"Empress," for common courtesy gives persons their highest titles. Who
calls the Duke of Buceleuch "Earl of Doncaster," or the Duke of Leinster "Viscount Leinster ?" although these are the titles by which they sit in the House of Lords as Peers of the United Kingdom.
It is curious to note by bow many names our Queen is popu- larly known,—" The Queen of England," "of Great Britain," " The British Queen," " Her Britannic Majesty," &c. Ou her coins she is styled, " Britanniarum Regina,"—" Queen of the British Isles." The official designation as given, e.g., in the Treaty of Paris, with " The Emperor of All the Rtissias," is " The Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ;" but this ignores the " Greater Britain " of which she is Queen. Mr. Lowe informs us that by two successive Acts of Parliament in the reign of Henry VIII., the English Crown is declared to be an Imperial one, and though I hope that our Sovereigns will never be called "Emperors," we are accustomed to speak of "the British Empire." What title for our Queen would be more cor- rect, simple, comprehensive, and dignified than " Queen of the British Empire ?"—I am, Sir, &c., Bridport, February 23. R. L. CARPENTER.
[Why not write "Queen of the British Republic," at once?— Ed. Spectator.]
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