Elizabeth Marion Frances Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry (born Lady Elizabeth Kerr; 8 June 1954 – 30 April 2023), styled Countess of Dalkeith between 1981 and 2007, was a Scottish peeress and philanthropist.

Early life and family

Lady Elizabeth Marion Frances Kerr was born on 8 June 1954 to Peter Kerr, 12th Marquess of Lothian, and his wife, Antonella Newland. Her siblings included Michael Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian, and

Clare FitzRoy, Countess of Euston Clare Amabel Margaret FitzRoy, Dowager Countess of Euston (née Kerr; born 15 April 1951) is the current Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk. She is also President of the Suffolk Agricultural Association with a particular interest in local breeds the Suff ...

. The Duchess received a bachelor's degree in sociology from the

London School of Economics , mottoeng = To understand the causes of things , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £240.8 million (2021) , budget = £391.1 millio ...

Career

After graduating from LSE, the Duchess worked for

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

's '' Kaleidoscope'' programme and later BBC Radio Solway after her marriage. She was involved in a number of arts organizations, serving as chairwoman of the Scottish Ballet and the

Heritage Education Trust The Sandford Award, previously the Sandford Award for Heritage Education, is a British and Irish award for education programmes at heritage sites. Its website describes it as "an independently judged, quality assured assessment of education programm ...

and a trustee of the

National Museums Scotland National Museums Scotland (NMS; gd, Taighean-tasgaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. It runs the national museums of Scotland. NMS is one of the country's National Collections, ...

and the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

. In 2010, she founded the

Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction The Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction is a British literary award founded in 2010.Walter Sc ...

and subsequently the Young Walter Scott Prize. She was a patron of the Royal Caledonian Ball.

Marriage and issue

On 31 October 1981, she married Richard Montagu Douglas Scott, Earl of Dalkeith, later 10th Duke of Buccleuch and 12th Duke of Queensberry. Styled as Countess of Dalkeith from marriage, she became Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry when her husband succeeded to the dukedoms on his father's death in 2007. They had four children: * Lady Louisa Jane Therese Montagu Douglas Scott (born 1 October 1982) * Walter John Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, Earl of Dalkeith (born 2 August 1984) * Lord Charles David Peter Montagu Douglas Scott (born 20 April 1987) * Lady Amabel Clare Alice Montagu Douglas Scott (born 23 June 1992) The Duchess's husband was once Scotland's largest private landowner and the family resided on four estates,

Boughton House Boughton House is a country house in the parish of Weekley in Northamptonshire, England, situated about north-east of Kettering. It is situated within an estate of . The present house was built by Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu (d.1709), ...

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...

Drumlanrig Castle Drumlanrig Castle is situated on the Queensberry Estate in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The category A listed castle is the Dumfriesshire home of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry. It is open to the public at set times. Con ...

Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway ( sco, Dumfries an Gallowa; gd, Dùn Phrìs is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland and is located in the western Southern Uplands. It covers the counties of Scotland, historic counties of ...

, and Eildon Hall and

Bowhill House Bowhill House is a historic house near Bowhill at Selkirk in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It is a member of the Historic Houses Association, and is one of the homes of the Duke of Buccleuch. The house is protected as a Category A lis ...

in the

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders ( sco, the Mairches, 'the Marches'; gd, Crìochan na h-Alba) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, West Lothi ...

Death

The Duchess died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

on 30 April 2023, at the age of 68. Her death came six days before the

coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla The coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms will take place on Saturday, 6 May 2023, at Westminster Abbey. King Charles III acceded to the throne on 8 Septembe ...

where her husband carried the Sceptre with Cross into

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buccleuch (1954-2023), Elizabeth Scott, Duchess of 1954 births 2023 deaths Elizabeth Daughters of British marquesses Elizabeth Deaths from pneumonia in England British duchesses by marriage Scottish philanthropists Scottish radio people Alumni of the London School of Economics People from Shardlow Wives of knights