct to apply it in direct address, nor to use it on its own as a title in place of a name; but rather it is used in the [[Grammatical person|third person]] along with a name or noun to be modified.{{sfnp|Montague-Smith|1979|pp=33–35, 80–82}}{{sfnp|Hickey|2013|pp=365–372, 378–379, 396–402}}{{efn|This is generally the case for all similar adjectival styles (e.g. ''[[The Reverend]]'', ''[[The Right Excellent]]''). In contrast, styles in the form of a noun (e.g. ''[[Majesty]]'', ''[[Holiness]]'') can be used with the corresponding possessive pronoun in direct address or in place of a name.}}

''Right'' may be abbreviated to ''Rt'', and ''Honourable'' to ''Hon.'', or both. ''The'' is sometimes dropped in written abbreviated form, but is always pronounced.

==Countries with common or current usage==

===United Kingdom===

====Entitlement====

[[File:Victoria Privy Council (Wilke).jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|[[Queen Victoria]] holding a meeting of her Privy Council. All privy counsellors are styled ''Right Honourable'' (unless they are personally entitled to a higher style).]]

[[File:Lord Montagu of Beaulieu 15 Allan Waren.jpg|thumb|right|The [[parliamentary robes]] of a baron, worn by [[Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu|Lord Montagu of Beaulieu]]. Peers of the rank of baron, viscount or earl are entitled to the style ''Right Honourable''.]]

[[File:Gavyn Arthur.jpg|thumb|right|[[Gavyn Farr Arthur]], the 675th [[Lord Mayor of London]], was entitled to be styled "The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London" during his year in office.]]

According to the [[Government of the United Kingdom|British government]],{{sfn|Ferrers|1989|loc=c.1116WA, "The Lord Mayors of Belfast and Cardiff and the Lord Provost of Glasgow are entitled to the style 'Right Honourable' by express grant of the Sovereign. The style is also taken by Privy Counsellors, Peers below the rank of Marquess (which includes ladies who are Peers in their own right), the Lord Mayors of London and York and the Lord Provost of Edinburgh by ancient prescriptive usage."|ps=}} the following persons are entitled to be styled ''Right Honourable'':

; Members of the [[Privy Council (United Kingdom)|Privy Council]]
: The Privy Council is notionally the body of formal advisors to the sovereign. Members of the [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]], senior politicians, and some few other officials are appointed as members for life, and are personally entitled to be styled ''Right Honourable'' thereafter.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Privy Council members |url=http://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/privy-council/privy-council-members/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141206223159/http://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/privy-council/privy-council-members/ |archive-date=6 December 2014 |access-date=15 June 2015 |website=Privy Council Office}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Right Honourable |url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/glossary/?gl=214 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906075513/https://www.theyworkforyou.com/glossary/?gl=214 |archive-date=6 September 2017 |website=TheyWorkForYou}}</ref>
; [[Peerage of the United Kingdom|Peers]] below the rank of [[marquess]]
: [[Earl|Earls and countesses]],<ref name="debretts-earls"/> [[Viscount (United Kingdom)|viscounts and viscountesses]]<ref name="debretts-viscounts"/> and [[Baron|barons and baronesses]]<ref name="debretts-barons"/> who hold a [[substantive title]] (whether hereditary or for life) are personally entitled to the style ''Right Honourable''.<ref name="britannica"/> A peer's wife or widow also has a legal right to the style of her husband.
; The [[lord mayor]]s and [[lord provost]]s of certain cities ([[Ex officio member|ex officio]])
: The lord mayors of London, Cardiff, Belfast, Bristol and York and the lord provosts of Edinburgh and Glasgow are styled ''Right Honourable'' while in office. But the title is attached to the office, not to the name of the person.

====Privy counsellors====

Privy counsellors are appointed by the sovereign on the advice of the prime minister, and remain members for life unless they resign or are expelled. In practice, membership of the privy council is granted to:

* all members of the Cabinet (itself technically a committee of the Privy Council), and certain other senior ministers in the government;
* senior members of the [[Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (United Kingdom)|Shadow Cabinet]], the leaders of the major political parties in parliament, and the [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|Speaker of the House of Commons]];
* the first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the leader of the largest opposition party in the [[Scottish Parliament]];
* the two archbishops of the [[Church of England]], who sit in the House of Lords ex officio;
* senior judges, who fulfil the judicial functions of the Privy Council;
* senior representatives of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] nations; and
* senior members of the [[British royal family|royal family]].

A large proportion of the former and current prominent politicians of the United Kingdom are thus entitled to be styled ''Right Honourable''.

No new appointments have been made to the [[Privy Council of Northern Ireland]] since 1971, but surviving appointed members remain entitled to the style. Non-British Commonwealth-citizen judges appointed to the [[Judicial Committee of the Privy Council]] are also entitled to the style, although the appellation may be ignored in the judge's home country.

