Question about Last Names and Marriage

[EvenOlderButWiser]

I've wondered about name change with Sir Elton John. He is married to David Furnish, and a knight's spouse becomes a Lady. Does that make him Lady David John?

In a word, no.

Historically heraldic titles can only be awarded to a single recipient with the wife (or husband) given an equivalent courtesy title. The important thing here is that the partner must be the husband or wife (I.e. married partner) to receive the courtesy title.

In the UK only Civil Partnerships are recodnised in law, marriage, in the traditional sense, is not legalised between same sex couples. As a result there is no courtesy title given to same sex partners.

There is an ongoing debate about allowing formal same sex marriage in the legal sense here in the UK, but as is the norm, such debates are hijacked by the religious right (left and centre) resulting in lots of talk, but no action. When (not if, if current government gets its way) gay marriage is legalised, the heraldic laws will also be changed to allow a courtesy title to be extended to the same sex, and it can be a Sir-Sir or indeed a Dame-Dame title.

The good news for us Brits is that we don't have the whole State Legislator system the US has, so once the law is changed, it's changed pretty much throught the land - although I think Scotland has to approve its own version, again for historical reasons.