I feel sure that someone in my circle will know this

[luzula]

I mean, what with the historians and the Age of Sail fans, etc.

Question for fic purposes: how do British titles work if someone has both a military rank (captain, major, colonel, etc), and they are either 1) in some knightly order, and thus should be addressed as Sir, or 2) they have titles (such as "Lord X") because of their birth or because they have been ennobled.

Are these titles ever combined, does one supersede the other, or are they somehow kept separate?

I note that Broster has military officers talk about the Duke of Cumberland as His Royal Highness even though he of course has a military rank. Likewise the Earl of Loudoun is always Lord Loudoun and never General Campbell. This would seem to suggest that titles of type 2) always supersede military rank, even within the military? Primary documents always talk about Lord George Murray and don't use his military rank, which supports this. What about 1), though?

(Yes, I will in fact be having Keith knighted in one of my stories...)

Comments

[ysilme]

I'm afraid I don't have any sources or definite knowledge, but anything I can remember from any reading, uni included (I had modern history as a minor) supports no. 2, that indeed the noble rank (do you call it like that in English?) always supersedes the military title, although I think I have seen one or two occasions where it was "General Lord Thisandthat", but if I remember right those cases have been in biographies or historic textbooks, and it was necessary to name the rank for clarification. I'm not entirely sure about 1), as all sources I can remember are fictional so I don't know how reliable they are. But according to these (the Richard Bolitho series, all I can remember at the moment) have him addressed as "Sir Richard" instead of admiral, but always in contexts where he is known.

[luzula]

Thanks for the input! : ) Your "General Lord" example agrees with comments below saying that titles should be in reverse order of precedence, if both are used.