David George Coke Patrick Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie, (17 May 1926 – 26 June 2023) was a Scottish landowner,

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a Conscription, conscripted or volunteer Enlisted rank, enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an Officer (armed forces), officer. Etymology The wo ...

banker A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...

and peer. Airlie served as Lord Chamberlain of the Household from 1984 until 1997, as well as in a number of honorary positions such as Chancellor of the Order of the Thistle and Lord Lieutenant of Angus. He was the brother-in-law of Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy.

Early life and ancestry

Airlie was born David George Coke Patrick Ogilvy in

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

on 17 May 1926. He was the eldest son of the 12th Earl of Airlie and his wife Lady Alexandra Marie Bridget Coke (1891–1984), herself the daughter of 3rd Earl of Leicester.

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. George was born during the reign of his pa ...

was his godfather. His younger brother was The Hon. Sir Angus Ogilvy, husband of

Princess Alexandra of Kent Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (Alexandra Helen Elizabeth Olga Christabel; born 25 December 1936) is a member of the British royal family and the only daughter of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and D ...

. He served as a page to his father at the

coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The coronation of the British monarch, coronation of George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Elizabeth, as King of the United Kingdom, king and List of British royal consorts, queen of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth realm, ...

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

on 12 May 1937. After the death of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

, his childhood friend, on 8 September 2022, he was the last surviving participant in that coronation. Airlie, then styled Lord Ogilvy by courtesy, was educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

. He served with the

Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot guards#United Kingdom, 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 in the Ki ...

in Germany, Malaya and Austria. In 1946, he was appointed aide-de-camp to the commander-in-chief and High Commissioner to Austria. He left the army in 1950 to attend the Royal Agricultural College to learn more about estate management. He maintained two homes on the family's estate in

Angus Angus may refer to: *Angus, Scotland, a council area of Scotland, and formerly a province, sheriffdom, county and district of Scotland * Angus, Canada, a community in Essa, Ontario Animals * Angus cattle, various breeds of beef cattle Media * ...

Cortachy Castle Cortachy Castle is a castellated mansion House at Cortachy, Angus, Scotland, some north of Kirriemuir. The present building dates from the 15th century, preceded by an earlier structure that was owned by the Earls of Strathearn. It was acquire ...

and Airlie Castle. He also had a home at Sloane Court West in Chelsea, London, where at the time of his death he lived full-time.

Career

Merchant banking

In 1953, then Lord Ogilvy took up merchant banking, joining J. Henry Schroder & Co. He was appointed a director of the company in 1961, chairman of Henry Schroder Wagg & Co. in 1973, and then of Schroders plc in 1977. He became to the 13th

Earl of Airlie Earl of Airlie is a title of the peerage in Scotland created on 2 April 1639 for James Ogilvy, 7th Lord Ogilvy of Airlie, along with the title "Lord Ogilvy of Alith and Lintrathen". The title "Lord Ogilvy of Airlie" was created on 28 April 14 ...

and chief of

Clan Ogilvy Clan Ogilvy, also known as Clan Ogilvie, is a Scotland, Scottish family from Angus, Scotland, Angus, Scotland.Way, George and Squire, Romily. (1994). ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT ...

upon the death of his father in 1968. In 1972, Lord Airlie was named to the International Best Dressed Hall of Fame List.

Royal Household

In 1984, Lord Airlie resigned from Schroder to take up the position of Lord Chamberlain of the Household, the most senior office in the Royal Household. He was sworn into the Privy Council and appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

. In his capacity as Lord Chamberlain, he was chancellor of the Royal Victorian Order. He was following in the footsteps of his late father, who had served as Lord Chamberlain of

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was al ...

's household. Under Lord Airlie, the Lord Chamberlain’s ceremonial and non-executive role was altered to that of chief executive. Airlie initiated changes in the early 1990s under the auspices of "The Way Ahead Group". Under these plans the Queen agreed to pay tax, greater transparency for the public subsidy of the monarchy began and a greater emphasis on public relations started. In 1986, he produced a 1,393-page report recommending 188 changes for smoother operations of the Royal Household. On 29 November 1985, Airlie was made a Knight of the

Order of the Thistle The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland, who asserted that he was reviving an earlier order. The ...

, Scotland's highest order of chivalry. He became Chairman of General Accident Fire and Life Assurance plc in 1987. In 1989, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Angus, having been a deputy lieutenant since 1964. Airlie's tenure as Lord Chamberlain saw times of turbulence for the monarchy, including Queen Elizabeth II's '' annus horribilis'', with the 1992 Windsor Castle fire and the separations and subsequent divorces of the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of York, and the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in August 1997. He remained in the post until 1997; upon his retirement, he was awarded the

Royal Victorian Chain The Royal Victorian Chain is a State decoration, decoration instituted in 1902 by King Edward VII as a personal award of the monarch (i.e. not an award made on the advice of any Commonwealth realm government). It ranks above the Royal Victorian Or ...

and appointed a permanent

lord-in-waiting Lords-in-waiting (male) or baronesses-in-waiting (female) are peers who hold office in the Royal Household of the sovereign of the United Kingdom. In the official Court Circular they are styled "Lord in Waiting" or "Baroness in Waiting" (without ...

