Robin Blair
Encyclopedia
Robin Orr Blair, CVO
, WS
(born 1 January 1940), former Lord Lyon King of Arms of Scotland
, is a retired solicitor
, and was a partner with Dundas & Wilson
CS and later with Turcan Connell. From 1988 until his appointment as Lord Lyon, he held the post of Purse Bearer
to the Lord High Commissioner
to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
. He is a member of the Royal Company of Archers
.
He was appointed Lord Lyon on 9 February 2001, the first to have been appointed in accordance with the European Union
's rules for appointments to the public service and the first senior member of the Royal Household
in Scotland
to have been appointed by the Scottish Executive
rather than Whitehall
. He was appointed after the position was publicly advertised.
On 19 February 2007, he became the Honourary President of the Scottish Genealogy Society upon the retirement after many years of Sir Malcolm Innes of Edingight
, who had also been Lord Lyon.
In August 2007, Robin Blair intimated his resignation as Lord Lyon. In 2008, his replacement was named.
Already a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO), he was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the 2008 Birthday Honours.
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, WS
Writers to the Signet
The Society of Writers to Her Majesty’s Signet is a private society of Scottish solicitors, dating back to 1594 and part of the College of Justice. Writers to the Signet originally had special privileges in relation to the drawing up of documents which required to be signeted, but these have since...
(born 1 January 1940), former Lord Lyon King of Arms of Scotland
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...
, is a retired solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
, and was a partner with Dundas & Wilson
Dundas & Wilson
Dundas & Wilson LLP is a leading commercial UK law firm with offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London. The firm is based in Scotland, but like other large Scottish law firms, it now has an established practice in London, which earns 39% of its total revenues...
CS and later with Turcan Connell. From 1988 until his appointment as Lord Lyon, he held the post of Purse Bearer
Purse Bearer
The Pursebearer is an official in the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, and based in the Ministry of Justice.The use of a special purse or burse to hold the Great Seal of the Realm, the Lord Chancellor's symbol of Office, can be traced as far back as the end of the 13th Century...
to the Lord High Commissioner
Lord High Commissioner
Lord High Commissioner is the style of High Commissioners, i.e. direct representatives of the monarch, in three cases in the Kingdom of Scotland and the United Kingdom, two of which are no longer extant...
to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body[1] An Introduction to Practice and Procedure in the Church of Scotland, A Gordon McGillivray, 2nd Edition .-Church courts:As a Presbyterian church,...
. He is a member of the Royal Company of Archers
Royal Company of Archers
The Royal Company of Archers is a ceremonial unit that serves as the Sovereign's Bodyguard in Scotland, a role it has performed since 1822 and the reign of King George IV, when the company provided a personal bodyguard to the King on his visit to Scotland. It is currently known as the Queen's...
.
He was appointed Lord Lyon on 9 February 2001, the first to have been appointed in accordance with the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
's rules for appointments to the public service and the first senior member of the Royal Household
Royal Household
A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....
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...
to have been appointed by the Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
rather than Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
. He was appointed after the position was publicly advertised.
On 19 February 2007, he became the Honourary President of the Scottish Genealogy Society upon the retirement after many years of Sir Malcolm Innes of Edingight
Malcolm Innes of Edingight
Sir Malcolm Rognvald Innes of Edingight, KCVO, WS, FSA Scot. was Lord Lyon King of Arms of Scotland from 1981 until 2001.The third son of Sir Thomas Innes of Learney and Lady Lucy Buchan, third daughter of the 18th Earl of Caithness, he was educated at Edinburgh Academy and at the University of...
, who had also been Lord Lyon.
In August 2007, Robin Blair intimated his resignation as Lord Lyon. In 2008, his replacement was named.
Already a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO), he was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the 2008 Birthday Honours.
See also
- HeraldryHeraldryHeraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
- Officer of ArmsOfficer of armsAn officer of arms is a person appointed by a sovereign or state with authority to perform one or more of the following functions:*to control and initiate armorial matters*to arrange and participate in ceremonies of state...
- The Court of the Lord Lyon King of ArmsCourt of the Lord LyonThe Court of the Lord Lyon, also known as the Lyon Court, is a standing court of law which regulates heraldry in Scotland. Like the College of Arms in England it maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, as well as records of...