It is the current practice of the House of Lords<ref>{{cite web |title=Addressing members of the Lords |url=https://www.parliament.uk/business/lords/whos-in-the-house-of-lords/how-to-address-a-lord/ |website=House of Lords |publisher=UK Parliament |access-date=7 May 2022}}</ref> and the College of Arms to apply the style ''Right Honourable'' to privy counsellors only.<ref name="home-office-2021">{{Citation |author=[[Home Office]] |date=30 January 2021 |title=Titles: Guidance for Her Majesty's Passport Office operational staff on how to add and record titles and observations on a passport |publisher=[[HM Government]] |version=Version 7.0 |page=10 |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/959788/Titles_V7.pdf#page=10 |access-date=5 May 2022 |mode=cs1}}</ref>

====Peers====

All holders of a substantive peerage below the rank of marquess are entitled to be styled ''Right Honourable'',{{efn |Black's ''Titles and Forms of Address'' claims{{sfnp|Black|1955|p=44}} that the capitalised ''The'' before substantive peers' titles is an abbreviated form of their style. For example, "The Earl of Beaconsfield" would be short for "The Right Honourable Earl of Beaconsfield". However, this argument does not account for the second ''The'' in commonly-found formulations of the kind "The Right Honourable The Earl of Beaconsfield"{{r|"artuk-beaconsfield"}} or "The Most Honourable The Marquess of Salisbury"{{r|"hankey-1936"}}; and the argument is not corroborated by other guides which recommend the latter forms.{{sfnp|Kidd|Williamson|1985|loc=''passim''}}{{sfnp|Hickey|2013|pp=396–402}}{{sfnp|Montague-Smith|1979|pp=21–37}}}} as are their wives and widows.{{cn|date=May 2025}} However, a peer's heir who uses a [[Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom|courtesy title]] is not accorded the corresponding style.{{cn|date=May 2025}} Peers above the rank of earl are entitled to different styles: [[Duke|dukes and duchesses]] are styled ''[[The Most Noble]]'' or [[His Grace|''His'' or ''Her Grace'']], and [[marquess|marquesses and marchionesses]] are styled as ''[[The Most Honourable]]''.

In order to differentiate peers who are also members of the Privy Council—and therefore entitled to a style in both capacities—from peers who are not, the [[post-nominal letters]] ''{{postnominals|PC}}'' can be used to identify the privy counsellors.{{efn |This practice is recommended by ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage''{{sfnp|Kidd|Williamson|1985|p=43|loc=headings "Privy Counsellors" and "Rt Honourable"}}{{r|DebrettPC|Debretts}} and ''Correct Form'',{{sfnp|Montague-Smith|1979|pp=28, 35, 80–82}} and Hickey's ''Honor and Respect'';{{sfnp|Hickey|2013|pp=365–366}} and is applied consistently throughout ''Burke's Peerage & Baronetage''.{{sfnp|Mosley|1999|loc=''passim''}} However, it is considered incorrect by Black's ''Titles and Forms of Address'', which holds that membership of the Privy Council results in no post-nominal letters because it is an office and not an honour.{{sfnp|Black|1955|pp=44, 101–102}}}} This applies to peers of all rank, as a holder of a dukedom or marquessate who becomes a Privy Counsellor retains their higher style and so could not be identified without the letters. In practice, in contexts where there might be confusion, official publications use the style ''Right Honourable'' exclusively to identify privy counsellors.{{sfnp|Ferrers|1989|loc=cc. 1117WA–1118WA, "For official purposes, the style is omitted in many circumstances, owing to the need for brevity, clarity or informality, as the occasion dictates. For example, the style is omitted in lists of Ministers for Peers who fall below the rank of Marquess and who are not Privy Counsellors in order to distinguish them from Peers who are Privy Counsellors."|ps=}}<ref name="home-office-2021"/>

====Lord mayors, lord provosts and other officers====

The lord mayors of London, Cardiff, Belfast and York; and the lord provosts of Edinburgh and Glasgow are all entitled to be styled ''Right Honourable'' while in office. The lord mayors of Belfast and Cardiff are so entitled by an explicit grant from the sovereign, and the others through ancient custom.{{sfn|Ferrers|1989|loc=c.1116WA, "The Lord Mayors of Belfast and Cardiff and the Lord Provost of Glasgow are entitled to the style 'Right Honourable' by express grant of the Sovereign. The style is also taken by Privy Counsellors, Peers below the rank of Marquess (which includes ladies who are Peers in their own right), the Lord Mayors of London and York and the Lord Provost of Edinburgh by ancient prescriptive usage."|ps=}} The style is used with the name of the office, not the personal name of the office-holder, e.g. "The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London" or "The Right Honourable the Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh".<ref name="dca-2003">{{cite web |last1=Crown Office |title=Forms of Address for Use Orally and in Correspondence |url=http://www.dca.gov.uk/dept/titles.htm |publisher=[[Department for Constitutional Affairs]], UK Government |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060116141445/http://www.dca.gov.uk/dept/titles.htm |archive-date=16 January 2006 |date=June 2003 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Other lord mayors may be styled ''[[Worship (style)|Right Worshipful]]'', and other lord provosts do not use a style. By the 1920s, a number of city mayors, including the Lord Mayor of Leeds,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reception by the Right Hon. the LORD MAYOR OF LEEDS and LADY MAYORESS (Mr. and Mrs. HUGH LUPTON) to the B.N.O.C. on the occasion of their visit to the Theatre Royal, Leeds – 2LS Leeds, 6 November 1927 |url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/230effe31b7f4f36b375d14b2bda8cd0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309105048/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/230effe31b7f4f36b375d14b2bda8cd0 |archive-date=9 March 2016 |access-date=9 March 2016 |website=Radio Times}}</ref> were unofficially using the style ''Right Honourable'', and the matter was consequently raised in parliament. The Lord Mayor of Bristol at present still uses the style ''Right Honourable'', without official permission.<ref>"The Title of Lord Mayor – Use of the Prefix 'Right Honourable{{'"}}, in ''[[The Times]]'', 7 July 1932, p. 16</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Lord Mayor of Bristol |url=http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Council-Democracy/Elected-Representatives/lord-mayor-of-bristol.en |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090321053825/http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Council-Democracy/Elected-Representatives/lord-mayor-of-bristol.en |archive-date=21 March 2009 |access-date=26 December 2008 |publisher=Bristol City Council}}</ref> In guidance issued in June 2003, the [[Crown Office in Chancery|Crown Office]] recommended that the lord provosts of Aberdeen and Dundee be styled ''Right Honourable'' in the same manner as those of Edinburgh and Glasgow.<ref name="dca-2003"/>

