Sir - Formal Styling - Combinations With Other Titles and Styles

Combinations With Other Titles and Styles

In the case of a military officer who is also a knight, the appropriate form of address puts the professional military rank first, then the correct manner of address for the individual, then his name, e.g.,

• Admiral of the Fleet Sir Bruce Fraser, GCB, KBE (after 1941)
• Field Marshal Sir Thomas Blamey, GBE, KCB, CMG, DSO, ED (after 1941)

This is also the case with academic titles such as professor:

• Professor Sir Patrick Bateson, FRS

However, the title Doctor is not used in combination with Sir: the knighthood takes precedence, and knighted doctors are addressed as knights, though they may still use any postnominal letters associated with their degrees.

With regard to British knighthood, a person who is not a citizen of a Commonwealth realm who receives an honorary knighthood is entitled to use any postnominal letters associated with the knighthood, but not the title "Sir". A similar convention applies to Church of England clergy who receive knighthoods, for example:

• The Reverend Dr John Polkinghorne, KBE, FRS

Clergy in other denominations may use different conventions.

Dual nationals holding a Commonwealth citizenship that recognise the British monarch as head of state are entitled to use the styling. Common usage varies from country to country: for instance, dual Bahamian-American citizen Sidney Poitier, knighted in 1974, is often styled "Sir Sidney Poitier", particularly in connection with his official ambassadorial duties, although he himself rarely employs the title.

Especially in North America, the style "Sir" is frequently employed by Knights of the Order of Malta and the Knights of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre (female members of these order are styled as Dame or Lady).