View source for Highness

{{short description|Address of royalty}}
{{about|the dynastic use|the song by Envy & Other Sins|Highness (song)|the song by Simon Townshend|Animal Soup|the album by Medicine|Her Highness (album)}}
{{Monarchism |expanded=concepts}}
'''Highness''' (abbreviation '''HH''', oral address '''Your Highness''') is a formal [[style (manner of address)|style]] used to address (in [[grammatical person|second person]]) or refer to (in [[grammatical person|third person]]) certain members of a [[reign]]ing or formerly reigning [[dynasty]]. It is typically used with a [[possessive adjective]]: "His Highness", "Her Highness" (HH), "Their Highnesses", etc. Although often combined with other adjectives [[honorific|of honour]] indicating rank, such as "Imperial", "Royal" or "Serene", it may be used alone.
 
''Highness'' is, both literally and figuratively, the quality of being lofty or above. It is used as a term to evoke [[dignity]] or [[honour]], and to acknowledge the exalted rank of the person so described.

==History in Europe==
Abstract styles arose in profusion in the [[Roman Empire]], especially in the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]].<ref name="pine">{{cite book | title=Titles | publisher=Barnes & Noble, Inc. | author=Pine, L.G. | year=1992 | location=New York | pages=[https://archive.org/details/titleshowkingbec0000pine/page/36 36, 69, 92, 94, 104, 148–149] | isbn=978-1-56619-085-5 | author-link=L.G. Pine | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/titleshowkingbec0000pine/page/36 }}</ref> Styles were attached to various offices at court or in the state.<ref name="pine"/> In the [[early Middle Ages]] such styles, couched in the second or third person, were uncertain and much more arbitrary, and were more subject to the fancies of secretaries than in later times.<ref>Selden, ''Titles of Honor'', part I,  Ch. vii. p. 100</ref><ref name=EB1911>{{EB1911 |wstitle=Highness |volume=13 |page=456 |inline=1}}</ref>

In English usage, the terms Highness, [[His Grace|Grace]] and [[Majesty]] were all used as honorific styles of kings, queens and [[prince du sang|princes of the blood]] until the time of [[James I of England]].<ref name="pine"/> Thus in documents relating to the reign of [[Henry VIII of England]], all three styles are used indiscriminately; an example is the king's judgment against [[Dr. Edward Crome]] (d. 1562), quoted, from the [[Lord Chamberlain]]s' books, ser. I, p.&nbsp;791, in Trans. Roy. Hist. Soc. N.S. lOX. 299, where article 15 begins with ''Also the Kinges Highness hath ordered'', 16 with ''Kinges Majestie'', and 17 with ''Kinges Grace''. In the Dedication of the Authorized Version of the Bible of 1611, James I is still styled Majesty and Highness; thus, in the first paragraph: "the appearance of Your Majesty, as of the Sun in his strength, instantly dispelled those supposed and surmised mists ... especially when we beheld the government established in Your Highness and Your hopeful Seed, by an undoubted title". It was, however, in James I's reign that Majesty became the official style.<ref name=EB1911/>

==Continental Europe==
At the conclusion of the [[Congress of Vienna]] in 1815, '''His/Her Highness''' (abbreviated '''HH'''), became prevalent for reigning dukes and members of their dynasties in Germany (e.g., [[Duchy of Anhalt|Anhalt]], [[Duchy of Brunswick|Brunswick]], [[Duchy of Nassau|Nassau]], the three [[Ernestine duchies]] of [[Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]], [[Saxe-Meiningen]], and [[Saxe-Altenburg]], as well as [[Schleswig-Holstein]]); for [[cadet (genealogy)|cadet]]s of some German [[grand duchy|grand ducal]] houses (e.g., [[Grand Duchy of Hesse|Hesse]], [[Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin|Mecklenburg-Schwerin]], [[Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz|Mecklenburg-Strelitz]], [[Grand Duchy of Oldenburg|Oldenburg]], [[Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach]]); and cadet members of some [[emperor|imperial]] or [[king|royal]] families (e.g., [[Kingdom of Bavaria|Bavaria]], [[Denmark]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Norway]], [[Kingdom of Portugal|Portugal]], [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]], [[Imperial House of Russia|Russia]], [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]]). That custom remains official in the [[Dutch royal family|Dutch]] and Norwegian dynasties. The ''[[Almanach de Gotha]]'' and [[Burke's Peerage]] continued to ascribe ''Highness'' to members of [[abolished monarchy|deposed dynasties]] of ducal rank.

