Worship is an
honorific prefix
A prefix is an affix which is placed before the Word stem, stem of a word. Adding it to the beginning of one word changes it into another word. For example, when the prefix ''un-'' is added to the word ''happy'', it creates the word ''unhappy'' ...
for
mayors,
justices of the peace and
magistrates in present or former
Commonwealth realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations whose monarch and head of state is shared among the other realms. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonwealt ...
s. In spoken address, these officials are addressed as Your Worship or referred to as His Worship, Her Worship, or Their Worship. In
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, all states now use
Your Honour as the form of address for magistrates (the same as has always been used for
judges
A judge is an official who presides over a court.
Judge or Judges may also refer to:
Roles
*Judge, an alternative name for an adjudicator in a competition in theatre, music, sport, etc.
*Judge, an alternative name/aviator call sign for a membe ...
in higher courts).
Etymology
The term ''
worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. It may involve one or more of activities such as veneration, adoration, praise, and praying. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognition ...
'' implies that citizens give or attribute special worth or esteem ''(worthship)'' to their first-citizen or mayor.
The Right Worshipful
The Right Worshipful (The Rt Wpful., Rt. W or RW) is an
honorific style of address for all
lord mayors and mayors of specific
cities including the original
Cinque Ports
The Confederation of Cinque Ports () is a historic group of coastal towns in south-east England – predominantly in Kent and Sussex, with one outlier (Brightlingsea) in Essex. The name is Old French, meaning "five harbours", and alludes to th ...
(
Sandwich,
Hythe
Hythe, from Anglo-Saxon ''hȳð'', may refer to a landing-place, port or haven, either as an element in a toponym, such as Rotherhithe in London, or to:
Places Australia
* Hythe, Tasmania
Canada
*Hythe, Alberta, a village in Canada
England
* T ...
,
Dover
Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...
,
Romney and
Hastings). Some historic boroughs, such as
Shrewsbury and Atcham in
Shropshire, also address their mayors by this prefix. In
India, the mayors of cities such as
Bengaluru
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
,
Mysore and
Chennai are addressed as Worshipful Mayor with robes and attire as for the
Lord Mayor of the City of London. The style was done away with by the
Government of Kerala and the mayors in
Kerala are now referred to as Respected Mayor.
The style is also traditionally used for the
Vice-Chancellor of the
University of Cambridge. In Australia, the lord mayors of
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin ( ; Larrakia: ) is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. With an estimated population of 147,255 as of 2019, the city contains the majority of the residents of the sparsely populated Northern Territory.
It is the smalle ...
;
Parramatta, New South Wales;
Newcastle, New South Wales; and
Wollongong, New South Wales are also styled thus.
The Worshipful
The Worshipful is an
honorific style of address for all
Chancellors
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
of
Dioceses. A Chancellor's role as a judge, presiding over any
consistory or
ecclesiastical court
An ecclesiastical court, also called court Christian or court spiritual, is any of certain courts having jurisdiction mainly in spiritual or religious matters. In the Middle Ages, these courts had much wider powers in many areas of Europe than be ...
, determines that the individual should be styled in this manner.
Worshipful Master
In
Freemasonry, ''Worshipful Master'' is the traditional style of address for the chairman of a
lodge
Lodge is originally a term for a relatively small building, often associated with a larger one.
Lodge or The Lodge may refer to:
Buildings and structures Specific
* The Lodge (Australia), the official Canberra residence of the Prime Ministe ...
.
See also
*
Style (manner of address)
A style of office or form of address, also called manner of address, is an official or legally recognized form of address for a person or other entity (such as a government or company), and may often be used in conjunction with a personal title. ...
*
Excellency
*
The Honourable
*
The Right Honourable
*
Forms of address in the United Kingdom Forms of address used in the United Kingdom are given below.
Terminology
Abbreviations
Several terms have been abbreviated in the tables below. The forms used in the table are given first, followed by alternative acceptable abbreviations in paren ...
*
Livery company (Worshipful Company of...)
References
{{reflist, 30em
British culture
Styles (forms of address)
Titles