11+ Names

“Please call me Mrs. Hunter.”

“I like to be called by my Christian name. It is Samantha.”

“Whatever. You can call me Miss.”

“I prefer to be called `Ma’ham’.”

“I like to be called John.”

“Please call my Sir.”

Of course if your child lands up in front of the Queen of England for recognition after gaining the best eleven plus results in the whole country, then you may care for a little reminder about how to address the people you, and your child, may meet in court.

The Queen, of course, is `Ma’ham’ or `Your Majesty’.

The Prince of Wales – and all the royal princes – should be addressed as `Sir’.

Dukes sat as `Duke’ and Duchess as `Duchess’ or `Your Grace’.

“My Lord” applies to a younger son and `My Lady’ to a daughter.

The wife of a knight is `Lady This and That’ or `Your ladyship’.

It does not really matter too much how your child addresses his or her eleven plus teacher – who is naturally in the same class as Royalty – as he or she can easily slip in the odd `Ma’ham’ or `Sir’. What does matter is the way that your child is addressed. You do want a little reciprocal respect in address. Most children, however, won’t object to the odd `love’ or `dear’ – but the days of surnames and nicknames are long gone.