Alexander Ramsay of Mar
Encyclopedia
Captain Alexander Arthur Alfonso David Maule Ramsay of Mar (21 December 1919 – 20 December 2000) was the only child of HRH Princess Patricia of Connaught
, who renounced her royal title and style when she married then-Captain the Hon. Alexander Ramsay in February 1919. His mother was the youngest child of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, the third son of Queen Victoria
and Prince Albert. His father was the third son of John William Ramsay, 13th Earl of Dalhousie. Alexander was the first cousin of the Queen Ingrid of Denmark, Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Vasterbotten (the father of the current king of Sweden) and their siblings, because their mother, Princess Margaret of Connaught, was Alexander's aunt and wife to the Crown Prince of Sweden.
Born at Clarence House
, then the London residence of his maternal grandfather, the Duke of Connaught. He (along with his cousin Viscount Lascelles, later 7th Earl of Harewood
) acted as a page of honour during the coronation of King George VI
. After leaving Eton College
the same year, he received commission in the Grenadier Guards
. Ramsay saw active service in North Africa
during World War II
. He lost his right leg during a tank
battle at Tunisia
in 1943. In 1944, he joined the staff of his cousin, HRH the Duke of Gloucester
, who was then governor general of Australia
.
Upon returning to Britain in 1947, he was informed that he would inherit Mar Lodge
and its estates from his aunt, Princess Arthur of Connaught
. In preparation for this role, he read agriculture
at Trinity College, Cambridge
. After graduating in 1952, he worked for three years as assistant factor
on the Linlithgow
estates at South Queensferry
. Ramsay inherited the Mar estate in 1959. At that point, Lord Lyon King of Arms
allowed him to add the designation "of Mar" to his name. Part of the estate had to be sold to pay inheritance tax and became Mar Lodge Estate
.
In 1956, Ramsay married Flora Fraser
(born 18 October 1930), the only daughter of Alexander Fraser, 20th Lord Saltoun
and chief of the Name of Fraser
. His wife succeeded her father as the 21st Lady Saltoun and chief of the Name of Fraser in her own right in 1979. Thereafter, they resided at wife's family seat, Cairnbulg Castle
at Fraserburgh
, in Aberdeenshire. In 1971, he became the deputy lord lieutenant for Aberdeenshire.
Although the Ramsays of Mar had no royal titles and carried out no public duties, they were regarded as members of the extended British Royal Family
, attending most major royal events. Alexander Ramsay of Mar died on the eve of his eighty-first birthday. At the time of his death, he was one of five surviving great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria (the other four being Count Sigvard Bernadotte (1907-2002), Infanta Beatriz of Spain (1909-2002), Lady Katherine Brandram (1913-2007) and Count Carl Johan Bernadotte (born 1916)).
Captain Alexander Ramsay of Mar and Lady Saltoun had three daughters, three granddaughters and four grandsons:
Katherine Fraser is heir presumptive to her mother's peerage
and the headship of Fraser clan. Lord Lyon King Arms officially recognized her use of the surname Fraser in 1973. Her elder daughter Louise also used this surname until Alexander was born, when she ceased to use the surname and her brother used it.
Elizabeth Ramsay is the youngest great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria
.
Princess Patricia of Connaught
Princess Patricia of Connaught was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria...
, who renounced her royal title and style when she married then-Captain the Hon. Alexander Ramsay in February 1919. His mother was the youngest child of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, the third son of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
and Prince Albert. His father was the third son of John William Ramsay, 13th Earl of Dalhousie. Alexander was the first cousin of the Queen Ingrid of Denmark, Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Vasterbotten (the father of the current king of Sweden) and their siblings, because their mother, Princess Margaret of Connaught, was Alexander's aunt and wife to the Crown Prince of Sweden.
Born at Clarence House
Clarence House
Clarence House is a royal home in London, situated on The Mall, in the City of Westminster. It is attached to St. James's Palace and shares the palace's garden. For nearly 50 years, from 1953 to 2002, it was home to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, but is since then the official residence of The...
, then the London residence of his maternal grandfather, the Duke of Connaught. He (along with his cousin Viscount Lascelles, later 7th Earl of Harewood
George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood
George Henry Hubert Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood, KBE AM , styled The Hon. George Lascelles before 1929 and Viscount Lascelles between 1929 and 1947, was the elder son of the 6th Earl of Harewood , and Princess Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and...
) acted as a page of honour during the coronation of King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
. After leaving Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
the same year, he received commission in the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
. Ramsay saw active service in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He lost his right leg during a tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
battle at Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
in 1943. In 1944, he joined the staff of his cousin, HRH the Duke of Gloucester
Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
The Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester was a soldier and member of the British Royal Family, the third son of George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary....
, who was then governor general of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Upon returning to Britain in 1947, he was informed that he would inherit Mar Lodge
Mar Lodge
Mar Lodge is a sporting lodge, the principal building on the Mar Lodge Estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.-Location:Mar Lodge is a sporting lodge built for the use of the Duke and Duchess of Fife...
and its estates from his aunt, Princess Arthur of Connaught
Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife
Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of King Edward VII...
