In diplomacy, an Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary is, under the terms of the Congress of Vienna of 1815, a diplomat of the second class, ranking between an Ambassador and a Minister Resident.
Usually just referred to as a Minister, an Envoy is a diplomatic representative with plenipotentiary powers (i.e. full authority to represent the head of state), but ranking below an Ambassador. A diplomatic mission headed by an Envoy would be called a Legation. As they formally represent the head of state, they are entitled to use the title "His/Her Excellency", which originally was reserved for Ambassadors.
Until the mid-20th Century, the majority of diplomats in the world were of the rank of Envoy, with the exchanges of ambassadors being reserved among major nations, or close allies and related monarchies. The Holy See did not use the rank of Envoy, but instead had the equivalent titles of Internuncio and (at least in Anglo-Papal diplomacy between 1914 and 1982) Apostolic Delegate.
After World War II, it was no longer considered acceptable to treat some nations as inferior to others given the United Nations doctrine of equality of sovereign states; therefore the rank of Envoy for diplomatic missions' highest-ranking officials gradually ceased.
In popular parlance, an envoy can mean a diplomat of any rank. Moreover, the rank of Envoy should not be confused with the position of Special Envoy, which is a relatively modern invention, appointed for a specific purpose rather than for bilateral diplomacy, and may be held by a person of any diplomatic rank or none (though usually held by an ambassador).
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