Alastair Bruce
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Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
Alastair Andrew Bernard Reibey Bruce (born 25 June 1960) is a
journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...
and
television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
correspondent A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is usually a journalist or commentator for a magazine, or an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, locati ...
, and a senior
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
reservist A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is ...
and
officer of arms An officer of arms is a person appointed by a sovereign or state with authority to perform one or more of the following functions: * to control and initiate armorial matters; * to arrange and participate in ceremonies of state; * to conserve a ...
of the Royal Household. He commanded the TA Media Operations Group before being appointed Governor of Edinburgh Castle in 2019. Royal, Religious and National Events Commentator for Sky News, Bruce was previously engaged by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, and was historical adviser to several feature films and the ITV series ''
Downton Abbey ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. The series first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States o ...
''.How Downton minds its manners
Publisher: ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...
''. Published: 16 September 2011. Retrieved: 17 May 2013. He has commentated on many major state events in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, including the
Queen's Diamond Jubilee The year 2012 marked the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II being the 60th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. The only diamond jubilee celebration for any of Elizabeth's predecessors was in 1897, for the 60th an ...
in 2012, the
Royal Wedding ''Royal Wedding'' is a 1951 American musical comedy film directed by Stanley Donen, and starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell, with music by Burton Lane and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. Set in 1947 London at the time of the wedding of Princess ...
in 2011, the
Papal Visit Papal travel outside Rome has been historically rare, and voluntary travel of the pope was non-existent for the first 500 years. Pope John Paul II (1978–2005) undertook more pastoral trips than all his predecessors combined. Pope Francis (2013â ...
in 2010, and the deaths and funerals of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997,
The Queen Mother ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
in 2002, The Duke of Edinburgh in 2021, and Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.


Early life and education

Bruce was born in Winchester in 1960, younger son of Lieutenant-Commander Henry Victor Bruce of Salloch and Helen Vernon Wallop William-Powlett, daughter of Vice Admiral Sir Peveril William-Powlett. His great-grandfather was James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, and he is in the
line of succession An order of succession or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
earldom Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant " chieftain", particula ...
s. Brought up in
Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...
, he spent much of his childhood in Sutherland, in the far north of the
Scottish Highlands The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland S ...
,Interview: Alastair Bruce – Lord of the Manners
''
The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its pare ...
'' 31 October 2011. Retrieved: 29 March 2013. where his parents owned the Sallachy Estate near the village of
Lairg Lairg ( gd, An Luirg, meaning "the shank/shin") is a village and parish in Sutherland, Scotland. It has a population of 891 and is at the south-eastern end of Loch Shin. Lairg is unusual in the northern Highlands in being a large settlement th ...
. Bruce was educated at
Milton Abbey School Milton Abbey school is an independent school for day and boarding pupils in the village of Milton Abbas, near Blandford Forum in Dorset, in South West England. It has 224 pupils , in five houses: Athelstan, Damer, Hambro, Hodgkinson and Trego ...
, an independent boarding school for boys (now co-educational), in
Milton Abbas Milton Abbas is a village and civil parish in Dorset, England, lying around southwest of Blandford Forum. In the 2011 Census the civil parish had a population of 755. This planned community was built after the old Town was demolished in the 1 ...
,
Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...
, before attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, in Berkshire.


