Michael Bowes-Lyon, 18th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
Encyclopedia
Michael Fergus Bowes-Lyon, 18th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, DL
(born 7 June 1957), is a former politician in the House of Lords
and former British Army
officer.
, and his wife Mary Pamela McCorquodale, the grandnephew of the late Queen Mother
and first cousin, once removed, of Queen Elizabeth II
.
He was educated at Sunningdale School
, Eton
, the University of Aberdeen
, and RMA Sandhurst
. He rose to the rank of Captain
in the British Army
(serving with the Scots Guards
).
He succeeded his father as 18th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
in 1987.
The Strathmores separated in 2003 and a year later became embroiled in a divorce suit much publicised in the press. The Countess hoped to continue to live at Glamis Castle
and to receive a lump settlement of five million pounds while the Earl was described in court as an alcoholic with liver damage
and for whom the continued stress of the case posed a health danger. The same article reported that a tabloid had revealed that during the Earl's separation from his wife, he had hired the services of three call-girls over a period of four days, during what he described as a "difficult time in his life".
The divorce between the Earl and the first Countess was finalised in January 2005, three months before the birth of his son by Dr. Damaris E. Stuart-William.
He married for a second time on 24 November 2005 to Dr. Damaris E. Stuart-William at the family seat of Glamis Castle
. The couple had one son, born in March 2005:
The Earl separated from his second wife in June 2007, later filing for divorce, which was granted in August 2008. On 8 September 2011 he announced his intention to marry his partner Karen Baxter.
Deputy Lieutenant
In 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....
(born 7 June 1957), is a former politician in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
and former British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer.
Family and Background
The current Lord Strathmore was the only son of Fergus Michael Bowes-Lyon, 17th Earl of Strathmore and KinghorneMichael Bowes-Lyon, 17th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
Fergus Michael Claude Bowes-Lyon, 17th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne , was a nephew of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. He was a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret....
, and his wife Mary Pamela McCorquodale, the grandnephew of the late Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
and first cousin, once removed, of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
.
He was educated at Sunningdale School
Sunningdale School
Sunningdale School is a family-run boys' preparatory independent school of around 100 pupils, situated in Sunningdale in Berkshire, close to London, England.-Introduction:...
, Eton
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 University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
, and RMA Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
. He rose to the rank of Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
(serving with 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...
).
He succeeded his father as 18th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
The title Earl of Kinghorne was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1606 for Patrick Lyon. In 1677, the designation of the earldom changed to "Strathmore and Kinghorne". A second Earldom was bestowed on the fourteenth Earl in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1937, the title being Strathmore...
in 1987.
Marriage and children
The Earl has been married twice. In 1984, he married Isobel Charlotte Weatherall and had his first three sons:- Simon Patrick Bowes-Lyon, Lord Glamis (b. 18 June 1986) (heir)
- The Hon. John Fergus Bowes-Lyon (b. 1988)
- The Hon. George Norman Bowes-Lyon (b. 1991)
The Strathmores separated in 2003 and a year later became embroiled in a divorce suit much publicised in the press. The Countess hoped to continue to live at Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and is open to the public....
and to receive a lump settlement of five million pounds while the Earl was described in court as an alcoholic with liver damage
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
and for whom the continued stress of the case posed a health danger. The same article reported that a tabloid had revealed that during the Earl's separation from his wife, he had hired the services of three call-girls over a period of four days, during what he described as a "difficult time in his life".
The divorce between the Earl and the first Countess was finalised in January 2005, three months before the birth of his son by Dr. Damaris E. Stuart-William.
He married for a second time on 24 November 2005 to Dr. Damaris E. Stuart-William at the family seat of Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and is open to the public....
. The couple had one son, born in March 2005:
- The Hon. Toby Peter Fergus Bowes-Lyon (b. 2005) (legitimised upon the marriage of his parents)
The Earl separated from his second wife in June 2007, later filing for divorce, which was granted in August 2008. On 8 September 2011 he announced his intention to marry his partner Karen Baxter.