Among the nobility, the ''Almanach de Gotha'' notes that ''Highness'' was accorded to the heads of the families of [[House of Murat|Murat]] (a royal dynasty during the [[Napoleon]]ic era), [[Duke of Hohenberg|Hohenberg]], [[Francis, Duke of Teck|Teck]] and all members of the [[House of Ligne]].

The style was discontinued in the [[Danish royal family]] in 2023, having been applied to junior lines for many generations.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}
                                                              
Example of official holders of the style ''Highness'':
*[[Prince Maurits of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven|''His Highness'' Prince Maurits of Orange-Nassau, Van Vollenhoven]], son of [[Princess Margriet of the Netherlands|HRH Princess Margriet of the Netherlands]] and [[Pieter van Vollenhoven|Mr. Pieter van Vollenhoven]], the maternal grandson of [[Queen Juliana|HM Queen Juliana of the Netherlands]], and nephew of [[Beatrix of the Netherlands|HM Queen Beatrix]]. Upon his mother's marriage, it was decreed that her children would be known as ''HH Prince(ss) <name> of Orange-Nassau, Van Vollenhoven''.
*[[Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway|''His Highness'' Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway]] son of HRH [[Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway|Crown Prince Haakon]] and HRH [[Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway|Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway]], the paternal grandson of HM [[King Harald V of Norway]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kongehuset.no/c28433/seksjonstekst_person/vis.html?tid=28780|title=His Highness Prince Sverre Magnus|publisher=[[Monarchy of Norway]]|access-date=30 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/top+100+in+line+to+the+throne/3051062.html|title=Top 100 in line to the throne|publisher=[[Channel 4]]|date=27 March 2009}}</ref>

==Modified forms==
Usually members of an imperial or royal dynasty are addressed as [[Imperial Highness]] or [[Royal Highness]] (French ''Altesse Impériale, Altesse Royale''; German ''Kaiserliche Hoheit, Königliche Hoheit''; Spanish ''Alteza Imperial, Alteza Real'', etc.) respectively.
 
[[Grand Ducal Highness]] was the treatment accorded cadet princes of those families of ruling grand dukes who did not simply use "Highness", ''[[viz.]]'' [[Grand Duchy of Baden|Baden]].

While "Highness" (''Hoheit'') was used for rulers of German duchies, the sovereign [[Duke of Modena|Dukes of Modena]] and [[Duke of Parma|of Parma]] were heads of [[cadet branch]]es of ruling dynasties of higher rank. They and their cadets therefore used the imperial or royal styles borne by members of those houses, respectively the royal [[House of Bourbon]] and the imperial [[House of Habsburg-Lorraine]].
 
In modern times, [[Serene Highness]] (''Altesse Sérénissime'') is used as the equivalent of the German ''Durchlaucht''. In the 17th century, it became the general style borne by the heads of the reigning princely states of the Holy Roman Empire (''reichsständische Fürsten''), as "Illustrious Highness (''[[Erlaucht]]'') became customary for those of the [[graf|comital]] houses (''reichsständische Grafen'', i.e. Counts of the Empire). In 1825, the Imperial German Diet agreed to grant the style ''Durchlaucht'' to the heads of all [[German mediatization|mediatized]] princely houses domiciled in Germany elevated to the rank of ''[[Fürst]]'' are also styled Durchlaucht. In 1829, the style of Erlaucht, which had formerly been borne by the reigning Counts of the empire, was similarly granted to the mediatized countly families ([[Almanach de Gotha]], 1909, 107).<ref name=EB1911/>

''His Exalted Highness'' is a rare hybrid of the title style Highness. It is used as a salutation style ''only'' for the [[Nizams of Hyderabad]] and [[Berar Province|Berar]] conferred by the [[British Government]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2008-04-23/news/27703352_1_richest-man-mir-osman-ali-khan-forbes-list |title=Making money the royal way ! - Economic Times |access-date=18 July 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714172402/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2008-04-23/news/27703352_1_richest-man-mir-osman-ali-khan-forbes-list |archive-date=14 July 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/%60His-Exalted-Highness-to-be-staged-today/article14734360.ece | title='His Exalted Highness' to be staged today| newspaper=The Hindu| date=2007-03-14}}</ref>

==Commonwealth realms==
''Highness'' was the style accorded to princes of the [[British royal family]] who were the [[patrilineality|male-line]] great-grandchildren of a British sovereign (and the wives/widows of great-grandsons), except the eldest son of the [[Prince of Wales]]. In 1917, [[George V]] revoked authorization for use of that style.

