Editing Excellency (section)

{{Short description|Honorific style}}
{{Redirect2|His Excellency|Her Excellency}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
[[File:Their Excellencies the Lords Justices of England, for the administration of the Government during the absence of the King by Robert White.jpg|thumb|Their Excellencies the Lords Justices of England, for the administration of the Government during the absence of the [[William III of England|King]] by [[Robert White (engraver)|Robert White]].]]

'''Excellency''' is an [[honorific]] [[style (manner of address)|style]] given to certain high-level officers of a [[sovereign state]], officials of an [[international organization]], or members of an [[aristocracy]]. Once entitled to the title "Excellency", the holder usually retains the right to that courtesy throughout their lifetime,<ref>{{Cite web|date=22 March 2017|title=Forms of Address|url=https://garzaprotocol.com/forms-of-address/|access-date=9 June 2021|website=Garza Protocol Associates|language=en-US}}</ref> although in some cases the title is attached to a particular office and is held only during tenure of that office.<ref>''Protocol - The Complete Handbook of Diplomatic, Official, and Social Usage'' (page 21), by [[Mary Jane McCaffree]] and Pauline Innes, published by Hepburn Books, Dallas, Texas [http://www.usaprotocol.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301195037/http://www.usaprotocol.com/|date=1 March 2012}}, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1997 {{ISBN|0-941402-04-5}}</ref>

Generally people addressed as ''Excellency'' are [[heads of state]], [[heads of government]], [[governor]]s, [[ambassador]]s, [[Roman Catholic bishops]], high-ranking ecclesiastics, and others holding equivalent rank, such as heads of international organizations.<ref>{{Cite web|date=24 August 2016|website=Protocol and Liaison Service |publisher=United Nations |title=Heads of state, heads of government, ministers for foreign affairs |url=https://www.un.int/protocol/sites/www.un.int/files/Protocol%20and%20Liaison%20Service/hspmfm.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905210531/https://www.un.int/protocol/sites/www.un.int/files/Protocol%20and%20Liaison%20Service/hspmfm.pdf |access-date=9 June 2021|archive-date=5 September 2024 }}</ref> Members of [[royal families]] generally have distinct addresses such as [[Majesty]], [[Highness]], etc..

While not a title of office itself, the honorific ''Excellency'' precedes various titles held by the holder, both in speech and in writing. In reference to such an official, it takes the form ''His'' or ''Her Excellency''; in direct address, ''Your Excellency'', or, less formally, ''Excellency''.
The abbreviation '''HE''' is often used instead of ''His/Her Excellency''; alternatively it may stand for ''[[His Eminence]]''.