Question about degree abbreviations

Duke and Duchess? Yeah - you can buy those from Sealand, too. You STILL have to go to Buckingham Palace for the real thing. I don't think that's gonna change.

 

I believe Thatcher's husband was made a Baronet, like a hereditary knighthood - so not Lord Thatcher, but Sir Denis, Bt. Their son didn't inherit his mother's life peerage, but is known as Sir Mark Thatcher, 2nd Bt.

 

This is quite right. But she still was entitled to use "Lady Thatcher" because of it, which she did not.

Baronet is, as you imply, a slightly different thingy. It is not a peerage, but it ranks higher than a knight.

You nailed it.

 

I would prefer, like Coca-Cola, the "real thing." Perhaps a third doctorate would do it? (Just kidding folks. It wouldn't.)

 

NONSENSE!! What YOU need, dear Captain Dr. Dr. Douglas, is what Chief Strong Eagle (or whatever his name was. You remember him?) Called the highest honor of all...the Juris Doctor. THAT will make your life truly complete!

We will even carve it on your VA provided tombstone.

 

By the way, Johann...I don't think Her Gracious Majesty has "subjects" anymore. In 1981 Parliament enacted a complete overhaul of British citizenship. You are, I think, a British Citizen with the right of abode in the UK. Hong Kongers became British Dependent (later Overseas) Territories Citizens without the right to live in the UK but with the right to live in Hong Kong. Other territories likewise except for the Falklands who retained British Citizenship as well as Overseas Territories citizenship.

Once Hong Kong was gone, most Overseas citizens automatically regained British citizenship. That move kept a wave of Hong Kongers from moving to the UK. Yup. Pure racism.

 

Thanks for the info, Nosborne - I appreciate it. And we did somewhat better for Hong Kong people than UK. Lots of them moved here. No problem. They own Vancouver, from what I hear. They liked the place, so they bought it. They paid good money - so that's fair.

I like to think Canada isn't racist -- but that's simply not true. Even in my dreams. One of our worst instances has, of course, been the unspeakably awful treatment of the descendants of those folks who got here thousands of years before any Europeans. Full recompense can never be made for that catastrophe. I find personally, that a high proportion of Black / White racism here comes from older, White Europeans who came here maybe 40-50 years ago. Anti-Semitism, too, come to think of it. I was (very briefly) sharing a bench at the mall with another old codger (he was 83) from Slavic Europe who started in about "now all we get for immigrants are Blacks, Syrians and other garbage people..." I asked him to confirm what he just said - and he did. So I gave him the two-word farewell and left - doubt if it'll change anything - but what else can one do? You can't retrain a fence-post.

 

Chief Alexander Swift Eagle Justice. Prefaced many of his writings with a threat to sue people for $10,000,000 if they said anything derogatory about him or his credentials. Oh yes -- not a forgettable man.

 

Actually, iirc in Austria holders of the Doctor of Law degree were entitled to use the Baron's coronet in their arms.

 

Well! There you go!

 

The Hong Kong story has a second act though. Against the wishes of the thugs running Beijing, the UK offered a special, lifetime British Nationality (Overseas) to any Hong Konger who registered for it before the Handover. This "nationality" carries no right of abode and doesn't descend to children but it does come with a British Passport and visa free entry to the UK.

After the Beijing thugs crushed Civil Rights in Hong Kong the UK offered to its BN(O)s an extended UK residency permit and eventual registration as British Citizens.

Beijing is livid of course and threatens reprisals against disloyal Chinese citizens who head for the exits but so far it's been mostly growling but not much biting.

 

I'm sure the Chinese are frustrated with the disloyalty shown by people they've been disloyal to.

 

Okay - but how do they qualify to get those arms in the first place? An internet-seller? Or just default to the double-eagle Habsburg-thingy that's everywhere?

 

Excellent explanation.

One exception to non subjects of HM and Knighthood/Dame (and Orders in general) being honorary is the Most Venerable Order of St John. They used to be given to non subjects as honorary but as it does not confer the use of the honorific Sir/Dame, use of "lady" for spouse, nor a place in the order of precedence they are no longer honorary but fully "vested"(for lack of a better word).

Disclosure, this is all a interest of mine, and even happen to be on the board of the College of Arms Foundation (granting of arms being another area of heraldic honours. I also happen to be a member of the Order of St John and a subject of HM but currently in a priory where most are not subjects.