Malcolm Sinclair, 20th Earl of Caithness facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Earl of Caithness PC
Minister of State for Aviation and Shipping
In office 14 April 1992 – 11 January 1994
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	The Lord Brabazon of Tara
Succeeded by	John Watts
Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
In office 14 July 1990 – 14 April 1992
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher John Major
Preceded by	The Lord Brabazon of Tara
Succeeded by	Alastair Goodlad
Paymaster General
In office 25 July 1989 – 14 July 1990
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Peter Brooke
Succeeded by	Richard Ryder
Minister of State for Housing
In office 25 July 1988 – 25 July 1989
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	William Waldegrave
Succeeded by	Michael Howard
Minister of State for Environment
In office 10 January 1988 – 25 July 1988
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	The Lord Belstead
Succeeded by	Michael Howard
Minister of State for Home Affairs
In office 10 September 1986 – 10 January 1988
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Giles Shaw
Succeeded by	The Earl Ferrers
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
In office 2 September 1985 – 10 September 1986
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	David Mitchell
Succeeded by	The Lord Brabazon of Tara
Lord-in-waiting Government Whip
In office 8 May 1984 – 2 September 1985
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	The Lord Lyell
Succeeded by	The Viscount Davidson
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
as a hereditary peer 2 December 1969 – 11 November 1999
Preceded by	The 19th Earl of Caithness
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Incumbent
as an elected hereditary peer 11 November 1999
Election	1999
Preceded by	Seat established
Personal details
Born	(1948-11-03) 3 November 1948 (age 76)
Political party	Conservative
Alma mater	Marlborough College Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester

Malcolm Ian Sinclair, 20th Earl of Caithness (born 3 November 1948), is a Scottish politician. He is a member of the Conservative Party. He also sits in the House of Lords as one of the remaining hereditary peers. A hereditary peer is someone who has inherited their title and, in the past, their right to be in the House of Lords.

He is also known as the 20th Lord Berriedale and the 15th Baronet of Canisbay. He is the chief of Clan Sinclair, a historic Scottish clan. He is the Chief Executive of the Clan Sinclair Trust.

Early Life and Education

Malcolm Sinclair was born in 1948. He is the only son of Roderick Sinclair, the 19th Earl of Caithness. His mother was Madeline Gabrielle Ormerod.

He went to school at Blairmore School in Aberdeenshire. He also studied at Marlborough College and the Royal Agricultural College (now Royal Agricultural University) in Cirencester.

When his father passed away in 1965, Malcolm Sinclair became the Earl of Caithness. This meant he inherited the title and other related titles.

Serving in Government

Lord Caithness has held many important roles in the British government. He served under Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major.

• From 1984 to 1985, he was a government-whip in the House of Lords. A whip helps make sure members of their party vote in a certain way.
• He then worked at the Department for Transport as a junior minister from 1985 to 1986.
• In 1986, he became a Minister of State at the Home Office. A Minister of State is a senior minister in a government department.
• He also served as Minister of State for the Environment in 1988.
• In 1989, he became Paymaster General and a Minister of State in the Treasury. The Paymaster General handles government payments.
• From 1990, he was Minister of State at the Foreign Office. This role involves dealing with other countries.
• In 1992, he returned to the Department of Transport as a Minister of State.
• He became a privy counsellor in 1990. This is an advisory body to the King.

In January 1994, Lord Caithness resigned from his government role due to a personal family matter.

Role in the House of Lords

The House of Lords Act 1999 changed how the House of Lords works. Before this, most hereditary peers had an automatic right to be members. After the Act, most lost this right.

However, Lord Caithness was elected as one of 90 hereditary peers who could remain. These peers were chosen to represent the hereditary peerage in the House of Lords. He has continued to be involved in discussions about the future of the House of Lords.

Other Activities

Lord Caithness has been involved in several important projects.

• He was a trustee for the Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey Trust from 1996 to 2016.
• In 1999, he helped start the Clan Sinclair Trust. This charity works to protect and preserve Castle Sinclair Girnigoe. This castle is near Wick in Caithness, Scotland.
• He is the chief executive of the Clan Sinclair Trust. He helped get the castle listed by the World Monuments Fund in 2002. This listing helped raise money to fix up the castle. Thanks to his efforts, the castle is now open and safe for visitors.

Family Life

Lord Caithness married Diana Caroline Coke in 1975. They had two children:

• Lady Iona Alexandra Sinclair (born 1978)
• Alexander James Richard Sinclair, Lord Berriedale (born 1981). He is the person who will inherit the earldom.

Lord Caithness married Leila Cassel Jenkins in 2004. They later divorced in 2005 and had no children together.

Clan Sinclair Gatherings

Lord Caithness has played a big part in bringing members of Clan Sinclair together.

• He organized the first Clan Sinclair International Gathering in Caithness in 2000.
• He has continued to organize these gatherings in 2002, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012 (in Norway), and 2015.
• These gatherings help connect Clan Sinclair members from around the world.

In 2009, he spoke about the role of Clan Chiefs. He said that while there isn't a formal duty to the clan, chiefs can gain a lot by spending time with clan members, especially those living outside Scotland.