Alastair Boyd, 7th Baron Kilmarnock facts for kids

Alastair Ivor Gilbert Boyd, the 7th Baron Kilmarnock (born May 11, 1927 – died March 19, 2009), was a Scottish writer. He was also very interested in Spanish culture and was the leader, or Chief, of the Clan Boyd.

Growing Up

Alastair Boyd was born into an important British family. When he was young, he even served as a pageboy at the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. He went to Bradfield College and then to King's College, Cambridge for his education. In 1946, he joined the Irish Guards as an officer. He served with them until 1948, including some time in Palestine.

His Family Life

Boyd married Diana Mary Gibson in 1954, but their marriage ended in 1970. Later, in 1977, he married Hilary Bardwell, who was known as "Hilly." Boyd and Hilly had one son together, James Charles Edward Boyd, who was born in 1972.

For a large part of his life, Boyd lived in Ronda in Andalusia, Spain. There, he ran a tapas bar (a place that serves small Spanish dishes) and a language school.

Because his son was born before his parents were married, the title of Baron Kilmarnock was passed on to Boyd's younger brother, Robin Jordan Boyd (born 1941), when Alastair died in 2009. Robin has two sons, Simon John Boyd (born 1978) and Mark Julian Boyd (born 1981). Simon John Boyd is the one who will inherit the title next. He has a son named Lucian Michael Boyd (born 2007).

His Work in Politics

After his father passed away in 1975, Boyd inherited his title and became a member of the House of Lords. This is the upper house of the UK Parliament. He joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which he felt was a good fit for his political ideas.

From 1983 to 1986, he was the party's chief whip in the Lords. This means he was in charge of making sure party members voted the way the party wanted. He was also the deputy leader of the SDP members in the Lords from 1986 to 1987. From 1987 to 1996, he led the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Aids, which focused on issues related to AIDS.

Boyd was a loyal supporter of David Owen, another politician. In 1988, when the SDP decided to merge with the Liberals, Boyd and Owen chose not to join. Instead, they formed a separate group called the 'continuing' SDP. He was sad when the original party ended. He continued to be involved with Owen's smaller party until 1992. After that, he sat in the Lords as a crossbencher, meaning he didn't belong to any specific political party. Boyd also helped create the Social Market Foundation, which is a group that researches and develops ideas about society and the economy. He was its first executive director in 1989.

His Books and Writings

Alastair Boyd wrote several books and essays. Some of his publications include:

• Sabbatical Year (1958)
• The Road from Ronda (1969)
• The Companion Guide to Madrid and Central Spain (1974)
• The Essence of Catalonia (1988)
• The Sierras of the South (1992)
• The Social Market and the State (1999)
• Rosemary: A Memoir (2005)

He also wrote an essay called "The Quest" in 2006. This essay was about the paintings of his friend Miles Richmond. It appeared in art show catalogs in Ronda (2006) and Málaga (2008).