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 Peter Francis Walter Kerr, 12th Marquess of Lothian, (8 September 1922 – 11 October 2004) was a British peer, politician and landowner. He was the son of Captain Andrew William Kerr by his wife, Marie Kerr. Both of his parents were male ...

, and his wife, Antonella Newland. Her siblings included Michael Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian, and

Clare FitzRoy, Countess of Euston Clare Amabel Margaret FitzRoy, 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 Suffolk Punc ...

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

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

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. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

's ''

Kaleidoscope A kaleidoscope () is an optical instrument with two or more reflecting surfaces (or mirrors) tilted to each other at an angle, so that one or more (parts of) objects on one end of these mirrors are shown as a symmetrical pattern when viewed fro ...

'' 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 Scottish Ballet is the national ballet company of Scotland and one of the five leading ballet companies of the United Kingdom, alongside the Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Northern Ballet. Founded in 1 ...

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; ) 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 holds internationally important collec ...

and the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

. In 2010, she founded the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction and subsequently the Young Walter Scott Prize. She was a patron of the

Royal Caledonian Ball The Royal Caledonian Ball is a ball held annually in London for the benefit of Scottish charities. With few exceptions, the Royal Caledonian Ball has been held annually since 1849, and is the oldest charity ball in the world. History The 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 Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

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 of Buccleuch and Queensberry. As of September 2023, the castle itself is open to t ...

Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway (; ) is one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, located in the western part of the Southern Uplands. It is bordered by East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, and South Lanarkshire to the north; Scottish Borders to the no ...

, and Eildon Hall and

Bowhill House Bowhill House is a historic house near Bowhill, Scottish Borders, Bowhill at Selkirk, Scottish Borders, 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 B ...

in the

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by West Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian, and East Lothian to the north, the North Sea to the east, Dumfries and Galloway to the south-west, South Lanarkshire to the we ...

Death

The Duchess died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

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 the British monarch, coronation of Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, Camilla, as Monarchy of the United Kingdom, king and List of British royal consorts, queen of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth re ...

where her husband carried the

Sceptre with Cross The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, originally the Crown Jewels of England, are a collection of royal ceremonial objects kept in the Jewel House at the Tower of London, which include the coronation regalia and vestments worn by British mona ...

into

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 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buccleuch (1954-2023), Elizabeth Scott, Duchess of 1954 births 2023 deaths

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...

Daughters of British marquesses

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