How do you address ambassadors?

[First_Amongst_Daves]

In the British Commonwealth tradition, regents and vice regents (governors and lieutenant governors) are “Your Excellency”, judges are “Your Honour”, and magistrates are “Your Worship”.

I have to write a letter to an ambassador. How do I address her? “Dear Ambassador”?

[notquitekarpov]

“Your Excellency” is correct English usage, so if you are writing to an Ambassador in an English speaking country you are probably OK using that regardless of their nationality.

As she is a lady though there may be another female specific honourific but if so it is now out of date. If they are overseas Ambassadors you might consider using the correct usage for that country - I know there are specifics in portuguese and italian but that is as far as my language skills go.

[notquitekarpov]

Oh, BTW whilst you start the body of the letter with “Your Excellency” the letter itself and envelope should be addressed to, “Her Excellency Ambassador xxxxxx”. I think…

I’ve looked, and Fowler’s does not appear to have an on-line version and regret I do not have mine to hand.

[First_Amongst_Daves]

Ah, thanks for that. That’s excellent. (Pun was not intended!)

Its an Australian ambassador and so there is no issue with Portguese or Spanish variations. (Although if anyone knows them I’d be curious to learn.)

[notquitekarpov]

***She Australian? ** * Shite - why bother? Just shout, “Oi! Sheila!!”

[jovan]

According to this site:

“His/Her Excellency” is used in addressing a foreign ambassador. It is written out on the line above the name, and a little to the left. Occasionally, it is abbreviated as “H.E.” just before the name, but this format is less acceptable.
“The Honorable” is used in addressing American ambassadors and other high officials of the government as indicated in the following list. Once an individual receives this title, he/she retains it despite retirement from the position.
“The Honorable” is written out in full, on the line above the individual’s name and a little to the left. Although occasionally it is abbreviated as “The Hon.” or "Hon. " in business letters, it is not preferred American social usage.

If you were curious about Australia, this PDF document has this to say:

Ambassadors and high commissioners have the honorific His [Her] Excellency, but not after
they have retired. The wife of an ambassador or a high commissioner is entitled to the title Her
Excellency when in the country to which her husband is accredited, but this honorific is now
less common. The husband of an ambassador or high commissioner is not thereby entitled to the
honorific His Excellency.
Other diplomatic and consular staff are addressed by name and appointment with only their
personal titles.

[First_Amongst_Daves]

Thanks for that Jovan.

(PS You still owe me lunch from your visit to HK!)

[notquitekarpov]

Ah but according to ***this * ** site http://www.bartleby.com/185/20.html

"But perhaps the greatest difference between English and American usage is presented by the Honorable. In the United States the title is applied loosely to all public officials of apparent respectability, from senators and ambassadors to the mayors of fifth-rate cities and the members of state legislatures, and with some show of official sanction to many of them, especially congressmen. But it is questionable whether this application has any actual legal standing, save perhaps in the case of certain judges, who are referred to as the Hon. in their own court records. Even the President of the United States, by law, is not the Honorable, but simply the President. In the First Congress the matter of his title was exhaustively debated; some members wanted to call him the Honorable and others proposed His Excellency and even His Highness. But the two Houses finally decided that it was “not proper to annex any style or title other than that expressed by the Constitution.”

So maybe it is not so clear cut - though I guess all matters of custom are, well, customary and grow organically.

On the second cite, whilst I agree that ambassadors enjoy the honorific “His/Her Excellency” when referred to in the third party, when addressing them in the first party, as in a letter or personally then surely you adopt “Your Excellency”?