POINT OF ETIQUETTE

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 83, 5 October 1931, Page 11

POINT OF ETIQUETTE

DIFFERENCE OF OPINION

Should a widow have her visiting cards printed with her late husband's Christian name, or. with ,her own? Is there- any established rule on the point? A representative of the "Morning Post," who sought an authoritative ruling, found an extraordinary diffoneo of opinion, even among wellknown printers and stationers. in London. Af-widow should revert to her own .'Christian nanie, said the first. "We have never had the point raised," explained a.second* "but we do riot know of a single instance where a widow uses her own Christian name." "Most decidedly the widow should use her husband's Christian name," said the head of tho stationery department of one of London's biggest stores; but another retorted With equal emphasis, "Most decidedly not. The usual procedure is to use plain 'Mrs. Smith,' without any distinguishing Christian name," he added. "Where there are two or more Mrs. Smiths in the family the widow's own initials would be used. If she used her husband's Christian name when the mourning period had expired and her cards no longer bore the black border, to all intents and purposes it would be assumed that her husband was alive." Burkes Peerage, on being consulted, stated: "There is no ruling on the subject. ' It is all a matter of personal taste, but generally speaking the widow uses her husband's Christian name, as she did when ho waa alive. She continues as Mrs. John Smith, and not Mrs. Janet Smith or Mrs. Smith." On the other hand, the Lord Chamberlain, the highost authority on mattors- of etiquette, explained that tho correct method was to use the widow's Christian name. '' Assuming Janet to bp the widow's name, Mrs. Janet Smith would be the correct method of address." . .