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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/42588
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I think it depends on the character of your high born individual and the lower born (though not necessarily common) friend.

If the higher ranking character is so used to hearing his title - essentially for as long as he can remember - anything else will seem odd to him. He might choose to tell his friend to simply call him by his name, but that is a choice he makes.

The other character can be more interesting in a way - his best friend outranks him considerably and he might use titles as a way of reminding others that his friend is Charles, Duke of Burgundy or such.

As is shown in War and Peace, where a Count tells the Tsar what must be done and is acknowledged the most powerful person in Russia, titles themselves have limited meaning as opposed to the wealth, power and influence of the allegedly lowered ranked character. Kingmakers were never princes - Marquis, Count or Baron - sometimes higher.

I would probably choose to keep the formal address as it serves a purpose for the characters. You could have the other character always observe formalities out of respect to the court of which he is a part, but feel free to comment on his friend’s actions.

> Grooming the bay carefully - never hurts to build a strong relationship with a noble horse, Charles heard footsteps and saw his friend approach.
> 
> “He is ready, your Grace.”
> 
> “Who?”
> 
> “His majesty, here of course. Are you ready to ride, sir?”
> 
> “What did I tell you about formality?”
> 
> “To forget it, your Grace.”
> 
> “Then why are you, Count Dumont, insisting on this?”
> 
> “So I was taught.”
> 
> “Is that why you call this horse his majesty?”
> 
> “Yes, your Grace. He is finer than us all.”
> 
> “Not riding today, Dumont.”
> 
> “Then, your Grace, I will borrow his majesty and only one of us will be a fool.”

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