The Earl of Dundee has married Julia Trotter

 The marriage took place 17 January, 2026, at St Philip's Church, London W8, between Alexander Henry Scrymgeour of Dundee, the 12th Earl of Dundee (born 5 June, 1949), a widower, son of the late 11th Earl of Dundee (1902-1983), and his wife the former Pamela Katherine Montagu Douglas Scott (1910-2012), scion of the Dukes of Buccleuch and Queensberry, and Mrs Julia Henrietta Trotter (nee Greenwell) [born 2 February, 1946], widow of Major Alexander Richard Trotter, 14th of Mortonhall and 5th of Charterhall, CVO, who died 3 August, 2022, and daughter of Sir Peter McClintock Greenwell, 3rd Baronet [1914-78], and his wife the former Jean Henrietta Rose Haig-Thomas [1920-2010].

The Earl of Dundee married 1stly, 19 July, 1979, Siobhan Mary Llewellyn, who died 11 March, 2019, by whom he has a son and three daughters.

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Cotton/Hadrill engagement

The engagement was announced 7 February, 2026, between Oliver Charles Cotton (born 20 February, 1987), son of Richard Robert Cotton (born 10 January, 1956), scion of the Cotton baronets, now Viscounts Combermere, of Bramdean, Hampshire, and his wife the former Corin Wevers, & Mia Bridget Hadrill (born 1990), daughter of David J. Hadrill, of Brighton, East Sussex, and his wife Christine M. Gent.

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Henrietta Isabelle Lyon Cazalet (born 2026)

Stephanie Cazalet (née Hollingworth), wife of George Oscar L. Cazalet (born Apr, 1989), gave birth to a daughter, Henrietta Isabelle Lyon, 29 January, 2026, a sister for Florence Amelia R (who was born 2023).

George is a son of Peter Charles Grenville Cazalet (born 1959), scion of that landed gentry family, of Fairlawne, by his wife the former Victoria Jane Perry (born 1960).

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Sir Richard Thomas Williams-Bulkeley, 14th Baronet 1939-2026

 Sir Richard Thomas Williams-Bulkeley, 14th Baronet, died 29 January, 2026. He was 86.

He was born 25 May, 1939, son of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Richard Harry David Williams-Bulkeley, 13th Baronet (1911-1992), and his wife the former Renée Arundell Neave (1913-1994), scion of the Neave baronets; and succeeded to the baronetcy (cr E, 1661), upon his father's death, 3 February, 1992.

He married 14 May, 1964, Sarah Susan Phillimore (born 1 May, 1940), daughter of His Honour Sir Henry Phillimore, OBE, PC (1910-1974), a Lord Justice of Appeal, by his wife the former Katharine Mary Maude Roxby (1912-1984), scion of that landed gentry family, by whom he had issue, two sons, Richard & Harry and a daughter, Victoria.

The elder son, Maj Richard Hugh Williams-Bulkeley (born 8 July, 1968), succeeds as the 15th baronet.

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Archibald Hamilton Makepeace Huntley (born 2025)

Emily Ann Huntley (née Gladstone), wife of George Malcolm Huntley (born 1992), and scion of the Gladstones of Capenoch, gave birth to a son, George Archibald, 28 December, 2025. 

George Huntley is a scion of that landed gentry family, son of Andrew Richmond Huntley (born 30 November, 1953),  and his wife the former Rachel J.K. Waldron (born 1958).

Emily Huntley (born 28 November, 1994), is a daughter of Andrew Malcolm Gladstone (born 4 Oct, 1958) and his wife the former Mary Sweet-Escott (born 1961), scion of that landed gentry family.

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Drayson/Duchenne engagement

The engagement was announced 7 February, 2026, between the Hon George Edward Rudd Drayson (born 1999), second son of the life peer the Baron Drayson (born 5 March, 1960), of Kensington, and his wife the former Elpseth Jane Bellhouse (born 1960), & Emily Vivienne Sophia Duchenne (born 1999), daughter of Charles Pierre Michel Duchenne (born May, 1949), of Biddenham, Bedfordshire, and his wife the former Josephine May Mazzawi (born May, 1962).

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Hero Rose Hamilton Muir (born 2026)

 Ella Muir (nee Hadsley-Chaplin), wife of Tom Muir, gave birth to a daughter Hero Rose Hamilton, 21 January, 2026, a sister for Max.

Ella is a daughter of Mark R. Hadsley-Chaplin (born 1961), of Mersea Island, Essex, and his wife the former Lavinia Brodie Henderson (born 9 May, 1962, now Mrs James Gilbey, of London, wife of James Newman Gilbey, born 1956, scion of the Gilbey baronets).