Life and career


Armed forces

Commissioned in the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
, 1979, Bruce was promoted, the following year, as Lieutenant in the 2nd BattalionNorth campaigners honoured
Publisher: ''The Northern Times''. Published: 17 June 2010. Retrieved: 29 March 2013. of the
Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642, although it was only placed on the E ...
. He served as a regular officer for four years, seeing active service in the Falklands War of 1982. The following year, he erected a cairn at Sallachy in Sutherland, in memory of his orderly during the War, Guardsman James Reynolds, from the village of Bridge of Weir in
Renfrewshire Renfrewshire () ( sco, Renfrewshire; gd, Siorrachd Rinn Friù) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Re ...
, who was killed in action while bringing back a wounded comrade, who survived. Reynolds died at the age of 19 at Tumbledown Mountain, and at the time was the only soldier to be awarded the
Distinguished Conduct Medal The Distinguished Conduct Medal was a decoration established in 1854 by Queen Victoria for gallantry in the field by other ranks of the British Army. It is the oldest British award for gallantry and was a second level military decoration, ranki ...
posthumously. At the time, Alastair Bruce said: "On returning to Britain after the Falklands, I decided I wanted to do something in honour of Jim Reynolds. He was such a brave young man who was well liked by everyone". An Assistant Vice-President with Merrill Lynch from 1983 to 1989, Bruce remained a
reservist A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is ...
. In 2004, he took command of the reserve unit, Media Operations Group, co-ordinating media representation of military activity. In the same year, he was mobilised on active operations in
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
, serving in Operation TELIC. He was promoted
Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
in the Territorial Army, and became the Equerry to Prince Edward. In 2008, Bruce was appointed a
Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
of St John (
OStJ The Order of St John, short for Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (french: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem) and also known as St John International, is a British royal order of c ...
(1991); CStJ (1997)), and in 2010, became OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for " services to the Territorial Army". He was Deputy Commander of 3rd Division and Colonel of the
London Scottish Regiment The London Scottish was a reserve infantry regiment then a company of the British Army. In its final incarnation it was A (The London Scottish) Company, the London Regiment until, on 1 April 2022, soldiers in the company transferred to foo ...
. In 2019, Bruce succeeded
Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
Michael Riddell-Webster Major General Michael Lawrence Riddell-Webster, (born December 1960) is a retired British Army officer. He served as Governor of Edinburgh Castle from 2015 to 2019. Early life and education Riddell-Webster was born in December 1960. He was educ ...
as Governor of Edinburgh Castle and was promoted to the
rank Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as: Level or position in a hierarchical organization * Academic rank * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy * ...
of
Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
. In 2020, Bruce was appointed Honorary Colonel of
5 Military Intelligence Battalion 5 Military Intelligence Battalion (5 MI Bn) is an Intelligence Corps Army Reserve unit in the British Army. It is based in Scotland, with sub-units in Edinburgh, Gateshead and Leeds and detachments in Glasgow and Chesterfield. It is partnere ...
; and in 2021, as Honorary Colonel of Tayforth Universities Officers' Training Corps.


Officer of Arms

The Queen In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to: * Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death The Queen may also refer to: * Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...
appointed him as one of her
herald A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms. Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen to ...
s on 7 October 1998 as Fitzalan Pursuivant, and he has been a member of the
Royal Company of Archers The Royal Company of Archers, The King's Bodyguard for Scotland is a ceremonial unit that serves as the Sovereign's bodyguard in Scotland—a role it has performed since 1822 during the reign of King George IV when the company provided a per ...
, the Queen's ceremonial bodyguard in
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
, since 1990.Biographies – Alastair Bruce
Publisher: '' Sky News'' Press Office. Retrieved: 7 October 2015.


Television, film and publications


Historian

Bruce has worked as a historical advisor to Oscar-winning films such as ''
The King's Speech ''The King's Speech'' is a 2010 British historical drama film directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler. Colin Firth plays the future King George VI who, to cope with a stammer, sees Lionel Logue, an Australian speech and language ...
'' (2010) and ''
The Young Victoria ''The Young Victoria'' is a 2009 British period drama film directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and written by Julian Fellowes, based on the early life and reign of Queen Victoria, and her marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Produce ...
'' (2009), and the BAFTA-winning television series ''
Downton Abbey ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. The series first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States o ...
'' (2010–2015) in which he provided historical accuracy as far as possible while balancing this with the need not to slow down the story unduly. He also advised on the minutiae of early 20th-century society
protocol Protocol may refer to: Sociology and politics * Protocol (politics), a formal agreement between nation states * Protocol (diplomacy), the etiquette of diplomacy and affairs of state * Etiquette, a code of personal behavior Science and technolog ...
, in such subjects as dress, posture, the serving of food and even on matters that might initially appear trivial, such as the use of vocabulary or the correct way to step out of a car. Bruce has written many books, and worked with several independent production companies in the preparation of television documentaries which are regularly aired on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, America's
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
network, Discovery Channel and A&E channels. Among these are ''Nicholas and Alexandra'', '' Victoria and Albert'' (2001) and ''Days of Majesty''.


