Simon Ramsay, 16th Earl of Dalhousie facts for kids

Simon Ramsay, 16th Earl of Dalhousie, KT, GCVO, GBE, MC, DL (born 17 October 1914 – died 15 July 1999) was an important British person. He owned a lot of land and was a politician. He also served as a governor in other countries. Before he became the Earl of Dalhousie in 1950, he was known as The Honourable Simon Ramsay.

Early Life and Education

Simon Ramsay went to two very famous schools in England: Eton and Oxford University.

During the Second World War, he joined the Black Watch army regiment. He became a Major, which is a high rank. He was very brave during a battle in Sicily and received a special award called the Military Cross. In 1950, his older brother passed away without having children. This meant Simon inherited the title and became the 16th Earl of Dalhousie.

His Work in Public Life

In 1945, Simon Ramsay became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Forfarshire. An MP is someone elected to represent people in the country's government. He was part of the Unionist Party. He served as an MP until 1950, when he became the Earl of Dalhousie. He also became the Chief of Clan Ramsay, which is a large family group in Scotland.

From 1946 to 1948, he worked as a whip for the Conservative Party. A whip helps make sure all members of their party vote the same way on important issues.

Governor-General of Rhodesia and Nyasaland

In 1957, Simon Ramsay was chosen to be the Governor-General of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. This was a very important job, like being the Queen's representative in a group of countries in Africa. He served there until 1963. After he left, the federation broke up. Two of the countries, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland, became independent countries called Zambia and Malawi. The third country, Southern Rhodesia, went back to being a self-governing colony, which meant it could make many of its own rules but was still connected to Britain.

He decided not to continue his work with the Colonial Service after this. He had to read a speech that strongly disagreed with the British Prime Minister's plans to end White rule in the Federation. Soon after, he left politics completely and went back to live on his family's estate. It's interesting because he actually didn't like politics much. He never even gave his first speech in the House of Lords, which is part of the British Parliament, until 1978.

Other Important Roles

Simon Ramsay received an honorary degree from Dalhousie University in Canada in 1953. This university was started in 1818 by an earlier Earl of Dalhousie.

He held several other important positions:

• He was Lord Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother from 1965 to 1992. This meant he helped manage her household.
• He was the Lord-Lieutenant of Angus from 1967 to 1989. This is a personal representative of the monarch in a county.
• He was the Chancellor of the University of Dundee from 1977 to 1992. A chancellor is usually the head of a university. A building at the university was named after him in 2008.

He was also a Lieutenant of the Royal Company of Archers, who are the monarch's bodyguards in Scotland. In 1971, Queen Elizabeth II made him a Knight of the Order of the Thistle, which is a very high honor. In 1985, he received a medal for 20 years of loyal service to the Royal Family.

Family Life

Lord Dalhousie married Margaret Stirling of Keir in June 1940. She was the daughter of a Member of Parliament. They had three sons and two daughters. When he passed away, his eldest son, James, became the next Earl.

• Lady Elizabeth Anne Ramsay (born 16 September 1941) married Richard Lumley in 1970. They have four children.
• Lady Sarah Mary Ramsay (born 18 October 1945) married Sir John Keswick in 1966. They have three sons.
• James Hubert Ramsay, 17th Earl of Dalhousie (born 17 January 1948) married Marilyn Butter in 1973. They have three children:
  • Lady Lorna Theresa Ramsay (born 6 February 1975) married Fergus Lefebvre in 2005. They have three sons.
  • Lady Alice Magdalene Ramsay (born 10 August 1977) is married to Michael Dickinson. They have one son.
  • Simon David Ramsay, Lord Ramsay (born 18 April 1981) married Kaitlin Kubinsky in 2016. They have one son.
• Hon. Anthony Ramsay (born 2 March 1949) married Georgina Astor in 1973 and later Vilma Salcedo in 1984. He has three children:
  • Alexander Simon Ramsay (born 12 January 1977)
  • Zoë Mary Ramsay (born 1984)
  • Isabella Ramsay (born 1986)
• Hon. John Patrick Ramsay (born 9 August 1952) married Louisa Jane d'Abo in 1981. They have two children:
  • Christopher Ramsay (born 18 February 1984)
  • Lucy Emma Ramsay (born 1985)