My GF and I had a bit of a discussion/argument this morning about Titles. I don’t mean in a Word document or anything, I’m talking about people who have managed to get themselves some kind of Title.

I’m willing to concede that my perspective on this is probably due to a long military career, and the importance we place on individual’s achievements.

I was watching TV yesterday, and one of those entertainment channels was on, talking about the Royal Wedding – Prince William and Kate Middleton. The woman doing the voice-over of the official portrait announced Prince William’s Grandmother as Queen Elizabeth.

And that annoyed me. Prince William’s Grandmother is Queen Elizabeth II. Small point, I know, but it just irked me. Why? Because the voice-over was stating the lady’s TITLE. And her TITLE is Queen Elizabeth II.

In Australia, the Prime Minister’s official title is The Right Honourable Julia Gillard (with any post nominals she may have). When they talk about her on the news, and call her Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, I have no problem with that, because they’re not stating her Title, their stating her position and her name.

Nobody meets The Queen and says “How do you do, Queen Elizabeth II”, do they? Of course not. But the woman has made it to the highest position possible in the Commonwealth, and probably deserves to be addressed correctly.

The same with postnominals. If you don’t know what they are, they are the initials that appear after someone’s name on a document. For example, Mark Donaldson VC. The reason for postnoms is that you have to do something pretty bloody amazing to earn them. Just take Mark as an example.

The guy jumped off a perfectly safe vehicle to run INTO the kill zone to rescue a wounded person. F**k me. The guy has earned the right to see the letters VC appear after his name on pretty much everything.

And Ben Roberts-Smith VC MG. Young Ben, who apparently IS ten feet tall and bullet proof, did what most gamers do at some point. They’re playing a war game on PS3/XBox/Whatever, and they’re pinned down. Eventually, they just go “F**k it”. They stand their character up and they just charge at the enemy. At that’s what Ben did. For something like three hours.

I’m not sure exactly what he did to win his Medal for Gallantry (MG), but it’s something along the same lines usually. So Ben DESERVES to have his postnoms listed everytime he gets a letter, I think.

It’s probably a small thing to civilians – I don’t know. My perspective has been skewed by the fact that I have been exposed to Titles for my whole life (not that I have one), and the fact that I actually know a few people who have them. After hearing about what they have done, I have the utmost respect for them.

What I’d like to see, is a little more respect for these individuals from the world at large. And not just the war heroes, but everyone – including Queen Elizabeth II.