Alastair Bruce of Crionaich

Major General Alastair Bruce of Crionaich OBE VR DL
Maj Gen Bruce in 2019
Birth name	Alastair Andrew Bernard Reibey Bruce[1]
Born	(1960-06-25) 25 June 1960 (age 61)[1] Winchester, Hampshire
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1979–present
Rank	Major General
Unit	Scots Guards General Staff
Commands held	Governor of Edinburgh Castle
Battles/wars	Falklands War Iraq War The Troubles
Awards	Officer of the Order of the British Empire Knight of the Order of St John Volunteer Reserve Decoration
Spouse(s)	Stephen Knott ​ (m. 2021)​
Relations	The Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, Chief of Clan Bruce
Other work	Fitzalan Pursuivant Extraordinary

Alastair Andrew Bernard Reibey Bruce OBE VR DL (born 25 June 1960), a senior British Army reservist, is a journalist and television correspondent, who commanded the TA Media Operations Group, before being appointed in 2019 Governor of Edinburgh Castle.^[2]

Royal, Religious and National Events Commentator for Sky News, Bruce was previously engaged by the BBC, and was historical adviser to several feature films and the ITV series Downton Abbey.^[3] He has commentated on many major state events in the United Kingdom, including the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012, the Royal Wedding in 2011, the Papal Visit in 2010, and the deaths and funerals of the Princess of Wales in 1997, the Queen Mother in 2002 and the Duke of Edinburgh in 2021.

A godfather to Viscount Severn, the son of Prince Edward, Major General Bruce also serves in HM Household as Fitzalan Pursuivant since 1998.^[4]

Early life and education[]

Bruce was born in Winchester in 1960, younger son of Lieutenant-Commander Henry Victor Bruce of Salloch and Helen Vernon Wallop William-Powlett, daughter of Vice Admiral Sir Peveril William-Powlett. He is the youngest of four siblings, his sisters being Robina Helen and Lucinda Jane Bruce, and his brother Peveril John Bruce of Salloch, younger.^[5] His great-grandfather was the 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, and he is in the line of succession to both family earldoms.^[1] Brought up in Hampshire, he spent much of his childhood in Sutherland, in the far north of the Scottish Highlands,^[6] where his parents owned the Sallachy Estate^[7] near the village of Lairg.^[8] In Scotland, by courtesy he is accorded territorial designation "of Crionaich" as a feudal baron.

Bruce was educated at Milton Abbey School, an independent boarding school for boys (now co-educational), in Milton Abbas, Dorset, before attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Berkshire.^[6]

Life and career[]

Armed forces[]

Commissioned in the British Army, 1979, Bruce was promoted, the following year, as Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion^[8] of the Scots Guards.^[1] He served as a regular officer for four years, seeing active service in the Falklands War of 1982. The following year, he erected a cairn at Sallachy in Sutherland, in memory of his orderly during the War, Guardsman James Reynolds, from the village of Bridge of Weir in Renfrewshire, who was killed in action while bringing back a wounded comrade, who survived. Reynolds died at the age of 19 at Tumbledown Mountain, and at the time was the only soldier to be awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal posthumously. At the time, Alastair Bruce said: "On returning to Britain after the Falklands, I decided I wanted to do something in honour of Jim Reynolds. He was such a brave young man who was well liked by everyone".^[8]

An Assistant Vice-President with Merrill Lynch 1983–1989,^[1] Bruce remained a reservist, then serving as an Army Reserve Brigadier, Deputy Commander of 3rd Division (United Kingdom) and Colonel of the London Scottish Regiment.^[9]

In 2019, Bruce succeeded Major General Michael Riddell-Webster as Governor of Edinburgh Castle^[10] and was promoted to the rank of Major General.^[11] He is the highest ranking British Army Officer to enter into a same-sex marriage.

In 2020, Bruce was appointed Honorary Colonel of 5 Military Intelligence Battalion.

