Sir Blair Stewart-Wilson, British courtier died he was , 81

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Blair Aubyn Stewart-Wilson, KCVO was Equerry to Her Majesty The Queen and Deputy Master of the Household in the Royal Household from 1976 to 1994 died he was , 81.

(17 July 1929 – 24 May 2011)

Biography

Born Blair Aubyn Wilson in Chelsea to Aubyn Harold Raymond Wilson (a member of a cadet branch of the Royal House of Stuart), and his wife, Muriel Athelstan Hood Stewart-Stevens, 10th of Balnakeilly, Stewart-Wilson was educated at Eton College.

Family

In 1962, he married Helen Mary Fox; the couple had three daughters, including actress Belinda Stewart-Wilson.

Career

He joined the Scots Guards on 14 July 1949, three days before his 20th birthday, and was commissioned a lieutenant in the Atholl Highlanders (the Duke of Atholl's private regiment) in 1952. He served in the United Kingdom, the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR), and the Far East. From 1955 to 1957, he was adjutant of the 2nd Battalion of the Scots Guards, and Aide-de-Camp to the Governor-General of New Zealand 1957-1959, Viscount Cobham. In 1960-1962 he was Equerry to His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester. He was regimental adjutant 1966 to 1968. He was staff qualified, but did not attend the Staff College, Camberley.
Stewart-Wilson was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel and was a General Staff Officer Grade 1 (GSO1) in the foreign liaison section (Army) 1970 to 1973, and Defence Military and Air Attaché in Vienna, 1975-1976. In 1976 he joined The Queen's Household. He retired from active military service on 17 July 1984. In his later years he was a supernumerary list officer.
From 1994 until his death he served as Extra Equerry to Her Majesty The Queen.
He was HM's Representative Trustee on the Board of the Royal Armouries, from 1995 to 2004, and has served as the Somerset County Patron for the charity Cancer Research UK from 1997 to date.

Honours

He was made a LVO in 1983, a CVO in 1989 and a KCVO in 1994. He received the General Service Medal, the Campaign Service Medal, Borneo and Malaya bars, and the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (1953).

 

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