Governor ties the Knott
Keeper of Edinburgh Castle weds partner in historic ceremony
THE GOVERNOR of Edinburgh Castle, Major General Alastair Bruce of Crionaich, OBE, has married his partner of 20 years, Stephen Knott. The wedding ceremony at St John’s Church was officiated by the Bishop of Edinburgh assisted by the Reverend Neil Gardner, Minister of Canongate Kirk and the Rev Markus Dunzkofer, Rector of St John’s Church.
The General wore his fabulously feathered hat and frock coat, which was adorned by his various medals, and the couple’s combined standard flew high over the Princes Street church following the wedding. Bruce has revived the old full military dress, with a bicorn hat covered in swan feathers over red.
The wedding was delayed twice from last year and was scaled back to just 24 people including those officiating, with Major General Bruce resisting any attempts to call it a society wedding.
He said: “We certainly felt that we had the society we wanted, and that we were entirely embraced by Edinburgh, and by the city and the castle.”
He explained that trying to set a date has been “rather like trying to catch a butterfly with a net”, but that it was his fervent wish to marry Stephen in Edinburgh after his installation as governor, and that they would have this photograph of the two of them standing proudly side by side.
Major General Bruce is a reservist, having served in the Scots Guards during the Falklands War, but now works with Sky, and is a historical adviser on films and TV programmes such as The King’s Speech and Downton Abbey.
The couple will begin their married life living as much of the time as possible at the Governor’s apartment at Edinburgh Castle, although Mr Knott works as Deputy Chief of Staff for the Archbishop of Canterbury, meaning that he also spends time at Lambeth Palace.
Bruce admitted that when he joined the army it was a very different landscape as far as same sex relationships went.
He is now the highest ranking British Army Officer to have entered into a same sex marriage.
He said: “I’m so happy. Being married was beyond my ken as a young soldier.
“I had to lie to survive because homosexuality, from when I joined in 1979 up until 2000, was cause for instant dismissal, with Dishonourable Discharge.
“The speed of change in the Army has been overwhelming. I knew it was permitted to be gay in the Army but the fact that something changes suddenly after a lifetime - well after 22 years being in the army without it being legal - it is difficult to immediately embrace legality and be free and say “here I am” - and I didn’t, not for years.
“I had been brought up in a particular way where you were expected to be heterosexual. I had found myself in the army where it was now accepted, but I was not feeling particularly strong about suddenly coming out.
“My parents didn’t know, my family and friends didn’t know so it was not until I had been with Stephen for some time that I decided I could take on the coming out business. I wasn’t very courageous about it really, but I had lived for so long quietly and presumed I would continue to do so. But there has been an exponential change in society.
“It’s been also impressive that The Episcopal Church of Scotland made that step too, and when I spoke to the Bishop of Edinburgh who married us, and said how grateful we were to the
Episcopal Church of Scotland for marrying same sex couples, he said we don’t - I was slightly surprised.
“He said we don’t - we marry people. I thought that was the loveliest thing that anybody had said.
“Quite apart from the joy I have in Stephen, I have been hugely fortunate to be appointed Governor of Edinburgh Castle for a five year term. I really want to try and bring the role more into the ownership of the Scottish people.
“Of the four nations in the UK, Scotland’s history is the one most intertwined with its martial narrative, which is why being guardian of the fortress means you have to reach into every young Scot’s imagination and say, ‘this is about you’.”