Officer of Arms[]

Bruce processing as Fitzalan Pursuivant

In 1984, Bruce was recognised in the name of Bruce of Crionaich by Lord Lyon King of Arms.^[1] The Queen appointed him as one of her heralds on 7 October 1998 as Fitzalan Pursuivant,^[12] and he has been a member of the Royal Company of Archers,^[13] the Queen's ceremonial bodyguard in Scotland, since 1990.^[9] In 1991, he was appointed Officer of the Order of St John;^[14] in 1997, he was promoted Commander.^[15]

In 2004, Bruce took command of the reserve unit, Media Operations Group, co-ordinating media representation of military activity.^[16] In the same year, he was mobilised on active operations in Iraq, serving in Operation TELIC.^[9] He was promoted Colonel in the Territorial Army, and became the Equerry to Prince Edward.^[3] In 2008, Bruce was appointed a Knight of St John,^[17] and in 2010, became OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for "services to the Territorial Army".^[8][18]

Television, Film and Publications[]

Historian[]

Bruce has worked as a historical advisor to Oscar-winning films such as The King's Speech (2010) and The Young Victoria (2009), and the BAFTA-winning television series Downton Abbey (2010–2015) in which he provided historical accuracy as far as possible while balancing this with the need not to slow down the story unduly. He also advised on the minutiae of early 20th-century society protocol, in such subjects as dress, posture, the serving of food and even on matters that might initially appear trivial, such as the use of vocabulary or the correct way to step out of a car.^[3][6]

Bruce has written many books, and worked with several independent production companies in the preparation of television documentaries which are regularly aired on the BBC, America's PBS network, Discovery Channel and A&E channels. Among these are Nicholas and Alexandra, Victoria and Albert (2001) and Days of Majesty.^[9]

Royal documentary[]

In 2017 Bruce recorded a conversation with Queen Elizabeth II for the BBC: the Queen spoke about her coronation, more than 60 years earlier, in a programme entitled The Coronation.^[19]

Academia[]

Bruce has lectured widely throughout Britain, Europe and the United States; his subjects range from the last Tsars of Russia to Britain's monarchy and the Vatican in Rome. In 2011, he was appointed Honorary Professor of Media at the University of Winchester.^[9]

Personal life[]

On 3 July 2021, after 20 years together, Bruce was married to Stephen Knott at St John's Episcopal Church by the Bishop of Edinburgh.^[20][21][22]

Charity[]

Bruce is an ambassador of Hampshire Scouts, his father having been the charity's chairman. His family gives the annual Lieutenant Commander Henry V. Bruce Royal Navy (Retd) Memorial Award which is awarded by the charity to someone under the age of 25 for services to the organisation.

General Bruce is also a Trustee of the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation.

Arms[]

OBE insignia

Coat of arms of Major General Alastair Bruce of Crionaich hide

Adopted Matriculated 12 December 1981 Crest A lion statant, tail extended sable, armed and langued gules. Escutcheon Or a saltire and chief gules, on a dexter canton argent a lion rampant azure armed and langued of the second, on a sinister canton argent a bend wavy sable.[23] Motto Fuimus et Sumus ("We have been and we are")

Honours[]

Ribbon	Description	Notes
	Order of the British Empire (OBE)	2010 Officer Military Division
	Order of St John (KJStJ)	2008 Knight of Justice
	General Service Medal	With "NORTHERN IRELAND" clasp
	South Atlantic Medal	With rosette
	Iraq Medal	2004
	Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal	2002
	Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal	2012
	Volunteer Reserves Service Decoration (VR)	10 years' service in the Territorial Army.
	Service Medal of the Order of St John	With 1 silver bar
	Order of Saint Lucia

• An Equerry to HRH Earl of Wessex since 2008, he wears an aiguillette on his right shoulder while in military uniform.^[24]
• Appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Greater London since 9 October 2012,^[25] he is accorded the post-noms "DL".

See also[]

• Governor of Edinburgh Castle

Publications[]

• Days of Majesty, (co-authored with Simon Welfare); Macmillan Publications, London (1993)
• Keepers of the Kingdom: The Ancient Offices of Britain (co-authored with Mark Cator and Julian Calder); Cassell Illustrated Publications, London (1999)
• The Oldest: In Celebration of Britain's Living History (co-authored with Julian Calder); Cassell Publications, London (2005)
• The Butler's Guide to Running the Home and Other Graces (foreword by Alastair Bruce and written by Stanley Ager and Fiona St. Aubyn); Biteback Publications, London (2012)

References[]

External links[]

• Journalisted – Alastair Bruce
• Alastair Bruce on Twitter

Further reading[]

• Burke's Peerage & Baronetage, ELGIN, E