Andrew Douglas Alexander Thomas Bruce, 11th Earl of Elgin and 15th Earl of Kincardine, KT, CD, JP, DL (born 17 February 1924), styled Lord Bruce before 1968, is a Scottish peer and Chief of Clan Bruce.[1]
The Earl of Elgin | |
|---|---|
| 11th Earl of Elgin | |
 | |
| Tenure | 1968–present |
| Full name | Andrew Douglas Alexander Thomas Bruce |
| Other titles | Lord Bruce (1924–1968) |
| Born | Andrew Douglas Alexander Thomas Bruce 17 February 1924 |
| Residence | Broomhall House, nr. Dunfermline, Scotland |
| Offices | Chief of Clan Bruce Lord Lieutenant of Fife Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | British Army |
| Years of service | 1943–46, 1951–65, 1976–86 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Service number | 293466 |
| Unit | Scots Guards |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Order of the Thistle Canadian Forces' Decoration Order of St. Olav |
Background and education edit
The eldest son of the 10th Earl of Elgin and the Honourable Katherine Elizabeth Cochrane, daughter of the 1st Baron Cochrane of Cults, he was educated at Eton and at Balliol College, Oxford. On 12 September 1943, Bruce was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the 3rd (Armoured) Bn Scots Guards[2][3] and was wounded during Operation Bluecoat, the break out from Normandy in August 1944. He was invalided out of the army on 24 October 1946, with the honorary rank of lieutenant.[4]
On 4 April 1951, he was appointed an instructor in the Army Cadet Force, with the rank of Lieutenant.[5] In July 1963, by then the County Cadet Commandant for Fife, he was awarded the Cadet Forces Medal.[6] He resigned his commission on 19 April 1965, retaining the honorary rank of lieutenant-colonel.[7][8] Since 1970, he has been Colonel-in-Chief of the 31 Combat Engineer Regiment (The Elgins),[9] and was Honorary Colonel of the 153 (Highland) Transport Regiment from 1976 to 1986.
Career edit
Elgin has held a number of business appointments, including as President of the Scottish Amicable Life Assurance Society (1975–1994), and Chairman of the National Savings Committee for Scotland. He was also President of the Royal Scottish Automobile Club.[10]
He was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1951, was Deputy Lieutenant of Fife 1955–1987, and Lord Lieutenant 1987–1999. In 1980 he was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II as her Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and reappointed in 1981.[11] In 1981 HM The Queen appointed him as a Knight of the Thistle.[12] He was awarded the Canadian Forces' Decoration in 1981, and the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1994. He is a former Captain of the Royal Company of Archers and a former convenor of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs.
He was County Cadet Commandant for Fife from 1952 to 1965, Brigade President of the Boys' Brigade from 1966 to 1985, and Grand Master Mason of Scotland from 1961 to 1965.[13]
He is a Freeman of Bridgetown, Regina, Saskatchewan, Port Elgin, Winnipeg, Manitoba, St. Thomas, Ontario, and Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Lord Elgin is a Past President of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club, and is the Life President of the Broomhall Curling Club. He skippered the Scottish curling teams that defeated the Governor-General of Canada's teams in a series of matches in Ottawa in 1982.[14]
Lord Elgin is Chief of Clan Bruce and President of the Bruce Family Organization[15] which is the main association for members of the Bruce family.
Honours edit
| Ribbon | Description | Notes |
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Order of the Thistle (KT) |
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1939–1945 Star | |
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France and Germany Star | |
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Defence Medal | |
| |
War Medal | |
| |
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal |
|
| |
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal |
|
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Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal |
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Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal |
|
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Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal |
|
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Cadet Forces Medal |
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Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD) |
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Order of St. Olav |
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Honorary Military Appointments edit
| Military Branch | Date | Regiment | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
 Canadian Army |
1970 – Present | 31 Combat Engineer Regiment (The Elgins) | Colonel-in-Chief[16] |
 British Army |
1976 – 1986 | 153 (Highland) Transport Regiment (TA) | Honorary Colonel |
| Canadian Army |
No. 7 (St. Thomas) Royal Canadian Army Cadets | Honorary Colonel |
Family edit
In 1959 he married Victoria Mary Usher and they have five children:
- Charles Edward Bruce, styled Lord Bruce, married three times: 1) m. 1990 Amanda Grimes née Movius (divorced 1996)[17] 2) m. 5 July 2001 Dr. Alice Enders 3) m. 19 August 2023 Sheree Cosgrove
- The Hon. Alexander Bruce
- The Hon. Adam Bruce
- The Lady Georgina Bruce
- The Lady Antonia Bruce[18]
The Countess of Elgin is a Patron of the Royal Caledonian Ball.[19] The Earl succeeded to the earldoms and other family titles on the death of his father in 1968.[20]
The Earl celebrated his 100th birthday on the 17 February 2024.[21]
Notes edit
- ^ Dewar, Peter Beauclerk (2001). Burke's Landed Gentry of Great Britain: together with members of the titled and non-titled contemporary establishment Edition 19, Burke's Peerage, ISBN 0-9711966-0-5. p. 104
- ^ "BBC - WW2 People's War - The Breakout: Part 1 (To Normandy with the 3rd Tank Battalion Scots Guards)". www.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 June 2006.
- ^ "No. 36206". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 October 1943. p. 4499.
- ^ "No. 37767". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 October 1946. p. 5256.
- ^ "No. 39274". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 June 1951. p. 3613.
- ^ "No. 43051". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 July 1963. p. 5882.
- ^ "No. 43652". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 May 1965. p. 4854.
- ^ "No. 43712". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 July 1965. p. 6726.
- ^ Video on YouTube
- ^ "Lord Elgin: Defender of aristocratic adventure and national treasures". The Independent. 17 January 2004. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
- ^ "New appointments to the Order of the Thistle". The Royal Household of the Queen. 30 November 2003. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
- ^ "Conservatives at the heart of Freemasonry". The Independent. 31 October 1995. Archived from the original on 9 November 2009.
- ^ Video on YouTube
- ^ "familyofbruce.org - Family of Bruce International, Inc. - About Us". familyofbruce.org. Archived from the original on 13 August 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
- ^ Video on YouTube
- ^ "Infamous fraudster Lady Bruce vows to return to Scotland". Deadline News. 28 February 2010.
- ^ "cracroftspeerage.co.uk". Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
- ^ "Patronesses". Royal Caledonian Ball. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ "Burke's Peerage". burkespeerage.com.
- ^ "From Scotland, 100-year-old chief of Clan Bruce hails 'swift and true' Waterloo squadron". The Record. 16 February 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
References edit
- Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990, [page needed]
- "Who's Who" (2011 edition). A & C Black Publishers Ltd; 163rd Revised edition (6 December 2010)
External links edit
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Elgin
- Andrew Bruce, 11th Earl of Elgin