viscountess

Viscountess is the female form of the noble title viscount. In the British and wider Commonwealth peerage, a viscount ranks below an earl and above a baron. The title viscountess is used in two main cases: the wife of a viscount, and a woman who holds a viscountcy in her own right. Most viscountesses are the wives or widows of viscounts and may be styled as The Viscountess [Surname] or, in common usage, Lady [Surname], depending on local conventions and the designation of the title.

A woman who inherits a viscountcy in her own right is also called a viscountess. Such a scenario is relatively rare, but legitimate within the peerage system, and the holder is treated as a peer in her own right with the corresponding ceremonial and social duties.

In terms of parliamentary privilege, the spouse of a peer does not automatically gain a seat in the House of Lords; seats are linked to the peerage itself. Some viscountesses may participate in public life through charitable work, patronage, or other roles associated with their rank, but formal legislative membership is reserved for titleholders or peers who meet eligibility criteria.

The term viscountess also exists in other languages and traditions with equivalent meanings, though specific rules and styles vary by country. The English usage is most common in the United Kingdom and in Commonwealth realms.