The children and grandchildren in the male-line of a British sovereign were and are addressed as [[Royal Highness]] (His or Her Royal Highness, abbreviated ''HRH''), as are the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales (decree of 31 May 1898).<ref name="gazette">{{cite journal| url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/60384/pages/213 | title=Crown Office | journal=The London Gazette |date=8 January 2013 | issue=60384 | pages=213}}</ref> The sovereign has the right as a legal ''[[fount of honour|fons honorum]]'' to grant or revoke use of the style of Highness, as with other styles, titles and honours.<ref>British Royal Family Website. [https://www.royal.uk/queen-and-honours The Queen and Honours]. The Royal Household. Buckingham Palace. accessed 5 February 2019.</ref>

==Colonial use==
*In the [[British Empire]], the style (His) Highness became reserved for the elite of the feudatory dynastic heads of the major [[princely state]]s (mainly in [[India]] and other territories—as on the [[Persian Gulf]] coast—once under the [[East India Company]]).
*In various other empires, such as the [[Dutch East Indies]] (see [[List of regencies and cities of Indonesia]]), a similar system was introduced.

== Modern Islamic World  ==
=== Royal Afghanistan ===
In Afghanistan the title ''Jalalat Mahab'' is used for [[Sardar]]s, or Princes of the former [[Barakzai dynasty|Muhammadzai dynasty]], who are descendants of the Afghan Emir Payindah Muhammad Khan Barakzai. Although ''Jalalat Mahab'' is derived from the Arabic term ''Jalalat'' literally meaning ''His Majesty'', it is regarded as equal to ''His Highness'' internationally. A legal ground for it is a strengthened [[customary law|ius cogens]] within the Afghan royal family with gateways in the first written constitution of Afghanistan issued by [[Abdur Rahman Khan]] in year 1890 and amended by [[Amanullah Khan]] in year 1923.<ref>Encyclopedia Iranica in Constitutional History of Afghanistan</ref><ref>Adamek in Who is Who in Afghanistan</ref>

[[Mohammed Daoud Khan|Prince Daoud Khan]], a member of the Telai cadet branch and Cousin of the last Afghan King [[Mohammed Zahir Shah|Zahir Shah]], acting as prime minister under his cousin held the address ''Jalalat Mahab Aali Qadr Sardari Alaa'' ([[English language|English]] His Honorable Highness the sublime Prince) during his term as [[Prime minister|Prime Minister]].<ref>Mir Assadullah Sadat in Alqab Dowalti</ref>

After the [[1964 Constitution of Afghanistan|constitution of 1964]] that changed Afghanistan's state system from an [[Absolute monarchy|absolute]] to a [[constitutional monarchy]], the descendants of [[Mohammed Nadir Shah|King Nadir Shah]] held the exclusive address as ''Alaa Hazrat'' in which context ''Hazrat'' is Turkish and means ''Majesty'' or ''Highness'' and thus literally translated means ''Higher Majesty'' or ''Higher Highness'' and is internationally also equal to ''His Royal Highness''. ''Jalalat Mahab'' was still used for other cadet branches by [[customary law]] and in light of the law of royal expenses, based on Article 13 and 24 of the Royal Constitution of 1964. Cadet branches include:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Afghanistan's Constitution of 1964 |url=https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Afghanistan_1964.pdf?lang=en |website=Constitute}}</ref><ref>Christopher Buyers in Royal Ark, Afghanistan</ref>

* Telai, descendants of [[Sultan Mohammad Khan|Sultan Mohammed Khan]], including Prince Daoud Khan 
* Seraj, descendants of [[Dost Mohammad Khan|Dost Mohammed Khan]] 
* and [[Shaghasi]], descendants of other children of Payindah Muhammad Khan

The King himself held the title ''Alaa Hazrat Humayoon'' which literally translated means ''His Most Noble Majesty'', and can be equalized with ''His Majesty'' internationally.

Despite the [[de facto]] fall of [[Barakzai dynasty|Barakzai leadership]] through the [[Soviet–Afghan War|Soviet Invasion]] in year 1978, the address is until today still used out of courtesy.

