How do you address a former king/queen?

Question

After they retire and pass down the thrown to their heir, the people don't address them as "your majesty" any longer, right? Do they go back to "your highness"? Or just "sir/lady" (isn't that too informal for the ex-king/queen?)

Answer 1

They will be addressed as "Your Royal Highness", because they ARE a Royal Highness. 

Answer 2

I think they stay "Your highness, you'r majesty" until they die.

Answer 3

It depends on the terms of the abdication or overthrow. Where it was amicable, the former king or queen may retain some royal title. Where the monarchy has been abolished, the former king or queen might just have the style of a common citizen.

Answer 4

Queens and Kings do not usually retire, they may abdicate if the get too old or ill, but they are still called your majesty.

Answer 5

In the case of some of Henry VIII's wives you would address them as "your royal headless highness."

Answer 6

Retirement is supposed to be a  rarity for most monarchies, but, recently, some European monarchs have decided to retire. There are  a few examples to look at, and the titles and styles are left up to the realm.



Ex-Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands decided to retire and reverted back to being a princess: Princess Beatrix. She is Her Royal Highness.  The Netherlands is one of those rare monarchies where the monarch has retired, Beatrix being the third successive Dutch monarch to abdicate, following her grandmother and her mother.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrix_of_the_Netherlands#Abdication



In Spain, when Juan Carlos retired, he kept his title and style of King, but it is  well-known that he is the former, retired king.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Carlos_I_of_Spain#Titles,_styles,_honours_and_arms



King Albert II of Belgium retired and also kept his title and style His Majesty King Albert II. His father, Leopold, also retired and kept his title and style as King.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_II_of_Belgium#Titles,_styles,_honours_and_arms



When Edward VIII of Britain was forced to abdicate, he reverted to being a prince and was made a royal duke, Duke of Windsor.



Sir or Lady are not titles or styles for an ex-monarch. Sir is the styling for a knight or baronet. Lady is the styling for the wife or some daughters of certain peers; the wife of a knight or baronet also is styled Lady.

Answer 7

I would just call them by their name (Mr. or Ms. whatever) but I also don't have any respect for any kind of monarchies.

Answer 8

They don't really 'retire' as such - they either abdicate, die or are deposed - or in the case of a consort are widowed. Abdication is common in the Netherlands. Queen Beatrix abdicated in favor of her son, she is now known as Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix. Her mother had done the same thing and went from being HM Queen Juliana to HRH Princess Juliana of the Netherlands (as had her mother Queen Wilhelmina). Consorts who are widowed continue to be addressed as Your Majesty, such as HM Queen Noor of Jordan. In the UK it is considered by the present queen to be a job for life so there will be no retirement.