The [[List of chairmen of the London County Council|Chairman of the London County Council]] (LCC) was granted the style in 1935 as part of the celebrations of the [[silver jubilee]] of King [[George V]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 June 1935 |title=Royal Guests of L.C.C. The Queen At The County Hall, Honour For Chairman |page=16 |work=[[The Times]]}}</ref> The Chairman of the [[Greater London Council]] (GLC), the body that replaced the LCC in 1965, was similarly granted the style<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=43613 |date=30 March 1965 |page=3195 |title=Home Office |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231031010455/https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/43613/page/3195 |archive-date= Oct 31, 2023 }}</ref> until the GLC was abolished in 1986.

''Right Honourable'' is also used as a style by the [[Lord Lyon King of Arms]] in office,<ref>{{cite web |title=The Lord Lyon |url=https://www.courtofthelordlyon.scot/lord%20lyon.htm |publisher=The Court of the Lord Lyon |access-date=10 May 2022 |quote=Dr Joseph John Morrow CBE QC LLD DL FRSE, The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129073625/https://www.courtofthelordlyon.scot/lord%20lyon.htm |archive-date=Nov 29, 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=26518 |date=2 September 2008 |page= 3660 |city=e |title=Other Notices |quote=Anyone believing they have a better claim to the dignity of the Barony of Cartsburn should write to the Rt Hon Lord Lyon at H.M. New Register House, Edinburgh, EH1 3YT within 40 calendar days{{nbsp}}... |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031010455/https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/26518/page/3660 |archive-date= Oct 31, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Callaghan |first1=Jamie |title=Crail to be presented new coat of arms |url=https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/people/crail-be-presented-new-coat-arms-977233 |access-date=10 May 2022 |work=[[Fife Today]] |date=7 May 2019 |quote=The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland{{nbsp}}... |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812155303/https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/people/crail-be-presented-new-coat-arms-977233 |archive-date= Aug 12, 2022 }}</ref> preceding his title rather than his personal name, as with other applications ex officio.

====In the House of Commons====

[[File:House of Commons debating Brexit deal - 19 October 2019.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|In the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]], members use ''honourable'' and ''right honourable'' when referring to one another.]]

In the chamber of the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]], [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|members]] are not permitted to address each other directly, nor to name other members, but must instead address the [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|speaker]] and refer to other members indirectly. This practice is intended to enforce a polite tone to maintain order and good honour.<ref>{{cite news |title=Forms of address |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/82149.stm |access-date=14 May 2022 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=1 September 2008}}</ref> Only the occupant of the Chair addresses Members by name. Members generally refer to one another as "my [[The Honourable|honourable]] friend" if in the same [[List of political parties in the United Kingdom|party]], and "the honourable gentleman/lady/member" otherwise. If needed, constituencies ("the honourable member for{{nbsp}}...") or ministerial offices (e.g. "my right honourable friend the Prime Minister") can be used for clarity.{{efn|In [[Hansard]], references to other MPs are expanded to include a constituency or ministerial office (and name in parentheses) as an aid to readers, whether or not this is what was actually said. ''Honourable'' is presently always abbreviated to ''hon''.}}

