Prestige Titles · Guide
What Is a Dame?
The female equivalent of a knighthood, and the women who have carried it.
What a Dame is
A dame holds the same rank of honour as a knight. She is addressed as Dame followed by her first name, recognising personal achievement rather than inherited title.
Where a Dame ranks
Like a knighthood, a damehood sits outside the peerage ladder but carries genuine prestige. See the order of precedence for how honours and peerages relate.
A little history
For much of history, knighthoods were granted only to men. The modern damehood gives women the same recognition, and today it honours leading figures across the arts, science and public life.
Examples:Dame Judi Dench · Dame Helen Mirren · Dame Vera Lynn
How to address a Dame
Dame with the first name, so Dame Judi, or Dame Judi Dench, never Dame Dench. See how to address a Lord or Lady.
Dame and Sir
The male equivalent is Sir, the same honour under a different style. Read what is a Sir.
How to become a Dame
A damehood is granted by the Crown for service and cannot be bought. What you can do is legally change your title to Dame through a title pack, which gives you a personalised Certificate of Title on parchment and a sealed Master Title Deed. See how titles work and are titles real and legal?
Become a Dame
Legally change your title to Dame, beautifully presented on real parchment and ready to gift.
Dame Title Pack
£109.99£139.99
Become a Dame →Real parchment certificate · sealed Master Title Deed · a donation to the Woodland Trust