Royal documentary

In 2017 Bruce recorded a conversation with Queen Elizabeth II for the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
: the Queen spoke about her
coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of ot ...
, more than 60 years earlier, in a programme entitled ''The Coronation''.


Academia

Bruce has lectured widely throughout Britain, Europe and the United States; his subjects range from the last Tsars of Russia to Britain's monarchy and the
Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...
. In 2011, he was appointed Honorary Professor of
Media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass e ...
at the
University of Winchester , mottoeng = Wisdom and Knowledge , established = 1840 - Winchester Diocesan Training School1847 - Winchester Training College1928 - King Alfred's College2005 - University of Winchester , type = Public research university ...
.


Personal life

In 1984, Bruce was recognised in the name of Bruce of Crionaich by
Lord Lyon King of Arms The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grant ...
. On 3 July 2021, after 20 years together, Bruce was married to Stephen Knott at St John's Episcopal Church by the
Bishop of Edinburgh The Bishop of Edinburgh, or sometimes the Lord Bishop of Edinburgh is the ordinary of the Scottish Episcopal Diocese of Edinburgh. Prior to the Reformation, Edinburgh was part of the Diocese of St Andrews, under the Archbishop of St Andrews ...
. Bruce is a godfather to Viscount Severn, the son of Prince Edward.


Arms


Honours




As an Equerry to
HRH The Earl of Wessex Earl of Wessex is a title that has been created twice in British history – once in the pre-Conquest Anglo-Saxon nobility of England, and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. In the 6th century AD the region of Wessex (the lands of the We ...
since 2008, he wears an
aiguillette An aiguillette (, from '' aiguille'', "needle"), also spelled , or , is a cord with metal tips or lace tags, or the decorative tip itself. Functional or purely decorative fasteners of silk cord with metal tips were popular in the 16th and e ...
on his right shoulder while in military uniform, as well the Royal Cypher of The Earl of Wessex on his epaulettes. He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Greater London on 9 October 2012. This granted him the use of the post nominal letters "DL" in perpetuity.


See also

* Governor of Edinburgh Castle


Publications

* ''Days of Majesty'', (co-authored with Simon Welfare); Macmillan Publications, London (1993) * ''Keepers of the Kingdom: The Ancient Offices of Britain'' (co-authored with Mark Cator and Julian Calder); Cassell Illustrated Publications, London (1999) * ''The Oldest: In Celebration of Britain's Living History'' (co-authored with Julian Calder); Cassell Publications, London (2005) * ''The Butler's Guide to Running the Home and Other Graces'' (foreword by Alastair Bruce and written by Stanley Ager and Fiona St. Aubyn); Biteback Publications, London (2012)


References


External links


Journalisted – Alastair Bruce
*
''Burke's Peerage & Baronetage''
ELGIN, E {{DEFAULTSORT:Bruce, Alastair 1960 births Living people Military personnel from Winchester London Scottish officers Clan Bruce People educated at Milton Abbey School Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Scots Guards officers English people of Scottish descent British people of Scottish descent Sky News newsreaders and journalists British reporters and correspondents British television presenters Knights of Justice of the Order of St John British Army major generals Members of the British Royal Household British Army personnel of the Falklands War British Army personnel of the Iraq War Members of the Royal Company of Archers Officers of the Order of the British Empire Deputy Lieutenants of Greater London Equerries LGBT military personnel LGBT journalists from the United Kingdom Recipients of military awards and decorations