Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton

His Grace The Duke of Hamilton
Hamilton in 2012
Duke of Hamilton
Tenure	5 June 2010–present
Predecessor	Angus Douglas-Hamilton
Born	Alexander Douglas Douglas-Hamilton (1978-03-31) 31 March 1978 (age 46) Edinburgh, Scotland
Noble family	Douglas-Hamilton
Spouse(s)	Sophie Rutherford ​ (m. 2011)​
Issue	Douglas Charles Douglas-Hamilton, Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale Lord William Frederick Douglas-Hamilton Lord Basil Douglas-Hamilton
Father	Angus Douglas-Hamilton, 15th Duke of Hamilton
Mother	Sarah Jane Scott

Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton, and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hamilton (2012)

Alexander Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton, 13th Duke of Brandon (born 31 March 1978), styled Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale until 2010, is a Scottish nobleman and the premier peer of Scotland.

Early life

Douglas-Hamilton was born in Edinburgh,^[1] the son of Angus Douglas-Hamilton, 15th Duke of Hamilton, and his first wife, Sarah Scott, and was educated at Keil School, Dumbarton, and Gordonstoun in Scotland.^[2]

Inheritance

Upon the death of his father on 5 June 2010, he became the 16th Duke of Hamilton in the Peerage of Scotland and 13th Duke of Brandon in the Peerage of Great Britain. He also inherited other Scottish peerages and titles, Marquess of Douglas, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Angus, Earl of Lanark, Earl of Arran and Cambridge, Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest, Lord Machanshyre and Polmont and Lord Aven and Innerdale, and the Barony of Dutton in the peerage of Great Britain.^[3]

The Duke is the Hereditary Keeper of the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Hereditary Bearer of the Crown of Scotland.^[2] In this role, he walks immediately before the monarch in the ancient ceremonial procession known as the Riding of Parliament. As Hereditary Bearer of the Crown of Scotland, he also placed the crown upon the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II during a service of remembrance in St Giles' Cathedral on 12 September 2022.^[4]

The seat of the Dukes of Hamilton is Lennoxlove House to the east of Edinburgh, replacing the now-demolished Hamilton Palace to the south of Glasgow.

Marriage and children

On 7 May 2011, he married Sophie Ann Rutherford (born 8 December 1976) in Edinburgh.^[5] She is an interior designer and the daughter of Hubert A. J. Rutherford (born 1940), of Roxburghshire, and Isabel W. Taylor (born 1943), of Edinburgh.^[6] The couple have three sons:

• Douglas Charles Douglas-Hamilton, Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale (born 9 July 2012), heir apparent to the dukedoms.
• Lord William Frederick Douglas-Hamilton (born 11 May 2014)
• Lord Basil George Douglas-Hamilton (born 4 April 2016)

References

1. "Births". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 4 April 1978. p. 28.
2. "Hamilton, 16th Duke of, cr 1643 (Scot.), AND BRANDON, 13th Duke of, cr 1711 (GB) (Alexander Douglas-Hamilton)". Who's Who. Online edition. Retrieved 12 August 2022. (subscription required)
3. Pearson, Geoff (9 June 2010). "The Duke of Hamilton". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 10 June 2010.
4. "Crown of Scotland placed on Queen's coffin". BBC News. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
5. "Wedding of 16th Duke of Hamilton". East Lothian Courier. 11 May 2011.
6. "Alexander Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton". The Douglas Archives. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.

Peerage of Scotland
Preceded by Angus Douglas-Hamilton	Duke of Hamilton 2010–present	Incumbent
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by Angus Douglas-Hamilton	Duke of Brandon 2010–present	Incumbent
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by The Duke of Rutland	Gentlemen The Duke of Hamilton	Succeeded by The Duke of Buccleuch