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The style Serene Highness was mainly used by the children and grandchildren of the reigning Dukes of the small German states that formed after the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire, such as Hesse and Württemberg. Queen Mary, the consort of King George V used the style Her Serene Highness as a Princess of Teck in the Kingdom of Wuertemberg.
In the Republic of Venice, also called the Serene Republic, the Doge was known as "Serenissimus".
The style of Serene Highness was considered to be lower in rank than both Highness and Royal Highness. If a woman with the rank of Royal Highness married a man with the rank Serene Highness, the woman would usually retain her pre-marital style. Queen Victoria did however create those German princes and dukes who married her daughters Royal Highnesses in the UK. Their children remained Serene Highnesses however.
During World War I, however, King George V revoked the style Serene Highness for use by those members of the British Royal FamilyThe British Royal Family is a group of people closely related to the British monarch. Although there is no strict legal definition of who is or is not a member of the royal family, and different lists will include different people, those carrying the titl who were British subjects.