=== Saudi Arabia ===
In Saudi Arabia, all members of the royal family have the title of [[Emir]] ([[Prince]]) but sons, daughters, [[patrilineal]] granddaughters and grandsons of [[Ibn Saud]] are referred to by the [[Style (manner of address)|style]] "[[His Royal Highness]]" (HRH), differing from those belonging to the [[cadet branch]]es who are styled as "His/Her Highness" (HH), and in addition to that a reigning king has the title of [[Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques]].<ref name="Sheikh to Chic">{{cite news|last1=Amos|first1=Deborah|title=Sheikh to Chic|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H-cDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA28|access-date=12 July 2016|publisher=Mother Jones|date=1991|page=28|language=en}}</ref><ref name="web.archive.org">{{cite web|url=https://americanbedu.com/2010/03/23/saudi-arabia-hrh-or-hh/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807041830/https://americanbedu.com/2010/03/23/saudi-arabia-hrh-or-hh/|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 August 2016|title=Saudi Arabia: HRH or HH? – American Bedu|date=7 August 2016}}</ref><ref name="Family Tree datarabia">{{cite web|title=Family Tree|url=http://www.datarabia.com/royals/familytree.do|website=datarabia.com|access-date=7 December 2016|language=en}}</ref>

The definition of the [[cadet branch]]es has been legally defined in year 2000 by [[Abdullah of Saudi Arabia|King Abdullah]] and includes the following:<ref>[https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/media/3420 Washington institute in "After King Abdullah"]</ref>
* Al Jiluwi, descendants of [[Jiluwi bin Turki Al Saud|Prince Jiluwi bin Turki al Saud]] acting as closest allies to [[Ibn Saud|King Abdul Aziz]]
* Al Kabeer, descendants of [[Saud Al Kabeer bin Abdulaziz Al Saud|Saud Al Kabeer]], who allied with King Abdul Aziz against the [[Rashidi dynasty|Rashidi State]]
* Al Thunayan Al Mishari and Al Farhan, who descend from brothers of the dynastic founder [[Muhammad bin Saud Al Muqrin|Muhammad bin Saud al Muqrin]]

=== Gulf States ===
The [[Emir]]s of Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates also use the style of "Highness".

=== Iraq ===
Patrilineal descendants of former ruling Emirs of Iraq use His Highness for the head of the house<ref>{{Cite book |last=Batatu |first=H |title=The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=1978}}</ref>

=== Aga Khan ===
The [[Aga Khan]] was granted the style of ''His Highness'' by [[Elizabeth II|Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom]] in 1957 upon the death of his grandfather [[Aga Khan III]]. This has been a traditional gesture by British sovereigns since the Aga Khan III allied himself with Britain against Afghanistan.

The style of ''His Highness'' was formally granted to the Aga Khan IV's successor and eldest son, [[Aga Khan V]], by [[King Charles III]] on 10 February 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 February 2025 |title=The King is pleased to grant the new Aga Khan the title “His Highness” |url=https://www.royal.uk/news-and-activity/2025-02-10/the-king-is-pleased-to-grant-the-new-aga-khan-the-title-his-highness |access-date=10 February 2025 |website=Royal.UK |language=en}}</ref>

==Republican and non-royal usage==
Very rarely, the style of ''Highness'' or variations thereof have been used by non-monarchical heads of state, particularly before the 20th century, and often in cases where the distinction between monarchy and republic was blurred. For example, [[Oliver Cromwell]] and his wife were styled "Highness" upon his elevation to [[Lord Protector]] of the [[Commonwealth of England|Commonwealth]]; he also enjoyed the style of ''[[by the Grace of God]]'', was succeeded by [[Richard Cromwell|his son]], and [[Humble Petition and Advice|had even been offered the throne]].<ref name="pine"/>

===Spanish-speaking world===
In the [[Spanish-speaking world]], a handful of leaders historically enjoyed the official, if often ephemeral, style of ''Highness'' ('''''Alteza''''')  or variations thereof.

In Spain, [[Manuel Godoy]], who twice served as [[President of the Government (Spain)|Prime Minister]] from 1792 to 1797 and from 1801 to 1808, was granted the style of ''[[Most Serene Highness]]'' ('''''Su Alteza Serenísima''''') in 1807 by [[King of Spain|King]] [[Charles IV of Spain|Charles IV]]. He had been created ''Principe de la Paz'' ("Prince of the Peace") in 1795, but the princely title did not carry the style of ''Highness'' on its own. The former style was possibly derived from the traditional Spanish honorific of ''[[The Most Excellent|Excelentísimo Señor]]'' ([[The Most Excellent]]).

