Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton
Alexander Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton, 13th Duke of Brandon (born 31 March 1978), styled Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale until 2010, is a Scottish nobleman and the premier peer of Scotland.
The Duke of Hamilton | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Hamilton in 2012 | |
| Duke of Hamilton | |
| Tenure | 5 June 2010–present |
| Predecessor | Angus Douglas-Hamilton |
| Born | Alexander Douglas Douglas-Hamilton 31 March 1978 Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Noble family | Douglas-Hamilton |
| Spouse(s) |
Sophie Rutherford (m. 2011) |
| Issue |
|
| Father | Angus Douglas-Hamilton, 15th Duke of Hamilton |
| Mother | Sarah Jane Scott |
Early life
editDouglas-Hamilton was born in Edinburgh,[1] the son of Angus Douglas-Hamilton, 15th Duke of Hamilton, and his first wife, Sarah Scott, and was educated at Keil School, Dumbarton, and Gordonstoun in Scotland.[2]
Inheritance
editUpon the death of his father on 5 June 2010, he became the 16th Duke of Hamilton in the Peerage of Scotland and 13th Duke of Brandon in the Peerage of Great Britain. He also inherited other Scottish peerages and titles, Marquess of Douglas, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Angus, Earl of Lanark, Earl of Arran and Cambridge, Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest, Lord Machanshyre and Polmont and Lord Aven and Innerdale, and the Barony of Dutton in the peerage of Great Britain.[3]
The Duke is the Hereditary Keeper of the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Hereditary Bearer of the Crown of Scotland.[2] In this role, he walks immediately before the monarch in the ancient ceremonial procession known as the Riding of Parliament. As Hereditary Bearer of the Crown of Scotland, he also placed the crown upon the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II during a service of remembrance in St Giles' Cathedral on 12 September 2022.[4]
The seat of the Dukes of Hamilton is Lennoxlove House to the east of Edinburgh, replacing the now-demolished Hamilton Palace to the south of Glasgow.
Marriage and children
editOn 7 May 2011, he married Sophie Ann Rutherford (born 8 December 1976) in Edinburgh.[5] She is an interior designer and the daughter of Hubert A. J. Rutherford (born 1940), of Roxburghshire, and Isabel W. Taylor (born 1943), of Edinburgh.[6] The couple have three sons:
- Douglas Charles Douglas-Hamilton, Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale (born 9 July 2012), heir apparent to the dukedoms.
- Lord William Frederick Douglas-Hamilton (born 11 May 2014)
- Lord Basil George Douglas-Hamilton (born 4 April 2016)
References
edit- ^ "Births". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 4 April 1978. p. 28.
- ^ a b "Hamilton, 16th Duke of, cr 1643 (Scot.), AND BRANDON, 13th Duke of, cr 1711 (GB) (Alexander Douglas-Hamilton)". Who's Who. Online edition. Retrieved 12 August 2022. (subscription required)
- ^ Pearson, Geoff (9 June 2010). "The Duke of Hamilton". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 10 June 2010.
- ^ "Crown of Scotland placed on Queen's coffin". BBC News. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
- ^ "Wedding of 16th Duke of Hamilton". East Lothian Courier. 11 May 2011.
- ^ "Alexander Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton". The Douglas Archives. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.