The infant is descended from a brother of the 1st Baron Faringdon:-

George Henderson (1819-89) father of the 1st Baron Faringdon and Katrina's ancestor, Brig Gen Sir Brodie Haldane Henderson, KCMG (1869-1936) > Neil Brodie Henderson (1904-82) > Ian Brodie Henderson (b 1930) > Lavinia Brodie Henderson (b 1962) > Ella Hadsley-Chaplin > Hero Muir (b 2026).

Tom Muir is a son of Dr and Mrs Julian Muir.

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The Aga Khan has been given the title 'His Highness' by King Charles III

 Prince Rahim Aga Khan, the Aga Khan V, has dined with the King at Windsor Castle and has been awarded the title 'His Highness', a honour traditionally given by the British monarch to the hereditary Iman of the Shia Ismaili Muslims.

The Aga Khan is the fiftieth hereditary Iman of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. He succeeded his father, Prince Karim, in February, 2025.

In 1957 when his father succeeded as the 49th Iman, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II bestowed upon him the title of His Highness. 

The Aga Khan married in 2013 (div) Kendra Spears, who was thereafter styled Princess Salwa Aga Khan, and they have two sons, Irfan and Sinan.

The Aga Khan, has numerous descents and connections to the British peerage and landed gentry. 

He was born 12 October, 1971, the first son of the late Aga Khan IV (1936-2025), and his first wife the former Sarah Frances Croker-Poole (born 28 January, 1940), whose first husband, Lord James Crichton-Stuart (1935-82), was a younger son of the 5th Marquess of Bute (1907-56). 

The late Aga Khan's mother was the former Hon Joan Barbara Yarde-Buller (1908-1997), eldest daughter of the 3rd Baron Churston, OBE, MVO (1873-1930), of Laleham House, Middlesex, by his wife the actress Jessie Smither (who took to the stage as Denise Orme) (1884-1960).

The Aga Khan V is a great-nephew of Denise Yarde-Buller (1916-2005), Baroness Ebury, wife of the 5th Baron, and of Lydia Yarde-Buller (1917-2006), Duchess of Bedford, wife of the late 13th Duke of Bedford (1917-2002). Another great-aunt was Primrose Yarde-Buller (1918-1970), Countess Cadogan, wife of the 7th Earl Cadogan (1914-1997), owner of the vast Cadogan estates in Central London. 

The Aga Khan is also a descendant of King Edward III.

Edward III > John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster > Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland > Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury > Katherine Neville > Cecily Bonville > Elizabeth Fitzgerald > Elizabeth Grey > Edward Fitzgerald > Thomas Fitzgerald > George, 16th Earl of Kildare > Robert Fitzgerald > Robert, 19th Earl of Kildare > James, 1st Duke of Leinster > William, 2nd Duke of Leinster > Lady Emily Fitzgerald > Admiral Sir Hastings Yelverton > Barbara Yelverton > John, 3rd Baron Churston > Joan Yarde-Buller > HH The Aga Khan IV > The Aga Khan V

The Aga Khan is a ninth cousin of King Charles III. Both descend from Henry Bentinck, 1st Duke of Portland.

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Baroness Limb

 The life peerage recently awarded to Dame Ann Geraldine Limb, DBE, has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baroness Limb, of Moss Side in the City of Manchester.

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Earl and Countess Spencer divorced

The 14 year marriage of the Earl and Countess Spencer has been dissolved after lengthy court proceedings.

Lord Spencer, the brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, married at Althorp, Northamptonshire, 18 June, 2011, as his third wife, Mrs Karen Anne Gordon (born 30 November, 1972), former wife of film producer Mark Richard Gordon (born 10 Oct, 1956), and daughter of __________Villeneuve.

Earl Spencer,  is Charles Edward Maurice [Spencer], 9th Earl Spencer (b 20 May 1964), only surviving son of the late 8th Earl Spencer, MVO (1924-92), by his 1st wife, the Hon Frances Ruth Burke Roche (1936-2004), scion of the Barons Fermoy.

The Spencers have one daughter, Lady Charlotte Diana Spencer (born 30 July, 2012).

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Lord Mandelson's peerage to be removed by Act of Parliament

We are told that the prime minister is desirous to divest the Lord Mandelson of his life peerage.

The disgraced peer has now left the Labour Party after the latest Epstein Files showed that he used his position in the Cabinet to share insight with the sex offender financier, who died by suicide in 2019.

On 13 October 2008 Mandelson was created Baron Mandelson, of Foy in the County of Herefordshire and of Hartlepool in the County of Durham.

Having already removed him from his role as ambassador to the US after previous links to Epstein emerged, Starmer is now being called on to remove Mandelson's life peerage.