Referring to one another as ''honourable'' is merely a courtesy used within the House, and is not a style used outside the chamber. However, when a member is in fact entitled to be styled ''Right Honourable'' (in practice always through membership of the Privy Council), they are referred to as such in the chamber. Further embellishments are traditionally applied to clergy (''reverend''), military officers (''gallant'') and barristers (''learned''), a practice recommended to be abolished following a 2010 report of the [[Modernisation Committee]] but in practice continued.<ref>[https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2021-08-18/debates/A86142BD-A204-4BC8-BBC0-ACA7BAD7E9F0/Afghanistan Afghanistan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214070445/https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2021-08-18/debates/A86142BD-A204-4BC8-BBC0-ACA7BAD7E9F0/Afghanistan |date=14 February 2022 }}. ''Hansard.'' (2021). An example of the use after recommended abolition.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-information-office/g07.pdf|title=Factsheet G7 – Some Traditions and Customs of the House|page=2|publisher=House of Commons|date=August 2010}}</ref> In summary:
* "Honourable" is used for members who are not privy counsellors.
* "Right honourable" is used for members who are privy counsellors.
* "(Right) honourable and reverend" may be used for clergy.<!--In theory any clergy based on recent House of Lords practice, but no recent examples so it remains theoretical.--><ref>{{cite book |last1=Ross |first1=William |author1-link=William Ross (Unionist politician) |title=[[Hansard]] |series=House of Commons debates |date=4 February 1998 |publisher=UK Parliament |chapter-url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1998-02-04/debates/0cc0029a-98df-48d8-adee-bcf4c98e54a3/Clause2#contribution-f482543d-108f-41ff-aa29-9fcc8418c6d7 |chapter=Functions of the Commission |at=c.{{nbsp}}1154 |quote=My hon. and reverend Friend the Member for Belfast, South ([[Martin Smyth|Rev. Martin Smyth]]){{nbsp}}... |volume=305}}</ref>
* "(Right) honourable and gallant" may be used for military officers.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ansell |first1=Caroline |author1-link=Caroline Ansell |date=11 November 2020 |chapter=Remembrance, UK Armed Forces and Society |chapter-url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2020-11-11/debates/A73629F4-0813-40AA-AA6C-48AB187CBB40/RemembranceUKArmedForcesAndSociety#contribution-5F8AFA68-BAE6-469B-8B3C-1B747041BB2C |access-date=9 May 2022 |volume=683 |title=[[Hansard]] |series=House of Commons debates |publisher=UK Parliament |at=c.{{nbsp}}967 |quote=...{{nbsp}}as raised by my right hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Bournemouth East ([[Tobias Ellwood|Mr Ellwood]]).}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Mitchell |first1=Andrew |author1-link=Andrew Mitchell |date=15 March 2022 |chapter=Ukraine |at=c.{{nbsp}}835 |chapter-url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2022-03-15/debates/C14107E9-C9B3-4D21-BC8D-0026C95B6B04/Ukraine#contribution-E7531641-A2E0-4FCA-9FF1-E96C2C420A4B |access-date=9 May 2022 |volume=710 |title=[[Hansard]] |series=House of Commons debates |publisher=UK Parliament |quote=My right hon. and gallant Friend, who made such a great speech earlier{{nbsp}}...}}</ref>
* "(Right) honourable and learned" may be used for [[barrister]]s.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Johnson, Boris (Prime Minister) |author1-link=Boris Johnson |title=[[Hansard]] |series=House of Commons debates |at=c.{{nbsp}}909 |volume=704 |publisher=UK Parliament |chapter-url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-12-01/debates/A0E282CF-039D-4F26-8F16-946B8C6E2ABC/Engagements#contribution-A1887424-0E58-4F32-AEAB-908EC2392C17 |chapter=Engagements |quote=I know that the right hon. and learned Gentleman is eligible for his booster.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Re-elected Bercow dragged to Speaker's chair |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-40263944/bercow-dragged-to-speaker-s-chair-by-grant-bottomley-and-mcgovern |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171127195727/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-40263944/bercow-dragged-to-speaker-s-chair-by-grant-bottomley-and-mcgovern |archive-date=27 November 2017 |access-date=1 May 2018 }} This video is of the speech of Speaker [[John Bercow]] after his re-election as Speaker after the 2017 general election, referring to "the right honourable and learned gentleman, the member for Rushcliffe", i.e. Father of the House [[Kenneth Clarke]], who is a barrister.</ref>

====Collective entities====

''Right Honourable'' is added as a prefix to the name of various collective entities, including:
* "The Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament Assembled", i.e. the [[House of Lords]]
* "The Right Honourable the Lords of the Privy Council", i.e. the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]]
* "The Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty", i.e. the former [[Board of Admiralty]]

===Canada===
{{Further|Canadian honorifics}}

In Canada, occupants of only the three most senior public offices are styled as ''Right Honourable'' ({{Lang|fr|Le/La très honorable}} in French). Formerly, this was by virtue of their appointment to the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]. However, Canadian appointments to the British Privy Council were ended by the government of [[Lester Pearson]]. Currently, individuals who hold, or have held, one of the following offices are awarded the style of ''Right Honourable'' for life:

* [[Governor General of Canada]]
* [[Prime Minister of Canada]]
* [[Chief Justice of Canada]]

''The Right Honourable'' is not to be confused with [[Excellency|''His'' or ''Her Excellency'']], used by governors general during their term of office, or ''[[The Honourable]]'', used only while in office (except in Nova Scotia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, where honorary members of the Executive Council enjoy the title permanently) by provincial [[Premier (Canada)|premiers]] and cabinet ministers, and for life by [[Senate of Canada|senators]] and members of the [[King's Privy Council for Canada]] (chiefly cabinet ministers, as well as other figures such as party leaders or provincial premiers who may be appointed from time to time).

