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Monday, May 01, 2023

The Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry 1954-2023

 The Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry, wife of the 10th Duke of Buccleuch & Queensberry, KT, KBE, CVO, DL, died 30 April, 2023, after a short illness. She was 68.

The chatelaine of four large estates - in central Scotland, the Scottish Borders and rural Northamptonshire. The Duke of Bucceluch is one of Europe's biggest private landowners.

The duchess was born 8 June, 1954, as Lady Elizabeth Marion Frances Kerr, fourth daughter of the 12th Marquis of Lothian (1922-2004), and his wife the former Antonella Newland (1922-2007). Her siblings include the Conservative politician and sometime Cabinet minister 'Michael Ancram' now the 13th Marquis of Lothian (born 7 Jul 1945), and Lady Claire Kerr (born 15 April, 1951), who married the Earl of Euston (1947-2009), and is mother of Henry, 12th Duke of Grafton (b 6 Apr, 1978).

The duchess achieved a bachelor's degree in sociology at the London School of Economics before going on to work on BBC Radio 4's Kaleidoscope programme. She moved to BBC Radio Solway after marrying on 31 Oct, 1981, Richard Walter John Montagu Douglas Scott, styled Earl of Dalkeith (born 14 Feb, 1954), son and heir of the 9th Duke of Buccleuch & Queensberry, KT, VRD, JP, DL (1923-2007), and his wife the former Jane McNeill (1929-2011), a Norman Hartnell model.

Her husband succeeded his father, 4 September, 2007, as Duke of Buccleuch [S., 1663] as the 11th Duke of Queensberry [S., 1684], as the 13th Lord Scott of Buccleuch [S., 1606], & 9th Baron Scott of Tindall, Northumberland [E., 1663], as the 12th Earl of Buccleuch [S., 1619],  & the 12th Baron Scott of Quhitchester and Eskdaill [S., 1619], as the 11th Marquess of Dumfriesshire [S., 1684], the 9th Earl of Doncaster, co. York [E., 1663], & the 9th Baron Scott of Whitchester and Eskdale [S., 1663], and the 9th Earl of Dalkeith [S., 1663].

Her main focus was in the arts, with the duchess founding the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. The duchess served as the chairwoman of Scottish Ballet and the Heritage Education Trust as well as a trustee of the National Museums of Scotland and the British Museum.

She is survived by the Duke, who was designated to carry the Sceptre with the Cross at the Coronation of the King and Queen next week. She is also survived by two sons, Walter, styled Earl of Dalkeith (born 2 Aug, 1984), and Lord Charles Scott (born in 1987), and by two daughters, Lady Louisa Trotter (born 1982), and Lady Amabel Scott (born 1992).

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