It is over 100 years since a Bill of such a nature has been introduced. The Titles Deprivations Act of 1917 named specific peers who had sided with the enemy in World War 1. A Bill now naming only Mandelson would be an error, in my view.

A more sensible move would be to give His Majesty the right to remove ANY peerage from any disgraced peer, including Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's hereditary dukedom, earldom and barony.

The King, 'fount of all honour' -  is empowered to elevate any of his subjects to the peerage but cannot thereafter take such peerages away. He can strip knighthoods, and orders of chivalry, and so surely the removal of peerages should be added to that list?

Such an act would enable the monarch to strip titles from peers found guilty of serious crimes as in the case of Lord Ahmed, a life peer, jailed for serious sex offences. 

Some organs of the Press are under the false impression that all of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s peerages were removed by the King in October last year. Not so. Andrew was dropped from the Roll of Peers in the House of Lords, but his peerages remain extant. 

In my opinion, the instances where a hereditary peer is stripped of his title - the succession those titles should not be affected, and on the death of the erring peer his successor would inherit, as in the cases where the heir to disclaimed peerage succeed.

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Anne, Baroness Monteagle of Brandon (née Brownlow) 1928-2026

 Anne, Baroness Monteagle of Brandon (née Brownlow), who died 30 January, 2026, aged 97, was the widow of the 6th Baron Monteagle of Brandon.

She was born 21 December, 1928, scion of an Irish landed gentry family, daughter of Colonel Guy James Brownlow (1883-1960), and his wife the former Elinor Hope Georgina Scott, and was descended from the Earls of Meath and the Earls (later Dukes) of Abercorn.

She married 28 May, 1949, Capt Gerald Spring Rice, the 6th Baron Monteagle of Brandon (born 5 July, 1926), of the Irish Guards, son of the 5th Baron Monteagle of Brandon (1887-1946), and his wife the former Emilie Frances de Kosenko (who died in 1981); by whom she had issue, a son, Charles (born 24 Feb, 1953), and three daughters, Elinor (born 23 Apr, 1950), Angela (twin with Angela, who died 11 Dec, 2015), and Fiona (born 10 Apr, 1957).

Her husband, who was part of the guard of honour at the Coronation, 1953, and who took 45 years to make is maiden speech in the House of Lords, died 17 November, 2013, aged 87, and was succeeded by his son in the peerage (cr UK, 1839).

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Robert Vere Spencer Bernard 1944-2026

 Robert Vere Spencer Bernard, who died 6 January, 2026, aged 81, was a scion of the Dukes of Marlborough.

He was born 1 December, 1944, the second son of Dr John Gray Churchill Spencer (1907-1977), and his wife the former Elsie Phyllis Corley (1911-2001). He married 1stly, 1975 (div. 2003), Katherine Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott (1946-2008), daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Claud Everard Walter Montagu Douglas Scott (1915-1994), and his wife the former Margaret Frances Phillips (1917-2000); and married 2ndly, 1 May, 2003, as her second husband, Mrs Georgianna Sarah Preston (nee Tomkins, born 1955), by whom he had a son, Edmund Robert Spencer Bernard (born 25 Sept, 2001). 

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Erica Mackay Fielding (née Geddes) 1947-2026

 Erica Mackay Fielding (née Geddes), who died 23 January, 2026, aged 78, was descended from the father of the 1st Baron Geddes, and was a kinswoman of Margaret Campbell Geddes, who married Prince Ludwig of Hesse & the Rhine.

She was born 2 May, 1947, daughter of Acland Mackay Geddes (1907-1974), and his wife the former Barbara Sanford, and was a granddaughter of Sir Eric Campbell Geddes, GCB, GBE, MP, PC (1875-1937). She was a cousin (once removed) of Margaret Geddes (1913-97), known as "Peg" Hesse, who was a success in the difficult role of a non- royal foreign bride in an ancient German dynasty, despite her lack of children and the outbreak of the Second World War. Her cheerfulness, efficiency and sense of fun helped. Her house at Wolfsgarten, a Hesse "hunting lodge" the size of a small Oxford college, became an oasis of calm in the turmoil of the war and the Allied occupation.

Erica Geddes married firstly in 1972, Simon Peter Agace (born 1942); and married 2ndly, in 1992 (div 2007), Capt Martin George Rudolf Fielding (born 2 May, 1945), of Middleton Tyas, North Yorkshire, son of Maj George Rudolf Hanbury Fielding, DSO (1915-2005), and his wife the former Beatrice Georgina Pope (who died 15 March, 1995). Her husband was a direct descendent of the great writer Henry Fielding, and a scion of the Earls of Denbigh & Desmond.

She leaves issue from her first marriage, Caroline Mackay Agace (born 1973), Piers Edward M Agace (born  1975), and Dominic Charles M Agace (born 1979).

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