Addressing an envelope and knowing the appropriate salutations can be a minefield of protocol with various titles and ranks. I do not pretend to know these by heart and must always look them up!
There are a myriad of etiquette books and experts to choose from and listen to these days. I have been asked which are my personal favorite reference books, which I have listed below. (And, can you keep a secret? In the near future, I look forward to sharing my book with you, which will be a compilation of Mummy's Monday Manners newsletters!)
Mummy's old copy of Amy Vanderbilt's New Complete Book of Etiquette, 1962, is my most cherished etiquette book... many of the pages have become unbound and torn over the many years of loving use! There is a newer, 50th-anniversary edition available, but I still prefer to use my old copy.
May I also suggest that you treat yourself to a copy of Emily Post's Etiquette 19th Edition, a stellar reference book for your house and/or office. Lizzie Post is the great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post and the co-author of this newest edition. Lizzie and I have individually been invited to be guests on the Welcome Home Podcast, where I had the most delightful time discussing "Holiday Etiquette" with the co-hosts of the podcast, my dear friends, Graham Smith andKirsten Dunlap.
William Hanson's Bluffer's Guide series on etiquette is simply brilliant! William is a charming friend and the leading expert on etiquette in the U.K. Visit www.williamhanson.co.uk for more information.
The Green Book, which is the social list of Washington, D.C., has been published by four generations of family since 1930, with a new edition debuting every fall. Each edition lists the invited members, along with stellar reference pages for protocol and etiquette. I still refer to Mummy's old copies.
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Forbidden Faux Pas
No-no: When addressing an envelope, using the words “To” or “From” for the addresses. The placement of the address and the return address on the envelope indicates who the note is to and from!