Lieutenant-Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colo ...

Sir Walter Hugh Malcolm Ross, (27 October 1943 – 27 October 2019) was a member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, and from 2006 to 2008, master of the household to Prince Charles.

Early life

Ross was born on 27 October 1943 to Colonel

Walter John Macdonald Ross Walter John Macdonald Ross , (1914–1982) was a British Army officer who served as Lord Lieutenant of Kirkcudbright from 1977 to 1982. Personal life Ross was son of Major Robert Ross (1877–1935), deputy assistant provost marshal for the Wes ...

(d. 1982) and Josephine May Cross (d. 1982).Burke's Peearage (2003) volume 3, page 3401 His younger brother is (Walter) Robert Alexander Ross (b. 1950), Keeper of the Records of the Duchy of Cornwall until retiring in 2013. He was educated at Eton and Sandhurst. He served in the

Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642, although it was only placed on the E ...

from 1964 to 1987, holding the posts of Adjutant at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst 1977–1979, and reaching the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in 1982.

Career

Ross joined the Royal Household in 1987 as Assistant Comptroller of the

Lord Chamberlain's Office The Lord Chamberlain's Office is a department within the British Royal Household. It is concerned with matters such as protocol, state visits, investitures, garden parties, royal weddings and funerals. For example, in April 2005 it organised th ...

and Management Auditor. In 1989 he ceased to be Management Auditor, but remained as Assistant Comptroller until 1990. From 1989 to 1990 he was Secretary of the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood. He was Comptroller of the

1991–2005, and Master of the Household to the Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince of Wales between 2006 and 2008. From 1988 on he was an Extra Equerry to Elizabeth II, the Queen. He was made an Order of the British Empire, OBE in 1988, and joined the Royal Victorian Order in 1994 as a Royal Victorian Order, CVO. He was knighted as a Royal Victorian Order, KCVO in 1999, and advanced to Royal Victorian Order, GCVO in 2005. He was appointed Order of Saint John (chartered 1888), GCStJ in 2016 on becoming the Lord Prior of the Order of St John. From 1981 on he was a member of the Royal Company of Archers, and a Freedom of the City#Freedom of the City of London, Freeman of the City of London as of 1994. In 2006, he was made Her Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of KirkcudbLord Lieutenant of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, succeeding Sir Norman Arthur. He had been appointed a Deputy Lieutenant in 2003. He retired as Lord Lieutenant on 27 October 2018, when he reached his 75th birthday. In 2007, he was appointed Non-Executive Chairman to the International Security and Defence group, Westminster Group, Westminster Group plc, whilst maintaining his full duties to the Royal Household. On 1 September 2016 he was appointed as the Lord Prior of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem. Honour Ribbons: * Royal Victorian Order UK ribbon

: Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) * Order_of_the_British_Empire_(Military)_Ribbon

: Order of the British Empire (OBE) * : Venerable Order of St John (GCStJ) * UK Elizabeth II Royal Household Long and Faithful Service Medal ribbon

: Royal Household Long and Faithful Service Medal (Queen Elizabeth II Version) - 20 years service to the British Royal Family.

Personal life

On 31 January 1969, he married Susan Jane Gow (b. 1949), daughter of Michael Gow (British Army officer), General Sir James Michael Gow (1924–2013) and Jane Emily Scott. Through his wife, he was the uncle of Sophie Hunter (b. 1978), the wife of actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Together he and his wife had three children: * Tabitha Alice Ross (b. 1970) * Flora Jane Josephine Ross (b. 1974) * Hector Walter James Ross (b. 1983) He died on 27 October 2019, his birthday, at the age of 76.Sir Malcolm Ross, 1943-2019
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Malcolm 1943 births 2019 deaths Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Officers of the Order of the British Empire Deputy Lieutenants of Kirkcudbright Lord-Lieutenants of Kirkcudbright Equerries Scots Guards officers Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst People educated at Eton College Members of the Household of the Prince of Wales Members of the Royal Company of Archers Bailiffs Grand Cross of the Order of St John

Early life

Career

Personal life

See also

References