Hail to the chief! New duke takes the salute from his private army
RESPLENDENT in Highland dress yesterday, the South African businessman who became Scotland’s newest duke carried out his first official duties since his father’s death.
Bruce Murray had buried his father John, 11th Duke of Atholl, ten days previously before travelling to Scotland to be welcomed as clan chief – and commander of Europe’s only private army.
The former Marquess of Tullibardine, who has been invested as Colonel-in-Chief of the 100-strong Atholl Highlanders, took part in yesterday’s annual gathering and parade with Prince Michael of Kent.
The new duke also assumes symbolic stewardship of 13th-century Blair Castle and 140,000 acres of Perthshire. The old duke, a retired Johannesburg land surveyor who in 1996 inherited one of Scotland’s grandest titles from his third cousin, died in hospital from a stroke at the age of 83 earlier this month.
He had lived for much of his life in a modest bungalow perched high in the mountains of South Africa’s Limpopo Province in the two-street village of Haenertsburg, but visited Blair Atholl almost every year to inspect the Atholl Highlanders’ Parade.
The 51-year-old 12th Duke was born and bred in the Transvaal but is no stranger to his inheritance, having accompanied his father and mother, Duchess Margaret, on annual visits.
The new duke and his wife Charmaine, have three children – Nicole, David and John, the future 13th Duke, who is now the new Marquess of Tullibardine.