[[Baldomero Espartero, Prince of Vergara]], who was [[regent]] for Queen [[Isabella II of Spain|Isabella II]] from 1840 to 1843, and three times served as Prime Minister: in 1837, from 1840 to 1841, and from 1854 to 1856, was created [[Prince of Vergara]] {{citation needed span|with the exceptional (and not strictly non-royal) style of ''[[Royal Highness]]'' ('''''Alteza Real''''')|date=February 2017}} in 1872. Espartero had previously declined an offer to the throne following the [[Spanish Revolution of 1868]], which instead went to the Italian [[House of Savoy|Amadeo of Savoy]], who in turn bestowed the royal princedom on him.

Furthermore, according to the provisions of Royal Decree 1368/1987 promulgated by King [[Juan Carlos I]] in 1987, a [[Regent]] of Spain is to enjoy the style of ''Highness'' (as well as protocolary honours equal to those of the [[Prince of Asturias]]), unless they were to possess rank conferring a higher style.<ref name="Boletín">{{cite web|title=Real Decreto 1368/1987, de 6 de noviembre, sobre régimen de títulos, tratamientos y honores de la Familia Real y de los Regentes.|url=http://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-1987-25284|website=Boletín Oficial del Estado| pages=33717 |publisher=Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado|access-date=22 November 2014}}</ref>

During the short-lived ''[[:es:Junta de Gobierno Autónoma de Quito|Luz de America]]'' uprising of 1809 in modern-day [[Ecuador]], the ''Junta de Gobierno Autónoma de Quito'' ("Autonomous Government [[Junta (Peninsular War)|Junta]] of [[Royal Audiencia of Quito|[the Royal Audiencia of] Quito]]"),  granted its president, [[Juan Pío de Montúfar, 2nd Marquis of Selva Alegre]], the style of ''Most Serene Highness'', while claiming for itself the collective dignity of "''[[Majesty]]''" (as it purported to be acting in the name of King [[Ferdinand VII]]). Selva Alegre's pseudo-monarchical government, which was formed following [[Peninsular War#Napoleon.27s invasion of Spain|Napoleon's invasion of Spain]] in 1808 and lasted for a mere seventy-five days, was considered by both contemporaries and later historians to be a thinly-disguised effort to establish a "Kingdom of Quito"; Selva dressed himself in regal vestments, bestowed honours on citizens, and instituted the [[National Order of San Lorenzo]] (which was much later revived by [[President of Ecuador|Ecuadorian President]] [[Camilo Ponce Enríquez (politician)|Camilo Ponce Enríquez]] in 1959).<ref name=Diccionario>{{cite web|last1=Pimentel|first1=Rodolfo Perez|title=Juan Pío Montúfar y Larrea|url=http://www.diccionariobiograficoecuador.com/tomos/tomo4/m11.htm|website=diccionariobiograficoecuador.com|publisher=Diccionario Biográfico del Ecuador.|access-date=22 November 2014|archive-date=18 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140918020655/http://www.diccionariobiograficoecuador.com/tomos/tomo4/m11.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Antonio López de Santa Anna]], enjoyed the official style of ''Most Serene Highness'' during his [[Antonio López de Santa Anna#President for the last time, 1853–1855|eleventh and final tenure]] as [[President of Mexico]] for life from 1853 until his deposal in 1855.<ref name=Sible>{{cite web|last1=Sible|first1=Randy|title=The Life of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna: Savior, Emperor, President, and Dictator|url=http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/mex-war/santa-anna2.htm|website=Latin American Studies|access-date=22 November 2014}}</ref>

