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{{short description|Style; mode of address}}
'''Imperial and Royal Highness''' ([[abbreviation]] '''HI&RH''') is a [[style (manner of address)|style]] possessed by someone who either through birth or marriage holds two individual styles, ''[[Imperial Highness]]'' and ''[[Royal Highness]]''. ''His/Her Imperial Highness'' is a style used by members of an imperial family to denote ''imperial'' – as opposed to ''royal'' – status to show that the holder is descended from an [[emperor]] rather than a [[king]] or queen. Holders of the style ''Imperial Highness'' generally [[Nobility|rank]] above holders of the style ''[[Royal Highness]]''.

A primary example of the contemporary usage of this style is the [[Belgian royal family]]. HI&RH [[Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este|Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este, Prince of Belgium]], is a member of the Imperial [[House of Habsburg-Lorraine]] by birth, but upon his marriage to HRH [[Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este|Princess Astrid of Belgium]], he also became a member of the [[Belgian royal family]] by marriage. As such, their children currently use the styles ''HI&RH'' as members of both the royal family of [[Belgium]] and the Imperial [[House of Habsburg-Lorraine]].

==Brazilian use==
In 1909, the members of the [[Orléans-Braganza|Orléans-Braganza branch]] of the [[Brazilian imperial family]] signed an agreement with [[Prince Philippe, Duke of Orléans (1869–1926)]], the head of the [[House of Orléans]] (the former royal family of France), called the "family pact". By this agreement, all of them were counted in the [[Line of succession to the French throne (Orléanist)|French line of succession]], being properly styled "Royal Highness". Combined with the earlier style "Imperial Highness", determined in the Imperial Constitution of 1824, since then on the head of the family (named [[Prince of Brazil|Head of the Imperial House]]), the heir to the headship (named [[Prince Imperial of Brazil|Prince Imperial]]), and the eldest son of the Imperial Prince ([[Prince of Grão-Pará]]) uses the style "Imperial and Royal Highness". Other princes/princesses of the Orléans-Braganza branch ([[Prince of Orleans-Braganza|Prince/Princess of Orléans-Braganza]]) uses the style Royal Highness, and the members of the [[Brazilian imperial family#Saxe-Coburg-Braganza line (not claimants)|Saxe-Coburg-Braganza branch]] (Prince/Princess of Saxe-Coburg-Braganza) kept the style [[Highness]].

==German use==
The style was also used by the eldest son of the [[German Emperor]] who was the German Crown Prince and Crown Prince of Prussia, and also by his wife who was crown princess. It may be used for the head of the [[House of Hohenzollern]] out of respect; however, like all members of former German noble families, in law he is considered to be an ordinary citizen of Germany, and as such holds no title officially.

==Habsburg use==
The style is used by members of the [[Habsburg]] dynasty, who use the titles '''Prince Imperial and Archduke of Austria''' and '''Prince Royal of Bohemia and Hungary'''. One contemporary example of this is HI&RH [[Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este|Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este, Prince of Belgium]], who is a member of the Imperial [[House of Habsburg-Lorraine]] by birth and of the [[Belgian royal family]] by marriage. The Habsburgs, who have held the elective Crown of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] for centuries, only began to use the style ''Imperial and Royal Highness'' with the establishment of the hereditary [[Austrian Empire]] in 1804; prior to this, non-reigning members of the dynasty were styled as ''[[Royal Highness]]es''.

==Portuguese use==
During the reign of Emperor [[Pedro I of Brazil]], King [[John VI of Portugal]], Pedro's father, was created titular [[Emperor of Brazil]] by a provision of the [[Treaty of Rio de Janeiro (1825)|Treaty on the recognition of the independence of Brazil]], that was ratified and entered into force on 15 November 1825. On the same date, King John VI issued a Charter of Law to change his royal titles, so as to include his courtesy title of Emperor among them. King John VI would use the style ''Imperial and Royal Highness'' until his death on 10 March 1826.

King [[Pedro IV of Portugal]] also used the styling, having also been the first [[Emperor of Brazil]] as Pedro I.

==Personal use==
[[Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia]], upon her marriage to [[Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark|Prince Nicholas of Greece]], was styled ''Her Imperial and Royal Highness''.

[[Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia]] was alternately styled ''Her Imperial and Royal Highness'' and ''Her Royal and Imperial Highness'' upon her marriage to [[Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh]], the second son of [[Queen Victoria]].

==Sources==
{{Reflist}}
*[http://www.heraldica.org/faqs/styles.html Heraldica – Styles FAQ]

==See also==
*[[Imperial and Royal Majesty]]

{{Royal styles}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Imperial And Royal Highness}}
[[Category:Royal styles]]