The wife of one of Scotland’s wealthiest men has died aged 68, her family has said.
Lady Elizabeth Kerr, the Duchess of Buccleuch, died on Sunday morning. She married the current Duke of Buccleuch, Richard Scott, in 1981, going on to have four children.
She worked in radio and took a keen interest in the arts, founding a prize named after Walter Scott for aspiring young writers.
The Duke of Buccleuch was until recent years Scotland’s biggest landowner, until he was overtaken by the Danish billionaire and rewilding enthusiast Anders Holch Povlsen.
The family owns four estates in central Scotland, in the Scottish Border, and rural Northamptonshire.
The Duke is due to play a ceremonial role in the King’s Coronation at the weekend, by carrying the Sceptre with Cross, a piece of royal regalia, to the altar at Westminster Abbey. It is understood that he is now unlikely to attend, though a final decision has not been made.
Benny Higgins, the executive chairman of Buccleuch - which manages the business interests of the family, said: “The Duke of Buccleuch and his family have announced that, very sadly, on Sunday morning the duchess died after a short illness following an operation.
Literary award
“The Duchess was the most wonderful, life-enhancing spirit and our hearts go out to the family as they come to terms with their loss.”
The Duchess was educated at the London School of Economics, gaining a bachelor’s degree in sociology, before going on to work on BBC Radio 4’s Kaleidoscope programme and then moving to BBC Radio Solway after marrying the Duke.
Her primary interest, however, was in the arts, where she founded the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, a leading literary award for which she served as a judge.
She subsequently established the Young Walter Scott Prize for aspiring writers.
The Duchess was also involved in a number of other arts organisations, serving as the chairwoman of Scottish Ballet and the Heritage Education Trust as well as being a trustee of the National Museums of Scotland and the British Museum.
She is survived by her husband, four children and 11 grandchildren. She was the daughter of Peter Kerr, the 12th Marquess of Lothian, and the sister of Michael Ancram, the former Conservative MP and deputy leader.
There will be a private family service in the Scottish Borders, with a service to celebrate he Duchess's life to be announced at a later date.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/05/01/duchess-of-buccleuch-duke-literary-award/