David Cairns, 5th Earl Cairns

Rear Admiral The Right Honourable The Earl Cairns GCVO CB
Born	3 July 1909
Died	21 March 1989 (aged 79)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1931–1961
Rank	Rear-Admiral
Commands held	HMS Superb Royal Naval College, Greenwich
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Companion of the Order of the Bath

Rear-Admiral David Charles Cairns, 5th Earl Cairns, GCVO, CB (3 July 1909 – 21 March 1989), was Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom from 1962 to 1971.

Naval career[]

Cairns joined the Royal Navy in 1923, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 1931.^[1] He served in World War II and succeeded as the 5th Earl Cairns in 1946 before becoming deputy director of the Signal Department at the Admiralty in 1950.^[1] He went on to be Commanding Officer of the cruiser HMS Superb in 1956 and President of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich in 1958 before retiring in 1961.^[1]

In retirement Cairns was Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom from 1962 to 1971.^[1] He was also a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers of the City of London, rising to become the company's Prime Warden for 1972–73, and for many years was Chairman of the Governing Body of Gresham's School.

On his death in 1989 he was succeeded by his eldest son, Simon Dallas Cairns.^[2]

References[]

External links[]

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Earl Cairns

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