The title may also be granted for life by the Governor General to eminent Canadians who have not held any of the offices that would otherwise entitle them to the style. This has been done on two occasions: to eight prominent political figures to mark the 125th anniversary of [[Canadian Confederation]] in 1992,{{efn|[[Martial Asselin]], [[Ellen Fairclough]], [[Alvin Hamilton]], [[Paul Martin Sr.]], [[Don Mazankowski]], [[Jean-Luc Pépin]], [[Jack Pickersgill]], and [[Robert Stanfield]].}} and to longtime Member of Parliament [[Herb Gray]] upon his retirement in 2002.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Living Canadians holding the style ''The Right Honourable''
|-
! Person
! Birthplace
! Office
! Born
! Granted
|-
| {{sortname|Mark|Carney}}
| [[Fort Smith, Northwest Territories|Fort Smith]], [[Northwest Territories]]
|[[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]]
| 16 March 1965
| 14 March 2025
|-
| {{sortname|Justin|Trudeau}}
| [[Ottawa]], Ontario
| rowspan="6" | Former prime minister
| 25 December 1971
| 4 November 2015
|-
| {{sortname|Stephen|Harper}}
| [[Toronto]], Ontario
| 30 April 1959
| 6 February 2006
|-
| {{sortname|Paul|Martin}}
| [[Windsor, Ontario]]
| 28 August 1938
| 12 December 2003
|-
| {{sortname|Jean|Chrétien}}
| [[Shawinigan]], Quebec
| 11 January 1934
| 4 November 1993
|-
| {{sortname|Kim|Campbell}}
| [[Port Alberni]], British Columbia
| 10 March 1947
| 25 June 1993
|-
| {{sortname|Joe|Clark}}
| [[High River]], Alberta
| 5 June 1939
| 4 June 1979
|-
|[[Mary Simon]]
|[[Fort Severight]], Quebec
|[[Governor General of Canada|Governor general]]
|21 August 1947
|26 July 2021
|-
| {{sortname|Julie|Payette}}
| [[Montreal]], Quebec
| rowspan="5" | Former governor general
| 20 October 1963
| 2 October 2017
|-
| {{sortname|David|Johnston|David Johnston (governor general)}}
| [[Greater Sudbury|Sudbury]], Ontario
| 28 June 1941
| 1 October 2010
|-
| {{sortname|Michaëlle|Jean}}
| [[Port-au-Prince]], Haiti
| 6 September 1957
| 27 September 2005
|-
| {{sortname|Adrienne|Clarkson}}
| [[Hong Kong]]
| 10 February 1939
| 7 October 1999
|-
| {{sortname|Edward|Schreyer}}
| [[Beausejour, Manitoba]]
| 21 December 1935
| 22 January 1979
|-
| {{sortname|Richard|Wagner|dab=judge}}
| [[Montreal]], Quebec
| [[Chief Justice of Canada|Chief justice]]
| 2 April 1957
| 18 December 2017
|-
| {{sortname|Beverley|McLachlin}}
| [[Pincher Creek]], Alberta
| Former chief justice
| 7 September 1943
| 7 January 2000
|}

Over the years, a number of prominent Canadians became members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom and thus were entitled to use the style ''Right Honourable'', either because of their services in Britain (e.g. serving as envoys to London) or as members of the [[Imperial War Cabinet]], or due to their prominence in the [[Canadian Cabinet]]. These included all but three of Canada's early prime ministers ([[Alexander Mackenzie (politician)|Alexander Mackenzie]], [[John Abbott]], and [[Mackenzie Bowell]]), who governed before the title was used domestically.

===New Zealand===

Previously in New Zealand the [[Prime Minister of New Zealand|prime minister]] and some other senior cabinet ministers were customarily appointed to the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom]] and thus styled ''Right Honourable''.<ref name="NZGRtHon.">{{cite web|title=The Right Honourable |url= https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/overview/rthon|website=www.dpmc.govt.nz|publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |access-date=30 April 2017|language=en-NZ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170408180916/http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/overview/rthon|archive-date= 8 April 2017}}</ref>

[[Helen Clark]] did not recommend the appointment of any new privy counsellors during her tenure as Prime Minister, from 1999 to 2008. In 2009 it was announced that her successor, [[John Key]], had decided not to make any further recommendations to [[the Crown]] for appointments to the Privy Council.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/docs/Honours_Q_and_A.pdf|title=Honours Q and A |year=2009 |access-date=29 June 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110603234727/http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/docs/Honours_Q_and_A.pdf|archive-date= 3 June 2011}}</ref>

In August 2010, the [[Monarchy of New Zealand|Queen of New Zealand]] announced that, with immediate effect, individuals who hold, and those persons who after the date of the signing of these rules are appointed to, the following offices are awarded the style ''Right Honourable'' for life:<ref name="NZGRtHon." />
* the [[Governor-General of New Zealand]]
* the [[Prime Minister of New Zealand]]
* the [[Chief Justice of New Zealand]]
* the [[Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives]]

This change was made because the practice of appointing New Zealanders to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom had ceased. However, the change had little immediate effect, as all but two of the holders or living former holders of the offices granted the style had already been appointed to the Privy Council.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.royal.gov.uk/LatestNewsandDiary/Pressreleases/2010/RTNZ.aspx|title=Use of the title 'The Right Honourable' in New Zealand, 2 August 2010|date=2 August 2010|publisher=The Queen's Printer|access-date=3 August 2010 |url-status=live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100805071452/http://www.royal.gov.uk/LatestNewsandDiary/Pressreleases/2010/RTNZ.aspx|archive-date= 5 August 2010}}</ref><ref>This did not apply to former governor-generals Sir [[Paul Reeves]], Dame [[Catherine Tizard]] and Dame [[Silvia Cartwright]] and former speakers Sir [[Kerry Burke]], Sir [[Robin Gray (New Zealand politician)|Robin Gray]], Sir [[Peter Tapsell (New Zealand politician)|Peter Tapsell]], Sir [[Doug Kidd]] and [[Margaret Wilson]]</ref>

