The Most Illustrious
Honorific title
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Most Illustrious (Spanish: Ilustrísimo Señor (male) or Ilustrísima Señora (female), literally "Most Illustrious Lord/Sir") is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in Spain and certain Spanish-speaking countries. It is a lower version of the prefix The Most Excellent (Excelentísimo/a Señor/a), and was traditionally applied to non-Grandee titled nobles in Spain, but is now used for a series of other offices.[1][2]
In the Kingdom of Spain
The following State and Government officials receive the style "The Most Illustrious":
Constitutional court and judiciary
- The President of the Economic Administrative Central Court[3]
- The Lawyers of the Spanish Council of State[4]
Central government
- The Finance Delegates[5]
Local authorities
- The Headmasters of Secondary State Schools[6]
Diplomacy
- The Embassy Counsellors[7]
- The Ministers Plenipotentiary of 3rd class
Other institutions
Nobility
- Non-Grandee titleholders, their spouses and heirs
- Non-firstborn children of Grandees
Other countries
Reference to a Duke in the UK's upper house of Parliament The House of Lords historically employed the prefix "the illustrious Duke"[10] in the late 1800s. In the 21st century, it has been replaced by the generic prefix "the noble Duke"[11] which is customarily used for all members of the House of Lords, irrespective of their rank.
In other countries, "The Most Illustrious" is rarely used, but rather "Illustrious Highness"