Archie Stirling
Encyclopedia
Archibald Hugh Stirling, of Keir, more commonly known as Archie Stirling (born 18 September 1941) is Laird
of the Keir estate
at Lecropt
in the Stirling
council area in Scotland
.
He is a millionaire
businessman as a theatrical producer, and was a former officer in the Scots Guards
.
Stirling is the eldest son of William Joseph Stirling, of Keir (9 May 1911 - 1983) and wife (m. 22 November 1940) Susan Rachel Bligh (12 August 1916 - 1983), and a nephew of Colonel
Sir David Stirling
, OBE
, DSO
, who was the founder of the Special Air Service
, and both are descendants of King Charles II of Scotland and England
. His sister Hannah is married to Robert Michael James Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury.
Stirling's first wife was Charmian Rachel Montagu Douglas Scott (18 July 1942 - 5 April 2009). They married on 11 November 1964 and were divorced in 1977. She was the niece of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
and the granddaughter of the John Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch
. The couple had two sons, William Rory Alexander Stirling, born on 15 December 1965, and Ludovic David Stirling, born on 29 April 1967.
Stirling was married to actress Dame
Diana Rigg
for eight years, from 1982 to 1990; their only child is the actress Rachael Stirling
, who was born in 1977. Their marriage ended in a 1990 divorce after Stirling had an affair with actress Joely Richardson
.
He is now married since 4 August 2000 in Southampton
, Long Island
, Suffolk County
, New York
, to Sharon Silver, of Manhattan
, New York
, New York. They have one child, David.
On 4 January 2007, BBC News
reported that Stirling had begun setting up a new political party aiming to improve standards at the Scottish Parliament
in order "to make Scottish politics work for the disillusioned majority," and will "also put defending the Union at the heart of its policy." The right-wing party, known as Scottish Voice
, was formally launched in February 2007, and stood in the Scottish Elections of 2007, but drew a low vote and failed to gain any seats.
Further coverage and analysis published on 5 January 2007 was provided by The Herald
and The Scotsman
. The party and Stirling are backed by an unnamed group of like-minded people including the millionaire Inverness businessman Robert Mcleod Hotchkiss who are opposed to the breakup of the United Kingdom
. Due to a breach in security, information and documents were leaked in advance of the launch.
Laird
A Laird is a member of the gentry and is a heritable title in Scotland. In the non-peerage table of precedence, a Laird ranks below a Baron and above an Esquire.-Etymology:...
of the Keir estate
Keir House
Keir House is a large country house near Stirling in central Scotland. It is located in the parish of Lecropt, north-west of Bridge of Allan, in the former county of Perthshire. The estate was home to the Stirling family from the 15th to the 20th century...
at Lecropt
Lecropt
Lecropt is a rural parish lying to the west of Bridge of Allan, Scotland.The population of the parish of Lecropt is estimated to be around 75, consisting entirely of isolated farms and houses, as well as the Keir Estate owned by the landed Stirling family...
in the Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
council area in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
He is a millionaire
Millionaire
A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. It can also be a person who owns one million units of currency in a bank account or savings account...
businessman as a theatrical producer, and was a former officer in the Scots Guards
Scots Guards
The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
.
Stirling is the eldest son of William Joseph Stirling, of Keir (9 May 1911 - 1983) and wife (m. 22 November 1940) Susan Rachel Bligh (12 August 1916 - 1983), and a nephew of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Sir David Stirling
David Stirling
Colonel Sir Archibald David Stirling, DSO, DFC, OBE was a Scottish laird, mountaineer, World War II British Army officer, and the founder of the Special Air Service.-Life before the war:...
, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, who was the founder of the Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
, and both are descendants of King Charles II of Scotland and England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
. His sister Hannah is married to Robert Michael James Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury.
Stirling's first wife was Charmian Rachel Montagu Douglas Scott (18 July 1942 - 5 April 2009). They married on 11 November 1964 and were divorced in 1977. She was the niece of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester was a member of the British Royal Family, the wife and then widow of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of George V and Queen Mary.The daughter of the 7th Duke of Buccleuch & Queensberry, Scotland’s largest landowner, her brothers Walter and...
and the granddaughter of the John Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch
John Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch
John Charles Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch and 9th Duke of Queensberry KT GCVO was a Scottish Member of Parliament and peer.-Early life, marriage and family:...
. The couple had two sons, William Rory Alexander Stirling, born on 15 December 1965, and Ludovic David Stirling, born on 29 April 1967.
Stirling was married to actress Dame
Dame (title)
The title of Dame is the female equivalent of the honour of knighthood in the British honours system . It is also the equivalent form address to 'Sir' for a knight...
Diana Rigg
Diana Rigg
Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg, DBE is an English actress. She is probably best known for her portrayals of Emma Peel in The Avengers and Countess Teresa di Vicenzo in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service....
for eight years, from 1982 to 1990; their only child is the actress Rachael Stirling
Rachael Stirling
Rachael Atlanta Stirling is an English stage, film and television actress. She is a two-time Olivier nominee for her stage work, but is best known for her performance as Nancy Astley in the BBC drama Tipping the Velvet.-Personal life:...
, who was born in 1977. Their marriage ended in a 1990 divorce after Stirling had an affair with actress Joely Richardson
Joely Richardson
Joely Kim Richardson is an English actress, most known recently for her role as Queen Catherine Parr in the Showtime television show The Tudors and Julia McNamara in the television drama Nip/Tuck...
.
He is now married since 4 August 2000 in Southampton
Southampton (town), New York
The Town of Southampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, U.S., partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town had a total population of 54,712...
, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, Suffolk County
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, to Sharon Silver, of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York. They have one child, David.
On 4 January 2007, BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
reported that Stirling had begun setting up a new political party aiming to improve standards at the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
in order "to make Scottish politics work for the disillusioned majority," and will "also put defending the Union at the heart of its policy." The right-wing party, known as Scottish Voice
Scottish Voice
A new centre-right political party, provisionally named the Scottish Democrats or Scottish Voice, was launched in Scotland in February 2007. The founder of the party is wealthy businessman and landowner Archie Stirling...
, was formally launched in February 2007, and stood in the Scottish Elections of 2007, but drew a low vote and failed to gain any seats.
Further coverage and analysis published on 5 January 2007 was provided by The Herald
The Herald (Glasgow)
The Herald is a broadsheet newspaper published Monday to Saturday in Glasgow, and available throughout Scotland. As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 47,226, giving it a lead over Scotland's other 'quality' national daily, The Scotsman, published in Edinburgh.The 1889 to 1906 editions...
and The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
. The party and Stirling are backed by an unnamed group of like-minded people including the millionaire Inverness businessman Robert Mcleod Hotchkiss who are opposed to the breakup of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Due to a breach in security, information and documents were leaked in advance of the launch.