Later life

Lord Airlie's ancestral home in Tayside was Cortachy Castle near the ancient burgh of Kirriemuir, Angus. The castle has served as the family home for more than 500 years. However, in 2014, Lord and Lady Airlie moved out of Cortachy Castle, and their eldest son, who now manages the property, is considering the future of the residence. On 13 November 2007, Airlie was appointed Chancellor of the Order of the Thistle following the death of the 9th Duke of Buccleuch. He remained in this position until his death. When the University of Abertay Dundee was founded in 1994, Airlie was appointed their first chancellor. He was additionally, the Captain-General of the Royal Company of Archers, The Queen's Bodyguard for Scotland, a ceremonial unit that serves as the sovereign's bodyguard in Scotland, and thus Gold Stick for Scotland. In September 2022, Lord Airlie attended the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. In May 2023, he was present at the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

Hugo Vickers Hugo Ralph Vickers (born 12 November 1951) is an English writer and broadcaster. Early life The son of Ralph Cecil Vickers, M.C., a stockbroker, senior partner in the firm of Vickers, da Costa, by his marriage in 1950 to Dulcie Metcalf, Vic ...

has pointed out that Lord Airlie was the last surviving man to attend three coronations – 1937, 1953, and 2023. Lord Airlie died at home in London, on 26 June 2023, at the age of 97. His funeral was held on 6 July 2023 at Cortachy Castle. Per his request, representatives from Scouts Scotland, of which he was president were present during his funeral and lined the street as his coffin was transported to the local Cortachy cemetery for internment. A memorial service was held on 15 November 2023 in the Chapel of the Royal Hospital Chelsea and was attended by

King Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

and

Queen Camilla Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. Camilla was raised in East ...

Personal life

On 23 October 1952, he married Virginia Fortune Ryan at

St Margaret's Church, Westminster The Church of St Margaret, Westminster Abbey is in the grounds of Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square, London, England. It is dedicated to Margaret of Antioch, and forms part of a single World Heritage Site with the Palace of Westminster ...

, in the presence of

and

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She was the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II. ...

. They had six children: * Lady Doune Mabell Ogilvy (born 13 August 1953); married Hereward Charles Wake, on 16 April 1977, had issue, divorced in July 1995. * Lady Jane Fortune Margaret Ogilvy (born 24 June 1955); married François Nairac on 30 August 1980, had issue. * David John Ogilvy, 14th Earl of Airlie (born 9 March 1958); married, firstly, The Hon. Geraldine Harmsworth (daughter of the 3rd Viscount Rothermere) in 1981, had issue, divorced in 1990. Married, secondly, Tarka Kings in 1991, had issue. ** Lady Augusta Amadeus Caroline Ogilvy (born 1981) ** David Huxley Ogilvy, Lord Ogilvy (born 1991) ** The Hon. Joseph Skene Ogilvy (born 1995) ** The Hon. Michael Móir Ogilvy (born 1997) * The Hon. Bruce Patrick Mark Ogilvy (born 7 April 1959) * Lady Elizabeth Clementina Ogilvy (born 4 June 1965); married Jonathan Baring, had issue. * The Hon. Patrick Alexander Ogilvy (born 24 March 1971) His wife, the Countess of Airlie, was a

Lady of the Bedchamber Lady of the Bedchamber is the title of a lady-in-waiting holding the official position of personal attendant on a British queen regnant or queen consort. The position is traditionally held by the wife of a peer. A lady of the bedchamber would gi ...

to Queen Elizabeth II, following in the footsteps of his grandmother, Mabell, Countess of Airlie, who was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Mary. She was the first American to be appointed a lady-in-waiting.

In popular culture

Lord Airlie was portrayed by actor Douglas Reith in the 2006 film '' The Queen'' in his capacity as Lord Chamberlain, planning the

funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales The funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, started on Saturday 6 September 1997 at 9:08am in London, when the tenor bell of Westminster Abbey started tolling to signal the departure of the cortège from Kensington Palace. Diana's coffin was ...

. He was portrayed by actor Martin Turner in the fifth season of ''

The Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

'' in which he was depicted managing the divorce of the

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

( Dominic West) and

Princess of Wales Princess of Wales (; ) is a title used since the 14th century by the wife of the Prince of Wales. The Princess is the apparent future queen consort, as "Prince of Wales" is a title reserved by custom for the heir apparent to the Monarchy of the ...

( Elizabeth Debicki). He was again portrayed by Turner in the sixth season of the series, planning the funeral of

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William, ...

and for

Operation London Bridge Operation London Bridge was the funeral plan for Queen Elizabeth II. The plan included the announcement of her death, the period of official mourning, and the details of her state funeral. The plan was created as early as the 1960s and revis ...

Honours and arms

Arms

References

External links

*
Cortachy Castle
Retrieved 21 July 2016.
Domesday Project retrospective archive. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Airlie, David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of 1926 births 2023 deaths Nobility from Angus, Scotland Military personnel from Angus, Scotland 20th-century Scottish businesspeople

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

13 Deputy lieutenants of Angus British Army personnel of World War II Scots Guards officers People educated at Eton College Alumni of the Royal Agricultural University Schroders people Members of the Royal Company of Archers People associated with the University of Abertay Dundee Hereditary peers removed under the House of Lords Act 1999 Knights of the Thistle Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Scottish bankers 20th-century Scottish landowners