As far as I know, the abbreviation "Mrs" is applicable only to women.
Though, when translating an article from an old British paper I found this sentence about marriages:
On the 2nd March, at the British Embassy, Paris, LIEUTENANT GENERAL NAPIER CAMPBELL to CAROLINE MARGARET DUFF (Mrs. HENRY PRICHARD), daughter of the late Deputy Surgeon-General Charles Murray Duff
Can anyone tell me what "Mrs" means in this context? As I understand it, Henry is only a male given name.
I thought that maybe this is just the person conducting the marriage, but this discrepancy between "Mrs" and the name confuses me.
Answer
Mrs was most often used by a woman when married, in conjunction with her husband's first and last names (e.g., Mrs John Smith).
A widow was and still is addressed with the same title as when she was married. Mrs was rarely used before a woman's first name, her maiden name, or a hyphenated surname her husband was not using. For example, Mrs Jane Miller (wife of John Smith), Mrs Jane Smith, or Mrs Jane Miller-Smith were considered incorrect by many etiquette writers, especially of the early 20th century.
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