The living New Zealanders holding the style ''Right Honourable'' as a result of membership of the Privy Council are:
* [[Geoffrey Palmer (New Zealand politician)|Sir Geoffrey Winston Russell Palmer]] (1985) – prime minister
* [[Helen Clark|Helen Elizabeth Clark]] (1990) – prime minister
* [[James Brendan Bolger]] (1991) – prime minister
* [[Donald Charles McKinnon|Sir Donald Charles McKinnon]] (1992) – deputy prime minister
* [[William Francis Birch|Sir William Francis Birch]] (1992) – cabinet minister
* [[John Henry (judge)|Sir John Steele Henry]] (1996) – court of appeal justice
* [[Ted Thomas (judge)|Sir Edmund Walter Thomas]] (1996) – supreme court justice
* [[Jenny Shipley|Dame Jennifer Mary Shipley]] (1998) – prime minister
* [[Winston Peters|Winston Raymond Peters]] (1998) – deputy prime minister
* [[Doug Graham|Sir Douglas Arthur Montrose Graham]] (1998) – cabinet minister
* [[Kenneth Keith|Sir Kenneth James Keith]] (1998) – court of appeal justice
* [[Peter Blanchard|Sir Peter Blanchard]] (1998) – supreme court justice
* [[Andrew Tipping|Sir Andrew Patrick Charles Tipping]] (1998) – supreme court justice
* [[Wyatt Beetham Creech]] (1998) – deputy prime minister
* [[Sian Seerpoohi Elias|Dame Sian Seerpoohi Elias]] (1999) – chief justice
* [[Simon Upton|Simon David Upton]] (1999) – cabinet minister

The living New Zealanders holding the style ''The Right Honourable'' for life as a result of the 2010 changes are:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Reason !! Date Granted
|-
| [[Anand Satyanand|Sir Anand Satyanand]]
| Former Governor-General
| rowspan=3|2 August 2010
|-
| [[John Key|Sir John Key]]
| Former Prime Minister
|-
| [[Lockwood Smith|Sir Lockwood Smith]]
| Former Speaker of the House of Representatives
|-
| [[Jerry Mateparae|Sir Jerry Mateparae]]
| Former Governor-General
| 31 August 2011
|-
| [[David Carter (politician)|Sir David Carter]]
| Former Speaker of the House of Representatives
| 31 January 2013
|-
| [[Patsy Reddy|Dame Patsy Reddy]]
| Former Governor-General
| 28 September 2016
|-
| [[Bill English|Sir Bill English]]
| rowspan="2" | Former Prime Minister
| 12 December 2016
|-
| [[Jacinda Ardern|Dame Jacinda Ardern]]
| 26 October 2017
|-
| [[Trevor Mallard|Sir Trevor Mallard]]
| Former Speaker of the House of Representatives
| 7 November 2017
|-
| [[Helen Winkelmann|Dame Helen Winkelmann]]
| Chief Justice
| 14 March 2019
|-
| [[Cindy Kiro|Dame Cindy Kiro]]
| Governor-General
| 21 October 2021
|-
| [[Adrian Rurawhe]]
| Former Speaker of the House of Representatives
| 24 August 2022
|-
| [[Chris Hipkins]]
| Former Prime Minister
| 25 January 2023
|-
| [[Christopher Luxon]]
| Prime Minister
| 27 November 2023
|-
|[[Gerry Brownlee]]
|Speaker of the House of Representatives
|5 December 2023
|}

===Africa===

During the periods of its existence, the [[Prime Minister of Kenya]] post was styled ''Right Honourable''. In post-independence Kenya two people have been styled with the "right honorable" title. The country's founding president [[Jomo Kenyatta]] who was the first prime minister of Kenya and  [[Raila Amolo Odinga]], who served as the country's second prime minister between 2008 and 2013. [[Raila Odinga]] also known as Baba (Political father and Enigma) is a towering icon in Africa, well known for his [[Pan-Africanism]] and championing for good governance. The [[Prime Minister of Namibia|prime ministers of Namibia]] and [[Prime Minister of Uganda|Uganda]] are both currently styled with the same honorific. The speaker and deputy speaker of the [[Parliament of Uganda]] are also entitled to the style.

===Caribbean===

The prime ministers of [[Barbados]], [[Grenada]], [[Saint Lucia]], [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]] and [[Trinidad and Tobago]] are styled as ''Right Honourable''. The [[Prime Minister of the West Indies Federation|West Indies Federation prime minister]] was also styled as such during that office's short existence.

=== Malaysia ===
In Malaysia, only the [[Prime Minister of Malaysia|Prime Minister]], his or her [[Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia|deputy]], [[Federal Court of Malaysia|four judges of the Federal Court]]{{Efn|The four judges are the Chief Justice, the President of the Court of Appeal, and the Chief Judges of the High Court in Malaya and the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak|group=lower-alpha}} and MPs who are titled [[Malay styles and titles|Tun]] are styled as ''Right Honourable'' (Malay: Yang Amat Berhormat, Yang Amat Arif for judges) at the federal level. For the state level, all the [[Heads of state governments of Malaysia|Menteris Besar, Chief Ministers and Premier]] along with their deputies are also styled ''Right Honourable''.

