His Grace the Duke

His Grace was born in Rhodesia in 1935 where his father, then the Marquis of Graham, went to establish his career independent of the social ladder which operated in the United Kingdom at that time. The Marquis and his wife were carving a farm out of the African bush. In an effort to escape the attentions of the mosquitoes, the family's first home was two round mud huts situated on a kopje. It turned out that the situation was not really suitable for young children. After some illness, the Duke and his sister were returned to Great Britain.

The Marquis had attained the rank of Lieutenant in the Royal Navel Volunteer Reserve. At the outbreak of the Second World War he joined the Royal Navy and entrusted his farm to a manager. He saw action in the battle of the Mediterranean and duties on the Russian convoy patrols.

His Grace attended two boarding schools. The first had been evacuated to Aberdeenshire for the duration of the war and the second was Loretto School near Edinburgh. The school emphasized a physically tough and Spartan regime, but it also enabled him to learn piping and highland dancing. The former activity has now been passed on to his two sons.

After leaving school, he traveled widely as a volunteer worker. He visited many countries where he took a special interest in the efforts of many of the young countries that were trying to establish their independence and democracy. This was part of various initiatives coordinated by MRA (Moral Re-Armament).

In 1962 he returned to Scotland to oversee some of the family farms and estates. He was finally given full responsibility in 1984. He has been active for many years in his local branch of the Scottish National Farmers Union including serving nine years on the National Council. In 1997 he was President of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society and has many rural interests.

In 1970 he married a Canadian of Scottish descent, Catherine Young, whose father, a Rhode’s Scholar, founded Ravenscourt School in Winnipeg and was one of those killed in the Dieppe Raid of 1942. They have a daughter and two sons - Hermione, James, and Ronald. Hermione is now married, has twins, and will graduate this summer with a Doctor of Psychology degree. James, the present Marquis of Graham, has spent the last three years promoting renewable energy and anti-pollution measures in China. He speaks Mandarin fluently. Ronald is completing studies for his bar exams.

After the death of his father in 1992, His Grace took his seat in the House of Lords and participated in the debates on Scottish devolution and the reform of the House of Lords. In 1999 he was the only Duke elected to remain in the interim House along with ninety-two other hereditary peers. He is currently the opposition spokesman on Scottish affairs with a backup role on farming, fishing, forestry, and the environment.