Serene Highness - Francophone Dominions

Francophone Dominions

There is some evidence that in pre-Revolutionary France, one entitled to be addressed as Serene Highness was considered to outrank someone who was merely addressed as Highness. Those members of the royal family who were not children or grandchildren of a king, i.e., the princes du sang, were entitled to be addressed as "Most Serene Highness" (son altesse sérénissime). The simple style of "Highness" (altesse) was claimed by the princes étrangers and the princes légitimés. In fact, these formal styles were seldom employed in conversation, since the princes du sang used unique styles (e.g. Mademoiselle, Monsieur le Prince), while the ducal peers, led by the proud Duc de Saint-Simon, avoided conceding the altesse to the princes étrangers and bâtards royals, prompting nobles of lesser rank to do likewise.

The reigning Prince of Monaco, Albert II, is addressed as His Serene Highness. His wife, Princess Charlene, and younger sister, Princess Stéphanie, are also referred to as Her Serene Highness. His elder sister and heiress presumptive, Princess Caroline, was also styled Her Serene Highness prior to her 1999 marriage, but is styled Royal Highness since then. In French, both male and female versions are Son Altesse Sérénissime (S.A.S.), which translates, literally, as "His/Her Most Serene Highness".