Titles

[Benjamin]

>>> assume  
> > that Simon Branford is the Duke of Oxford and Marquess of        
> > Cambridge, having with his wife Hedwig an oldest child named     
> > Hermione and a son named Ronald
> > 
> > (Disclaimer:  Any similarity between the above and any living    
> > person is purely coincidental.  No shipping-preference should be 
> > inferred from any of the above!).
> > 
> > Simon would then be "His Grace, the Duke of Oxford", Hermione    
> > would be "The Most Honourable Lady Hermione, Marchioness of      
> > Cambridge" and Ronald would be "The Honourable Ronald Branford".  
> > The Duke may on occasion be referred to as "Lord Simon" or "Lord 
> > Branford".  
[snip]
> > The Duke's   
> > wife would be termed "Her Grace, the Duchess of Oxford", barring 
> > the event of a divorce.  

After a divorce she would probably be styled Hedwig, Duchess of 
Oxford.  With the specific removal of 'the' and 'grace' (not to 
mention favour).  If they don't divorce and milord Simon dies before 
Hedwig, then Hermione would be Duchess of Oxford with Hedwig as the 
Dowager Duchess.  But if Hermione marries I don't know if her husband 
becomes a Duke (as she is a duchess in her own right and not (merely) 
the wife of a duke: for example if a Queen marries her husband does 
not become a king, but a prince or duke ~ the male title being seen 
as higher)

Anyway, the point of this post, before I got sidetracked is to point 
out that a marchioness is not only a rank in the peerage, but also "a 
maid-of-all-work" though perhaps this definition is not as common.

Simon, by the way, can be addressed as 'your grace' or 'my lord duke' 
[but only for the purposes of this exercise, else his head will 
explode]

> PS: Cambridge? Well I suppose it is better than being associated 
with The Marquess of Blandford

Who can't, unfortunately, be stripped of his peerage 'cos he doesn't 
have one, and is only called that as a courtesy, being the eldest son 
of the Duke of.. of... um... somewhere.  Northumberland?