===Nepal===

In Nepal, the [[President of Nepal|president]], [[Vice President of Nepal|vice president]] speaker of the House of Representatives, [[Prime Minister of Nepal|prime minister]] and [[Chief Justice of Nepal|chief justice]] are formally styled ''Right Honourable'' ({{langx|ne|सम्माननीय|translit=Sammānanīya}}). Ministers, members of parliament (Lower and Upper Houses and provincial parliaments) and Chief ministers of provinces are styled "Honourable" only. It is usually joked during informal discussions about the use of the word "Honourable" to differentiate senior and less senior government dignitories. It can also be spelled in English as ''The Rt. Hon’ble''.

===South Korea===
In [[South Korea]], the [[President of South Korea|President]], [[Prime Minister of South Korea|Prime Minister]], [[Speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea|Speaker of the National Assembly]] and [[Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Korea|Chief Justice]] can use the ''Right Honourable'' style.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

=== Spain ===
In the Spanish [[Autonomous communities of Spain|autonomous community]] of [[Catalonia]], the [[President of the Government of Catalonia|president of the Generalitat de Catalunya]] and the president of the [[Parliament of Catalonia]] are formally referred as the ''Right Honourable''.

==Countries with rare or historic usage==

===Australia===

In Australia, the [[lord mayor]]s of [[Adelaide]], [[Brisbane]], [[Hobart]], [[Melbourne]], [[Perth]] and [[Sydney]] are entitled to be styled ''Right Honourable'' while in office.

Historically, a number of Australians were entitled to the style as members of the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]. Appointment to the Australian equivalent of the Privy Council, the [[Federal Executive Council (Australia)|Federal Executive Council]], does not entitle a person to the style. Typical appointees to the Imperial Privy Council included senior politicians and judges at state and federal level. [[Malcolm Fraser]] in 1976 was the most recent prime minister to accept appointment to the Privy Council and thus to be styled ''Right Honourable''. Of his 21 predecessors, only four were not members of the Privy Council – [[Alfred Deakin]] (declined appointment), [[Chris Watson]] (never offered), [[Arthur Fadden]] (accepted after leaving office), and [[Gough Whitlam]] (declined appointment). The last Governor-General to be entitled to the style was [[Ninian Stephen|Sir Ninian Stephen]], who left office in 1988. The last active politician to be entitled to the style was [[Ian Sinclair]], who retired in 1998. The few Australian recipients of British peerages were also entitled to the style.

Present-day Australian governments no longer recommend Australians for elevation to the peerage or appointment to the Privy Council. However, some present-day Australian citizens either hold hereditary peerages (e.g. [[Malcolm Murray, 12th Earl of Dunmore]]).

{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Living Australians holding the style ''The Right Honourable''
!Reason
!Formerly
|-
|[[Ian Sinclair]], AC
|Member of the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]
|Former [[Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives]]
|-
|[[William Heseltine|Sir William Heseltine]], GCB, GCVO, AC
|Member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
|Former [[Private Secretary to the Sovereign]]
|-
|[[Malcolm Murray, 12th Earl of Dunmore]]
|[[Earl of Dunmore]]
|Former [[House of Lords|Member of the House of Lords]]
|-
|[[Robert Fiennes-Clinton, 19th Earl of Lincoln]]
|[[Earl of Lincoln]]
|
|-
|[[Simon Abney-Hastings, 15th Earl of Loudoun]]
|[[Earl of Loudoun]]
|
|-
|[[George Dawson-Damer, 7th Earl of Portarlington]]
|[[Earl of Portarlington]]
|
|-
|[[Keith Rous, 6th Earl of Stradbroke]]
|[[Earl of Stradbroke]]
|
|-
|[[Francis Grosvenor, 8th Earl of Wilton]]
|[[Earl of Wilton]]
|
|-
|[[Nicholas St John, 9th Viscount Bolingbroke, 10th Viscount St John]]
|[[Viscount Bolingbroke]]
|
|-
|[[Charles Cavendish, 7th Baron Chesham]]
|[[Baron Chesham]]
|
|-
|[[James Lindsay, 3rd Baron Lindsay of Birker]]
|[[Baron Lindsay of Birker]]
|
|-
|[[David Campbell, 7th Baron Stratheden and Campbell]]
|[[Baron Stratheden]]
|
|-
|[[David Baden-Powell|David Baden-Powell, 5th Baron Baden-Powell]]
|[[Baron Baden-Powell]]
|
|}

===Ireland===

Members of the [[Privy Council of Ireland]] were entitled to be styled ''Right Honourable'', even after the Privy Council ceased to have any functions or to meet on the creation of the [[Irish Free State]] in December 1922. Nevertheless, the [[Lord Mayor of Dublin]], like some of his counterparts in Great Britain, retained the use of the honorific style as a result of its having been conferred separately by legislation; in 2001 it was removed, as a consequence of [[local government]] law reform.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

