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The Honourable is right; the Right Honourable is wrong

It's OK, I don't charge for evening tutorials!

Neil Kinnock was elected Leader of the Opposition in 1983. Thereby, Mr Kinnock became a Privy Council member, and remains so for life. His formal title was then the Rt Hon Neil Kinnock MP PC. Glenys remained Mrs Glenys Kinnock (ie she wasn't a PC member, so couldn't be described as the Rt Hon Mrs Glenys Kinnock) until she was elected as an MEP in 1994. Then, she became Glenys Kinnock MEP.

Neil Kinnock was ennobled in 2005. He is still a member of the Privy Council, and can thus be addressed Rt Hon The Baron Kinnock etc. Glenys could, I suppose, insist on being addressed as The Hon. Baroness Kinnock etc but, apart from on formal embossed invitations, that would sound a bit naff. So, I think you should drop the silly Hon. (certainly forget all about her husband's Rt Hon) title, and just call her Baroness or Lady Kinnock. Then, we can all go back to sleep!Phase1 22:55, 25 November 2005 (UTC)

I refer you to http://www.debretts.co.uk/peerage_and_baronetage/peers.html which states that "A baron is styled Right Honourable and formally by the Sovereign Right trusty and well-beloved cousin (and counsellor when a Member of the Privy Council)." This applies equally to a baroness in her own right, which is what a Life Baroness is, and this is why peers who are Privy Counsellors have the letters PC appended to denote their membership.--Westminsterboy 23:16, 25 November 2005 (UTC)

Thanks for this Debretts reference. The extract you quote seems to resolve the point at issue, until it continues:

"The Life Barons' wives rank as Baronesses, and are entitled to the prefix of 'Lady', while their children, and those of Life Baronesses, are styled 'Hon' for life and hold special precedence. The husband of a Life Baroness, however, does not receive any special prefix or style by virtue of their wife's title."

We are, I think, agreed that Neil Kinnock became a Life Baron in 2005, which ranks Glenys Kinnock a Baroness and entitles her to the prefix of 'Lady'. Where we disagree is whether Lady Kinnock is a Life Baroness in her own right. I don't think she is a Life Baroness: could you please confirm.

Since the husband of a Life Baroness is not styled Right Honourable, I doubt (but am open to persuasion) that the wife of a Life Baron can be styled Right Honourable—ergo, she is plain Baroness Kinnock, as I have been arguing above.Phase1 15:32, 26 November 2005 (UTC)