===Elsewhere===
==== United States ====
Shortly before the [[First inauguration of George Washington|inauguration of George Washington]] as the first [[President of the United States]], then-[[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[John Adams]] organised a [[Congressional committees|congressional committee]] on the matter of the title and style of the President. There Adams agitated for the adoption of the style of ''Highness'' (as well as the title of ''Protector of Their [the United States'] Liberties'') for the President.<ref name=HutsonAdams>{{cite journal|last1=Hutson|first1=James H.|title=John Adams' Title Campaign|journal=The New England Quarterly|date=March 1968|volume=41|issue=1|pages=30–39|doi=10.2307/363331|jstor=363331}}<!--|access-date=22 November 2014--></ref> Others favored the variant of ''Electoral Highness'' or the lesser ''Excellency'', the latter of which was vociferously opposed by Adams, who contended that it was far beneath the presidential dignity, as the executives of the states, some of which were also titled "President" (e.g. the [[Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania|President of Pennsylvania]]), at that time often enjoyed the style of ''Excellency''; Adams said that the President "would be levelled with colonial governors or with functionaries from German princedoms" if he were to use the style of ''Excellency''. On further consideration, Adams deemed even ''Highness'' insufficient and instead proposed that the Executive, both the President and the Vice President (i.e., himself), be styled ''Majesty'', with only which the "great danger" of insufficient dignity being attached to the executive could be solved.<ref name=HutsonAdams /> Adams' efforts were met with widespread derision and perplexion; [[Thomas Jefferson]] called them "the most superlatively ridiculous thing I ever heard of", while [[Benjamin Franklin]] considered it "absolutely mad".<ref name=HutsonAdams /> The proposal came to naught, and American Presidents, from Washington onwards, have eschewed honorific titles and styles altogether and are simply referred to as ''[[Mr. President (title)|Mr. President]]''.

==== Samoa ====
In modern-day [[Samoa]], the [[O le Ao o le Malo]], the Samoan head of state, has since the country's independence enjoyed the title of ''Highness'', as do the heads of the four paramount [[Matai title|chiefly dynasties]]. However, as all of the heads of state, elected by the ''[[Fono of Samoa|Fono]]'', the country's parliament (which is itself almost entirely composed of customary chiefs), since independence have been one of the four chiefs, it is ambiguous as to whether the country constitutes a [[parliamentary republic]] or a [[Democracy|democratic]] [[elective monarchy]].

==== Africa ====
[[Monarchies in Africa|African royalty]] commonly use "Highness" to refer to their junior dynasts. Some ranking monarchs also make use of the style. An example of the former is Princess [[Elizabeth Bagaya]] of the [[Tooro Kingdom]] in Uganda. An example of the latter is the princess' sister-in-law, [[Queen Best Kemigisa]].

==Other uses==
Regardless of the official traditions in the various colonial empires, the style is evidently used to render, often merely informally, various somewhat analogous titles in non-western cultures, regardless whether there is an actual linguistic and/or historical link. Furthermore, in [[North America]], some chiefs of certain indigenous tribes or nations use the style of Highness, which may or may not be recognised by their governments.

==Variations and precedence==
While the actual precedence depends on the rank itself, and sometimes more specifically on the monarchy, rather than on the style of address, the holders tend to end up roughly in the following order of precedence:

*[[Imperial and Royal Highness|His/Her Imperial and Royal Highness]] (HI&RH) 
*[[Imperial Highness|His/Her Imperial Highness]] (HIH)
*[[Royal Highness|His/Her Royal Highness]] (HRH)
*[[Grand Ducal Highness|His/Her Grand Ducal Highness]] (HGDH), used by junior members of the houses of Luxembourg, Grand Ducal Hesse, and Baden
*His/Her Highness (HH)
*[[Exalted Highness|His/Her Exalted Highness]] (HEH), used only by the [[Nizam of Hyderabad]], the pre-eminent Indian princely ruler
*[[Sultanic Highness#Compound ruler titles|His/Her Sultanic Highness]] (HSH), a rare, hybrid western-Islamic honorific style, exclusively used by the son, daughter-in-law and daughters of Sultan [[Hussein Kamel of Egypt]]
*[[Ducal Serene Highness|His/Her Ducal Serene Highness]] (HDSH)
*[[His Eminence|His Most Eminent Highness]] (HMEH), a hybrid with [[His Eminence]], created in 1630 for the [[Grand master (order)|Grand Master]] of the [[Knights Hospitaller|Knights of Malta]], as [[Reichsfürst|Prince of the Holy Roman Empire]] at par with a [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|Cardinal]] (Prince of the Church).
*[[Most Serene Highness|His/Her Most Serene Highness]] (HMSH)
*[[Serene Highness|His/Her Serene Highness]] (HSH)
*[[Illustrious Highness|His/Her Illustrious Highness]] (HIll.H)
*[[Royal Highness|His/Her Tribal Highness]] (HTH), a rare hybrid of Highness exclusively used by [[Mohammed Ameziane|Amghar Mohammed Ameziane, Prince of the Rif]] and direct descendants.

== See also ==
*[[Excellency]]
*[[Monsignor]]
*[[Sire]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{-}}
{{Royal styles}}

[[Category:Royal styles|Highness]]