===Sri Lanka===

In [[Sri Lanka]] (formerly known as [[British Ceylon|Ceylon]]) the British practice was followed with Ceylonese members of the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom]] were styled ''Right Honourable'' and were referred to as {{lang|si-Latn|Mahamanya}} in [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]]. Ceylonese appointees to the privy council included [[D. S. Senanayake]] and [[John Kotelawala|Sir John Kotelawala]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ft.lk/columns/d-s-senanayaka-a-nations-father-undisputed-leader-of-all-time/4-532356|title=D.S. Senanayake – A nation's father, undisputed leader of all time &#124; Daily FT|website=www.ft.lk}}</ref>

==See also==

* [[The Honourable]]
* [[The Much Honoured]]
* [[The Most Honourable]]
* [[Style (manner of address)]]

== Notes ==

{{Notelist|30em}}

== References ==

{{Reflist |refs=
<ref name="britannica">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=The Honourable |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Honourable |date=10 August 2017 |quote=...&nbsp;earls, viscounts, and barons are 'right honourable',&nbsp;...}}</ref>
<ref name="debretts-earls">{{Cite web |title=Earl and Countess |url=http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/earl-and-countess |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140927003640/http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/earl-and-countess |archive-date=27 September 2014 |website=[[Debrett's]]}}</ref>
<ref name="debretts-viscounts">{{Cite web |title=Viscount and Viscountess |url=http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/viscount-and-viscountess |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140731204551/http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/viscount-and-viscountess |archive-date=31 July 2014 |website=[[Debrett's]]}}</ref>
<ref name="debretts-barons">{{Cite web |title=Baron |url=http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/baron |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513204710/http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/baron |archive-date=13 May 2014 |website=[[Debrett's]]}}</ref>
<ref name="DebrettPC">{{Cite web |title=Privy Counsellors and Crown Appointments |url=http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/hierarchies/letters-after-name/privy-counsellors-and-crown-appointments |url-status=dead |website=Forms of Address |publisher=[[Debrett's]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528100708/http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/hierarchies/letters-after-name/privy-counsellors-and-crown-appointments |archive-date=28 May 2016 |access-date=15 June 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="Debretts">{{Cite web |title=Privy Counsellors |url=http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/privy-counsellors |url-status=dead |website=Titles |publisher=[[Debrett's]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630042729/http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/privy-counsellors |archive-date=30 June 2015 |access-date=24 May 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="artuk-beaconsfield">{{cite web |title=The Right Honourable the Earl of Beaconsfield (1804–1881), KG |url=https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/the-right-honourable-the-earl-of-beaconsfield-18041881-kg-217725 |website=Art UK |publisher=Public Catalogue Foundation |access-date=7 May 2022}}</ref>
<ref name="hankey-1936">{{London Gazette |issue=34351 |date=18 December 1936 |page=8187 |title=At the Court at Buckingham Palace the 18th day of December, 1936}}</ref>
}}

===Sources===

{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |title=Titles and Forms of Address: A Guide to Their Correct Use |date=1955 |publisher=Adam & Charles Black |location=London |edition=9th |url=https://archive.org/details/titlesandformsof017862mbp |via=the [[Internet Archive]] |ref={{harvid|Black|1955}}}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hickey |first1=Robert |date=2013 |chapter=19: British Officials, Royalty & Nobility |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/honorrespectoffi0000hick/page/361 |chapter-url-access=registration |title=Honor & Respect: The Official Guide to Names, Titles, and Forms of Address |edition=expanded & updated 2nd |location=Columbia, SC |publisher=Protocol School of Washington |pages=361–404 |isbn=9780989188609 |via=the [[Internet Archive]]}}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Kidd |editor1-first=Charles |editor2-last=Williamson |editor2-first=David |title=[[Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage]] |date=1985 |publisher=MacMillan |location=London |pages=39–43 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/debrettspeerageb0000unse/page/n46 |chapter=Forms of Addressing Persons of Title |chapter-url-access=registration |isbn=0333378245}}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Montague-Smith |editor1-first=Patrick |title=Debrett's Correct Form: An Inclusive Guide to Everything from Drafting Wedding Invitations to Addressing an Archbishop |date=1979 |publisher=Futura |location=London |isbn=0708815006 |url=https://archive.org/details/debrettscorrectf0000unse |url-access=registration |via=the [[Internet Archive]]}}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Mosley |editor1-first=Charles |editor1-link=Charles Mosley (genealogist) |title=Burke's Peerage & Baronetage |date=1999 |publisher=Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) |location=Crans, Switzerland |isbn=2940085021 |edition=106th |url=https://archive.org/details/burkespeeragebar0001unse |url-access=registration |via=the [[Internet Archive]]}}
* {{Cite book |author=Ferrers, Earl |author-link=Robert Shirley, 13th Earl Ferrers |title=[[Hansard]] |date=21 July 1989 |publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom |series=House of Lords debates |volume=510 |at=cc. 1116WA—1118WA |chapter=Use of 'Right Honourable' |chapter-url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/1989-07-21/debates/272a3650-0e38-4d34-8598-c8878924e873/UseOfRightHonourable#contribution-5429aef0-c674-4702-945b-61bb1ac75eb1 |ref={{harvid|Ferrers|1989}}}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{wiktionary|right honourable}}
* [https://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/privy-council/privy-council-members/ Privy Council members]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Right Honourable}}
[[Category:Styles (forms of address)]]