. In preparation for this role, he read agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
at Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. After graduating in 1952, he worked for three years as assistant factor
Factor (Scotland)
In Scotland a factor is a person or firm charged with superintending or managing properties and estates -- sometimes where the owner or landlord is unable to or uninterested in attending to such details personally, or in tenements in which several owners of individual flats contribute to the...
on the Linlithgow
Linlithgow
Linlithgow is a Royal Burgh in West Lothian, Scotland. An ancient town, it lies south of its two most prominent landmarks: Linlithgow Palace and Linlithgow Loch, and north of the Union Canal....
estates at South Queensferry
South Queensferry
South Queensferry , also called Queensferry, is a former Royal Burgh in West Lothian now part of the City of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located some ten miles to the north west of the city centre, on the shore of the Firth of Forth between the Forth Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge, approximately 8...
. Ramsay inherited the Mar estate in 1959. At that point, Lord Lyon King of Arms
Lord Lyon King of Arms
The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest...
allowed him to add the designation "of Mar" to his name. Part of the estate had to be sold to pay inheritance tax and became Mar Lodge Estate
Mar Lodge Estate
Mar Lodge Estate is a Scottish Highland estate in Aberdeenshire, owned by the National Trust for Scotland. It is entirely contained within the Cairngorms National Park and important for nature conservation, landscape, recreation and culture.-Geography:...
.
In 1956, Ramsay married Flora Fraser
Flora Fraser, 21st Lady Saltoun
Marjorie Flora Fraser, 21st Lady SaltounIt has recently been determined that Margaret Abernethy succeeded her brother, Alexander Abernethy, 9th Lord Saltoun in 1668, but only survived him by about 6 weeks and had not been counted in the title's numbering. This new information has resulted in the...
(born 18 October 1930), the only daughter of Alexander Fraser, 20th Lord Saltoun
Alexander Fraser, 20th Lord Saltoun
Alexander Arthur Fraser, 20th Lord Saltoun , a Scottish representative peer, was the son of Alexander Fraser, 19th Lord SaltounOn 8 June 1920, he married Dorothy Geraldine Welby and they had two children:...
and chief of the Name of Fraser
Fraser
-Australia:* Fraser, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb in the Canberra district of Belconnen* The Division of Fraser, an electoral division in the northern Australian Capital Territory* Fraser Island, along the coast of Queensland-Canada:* Fraser River...
. His wife succeeded her father as the 21st Lady Saltoun and chief of the Name of Fraser in her own right in 1979. Thereafter, they resided at wife's family seat, Cairnbulg Castle
Cairnbulg Castle
Cairnbulg Castle is a z-plan castle situated in Cairnbulg, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Originally known as Philorth Castle it was built in the early 14th century, destroyed in winter of 1308-1309 in the Wars of Independence, and re-built by the Fraser family in 1380. Subsequently, a courtyard and...
at Fraserburgh
Fraserburgh
Fraserburgh is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland with a population recorded in the 2001 Census at 12,454 and estimated at 12,630 in 2006. It lies at the extreme northeast corner of Aberdeenshire, around north of Aberdeen, and north of Peterhead...
, in Aberdeenshire. In 1971, he became the deputy lord lieutenant for Aberdeenshire.
Although the Ramsays of Mar had no royal titles and carried out no public duties, they were regarded as members of the extended British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
, attending most major royal events. Alexander Ramsay of Mar died on the eve of his eighty-first birthday. At the time of his death, he was one of five surviving great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria (the other four being Count Sigvard Bernadotte (1907-2002), Infanta Beatriz of Spain (1909-2002), Lady Katherine Brandram (1913-2007) and Count Carl Johan Bernadotte (born 1916)).
Captain Alexander Ramsay of Mar and Lady Saltoun had three daughters, three granddaughters and four grandsons:
- Hon. Katharine Ingrid Mary Isabel Fraser, Deputy LieutenantDeputy LieutenantIn the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Aberdeenshire since 2005, (born 11 October 1957) m. Mark Nicolson (born 29 September 1954).- Louise Alexandra Patricia Nicolson, formerly Fraser (born 2 September 1984)
- Juliet Victoria Katharine Nicolson (born 3 March 1988)
- Alexander William Malise Fraser (born 5 July 1990)
- Hon. Alice Elizabeth Margaret Ramsay of Mar (born 8 July 1961) m (28 July 1990). David Alan Ramsey (born 17 September 1960)
- Alexander David Ramsey (born 17 December 1991)
- Victoria Alice Ramsey (born 7 April 1994)
- George Arthur Ramsey (born 28 September 1995)
- Oliver Henry Ramsey (born 28 September 1995)
- Hon. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Ramsay of Mar (born 15 April 1963)
Katherine Fraser is heir presumptive to her mother's peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
and the headship of Fraser clan. Lord Lyon King Arms officially recognized her use of the surname Fraser in 1973. Her elder daughter Louise also used this surname until Alexander was born, when she ceased to use the surname and her brother used it.
Elizabeth Ramsay is the youngest great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
.