Catherine Margaret Mary Maxwell Stuart, 21st Lady of TraquairDL(born 16 November 1964) is a Scottish landowner, politician, hotelier, brewer, and writer. She is the first femaleLairdofTraquairand, at the time she succeeded her father in 1990, she was the only female laird in Scotland. She took over the management of thelairdshipfrom her mother in 1999, which includes a bed and breakfast and ancient brewery. A lifelongsocialist,Maxwell Stuart ran for public office four times as aLabour Partycandidate, including in the2003 Scottish Parliament electionand the2007 Scottish Parliament election.
Lady of Traquair | |
|---|---|
| Lord Lieutenant of Tweeddale | |
| Assumed office 28 August 2024 | |
| Monarch | Charles III |
| Preceded by | Sir Hew Strachan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Catherine Margaret Mary Maxwell Stuart 16 November 1964 Peebles,Scottish Borders,Scotland |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse(s) |
John Grey
(m.1995; died 1998)Mark Muller (m.1999) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Peter Maxwell Stuart Flora Carr-Saunders |
| Relatives | Clan Stewart |
| Education | Peebles High School |
| Alma mater | London School of Economics |
| Occupation | landowner, hotelier, brewer, politician, writer |
Early life and family
editMaxwell Stuart was born in 1964 to Captain Peter D'Arcy Joseph Maxwell Stuart, 20th Laird of Traquair and Flora Mary Carr-Saunders Maxwell Stuart, Lady of Traquair.[1][2][3]As a member of arecusantfamily, she was raised in theRoman Catholicfaith.[1][4][5]Her father was an officer in theBritish Indian Armyand a managing director atVickers.Maxwell Stuart's maternal grandfather wasSir Alexander Carr-Saunders.She is a great-great-granddaughter ofWilliam Constable-Maxwell, 10th Lord Herries of Terregles.
A member of theClan Stewartand a descendant of theClan Maxwell,Maxwell Stuart is a relative of theHouse of Stuartand descends from the first laird in the female line through Henry Constable Maxwell Stuart.[1][6][7][8]She is also a descendant ofMary, Queen of Scots.[9][10]Maxwell Stuart grew up atTraquair House,her family's estate in theScottish Borders.[11]She was educated atTraquairPrimary School andPeebles High SchoolinPeeblesshire.[12]
Lairdship and career
edit
In 1999, Maxwell Stuart took over the management of the Traquair estate from her mother, who had taken over after the death of the twentieth laird in 1990.[13]Prior to her return to Scotland, she was working as a teacher in South America.[14]At the time she inherited, she was the only femaleLairdin Scotland and the first female laird of Traquair.[14][11]As a Scottish Laird, she is entitled to the old style of address ofThe Much Honouredand the title "Lady of Traquair".[15]Traquair is the oldest continually inhabited stately home in Scotland.[16][17][18]The castle was given to James Stuart, 1st Laird of Traquair, who was an illegitimate son ofJames Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchanand a cousin ofJames III of Scotland,in 1491.[17][19]Maxwell Stuart operates abed and breakfastand abreweryat the castle, and works as a tour guide at the estate.[17][20][21][22]She also hosts weddings, formal events, and summer festivities at Traquair.[1][23]She owns the house in partnership with a charitable trust.[1]
Asocialist,in 1999 Maxwell Stuart ran as aLabour Partycandidate in a local government election, representingInnerleithenandWalkerburn,for theScottish Borders Council.[14][12]She lost by ninety votes.[14]In 2000 she ran as aLabourcandidate forRoxburghandBerwickshirein the General Election.[14][12]Her platform included the construction of a new train rail, tackling crime, raising minimum wage, and increasing jobs in theScottish Borders.[14]She ran in the2003 Scottish Parliament electionand the2007 Scottish Parliament electionas a Labour candidate forTweeddale, Ettrick, and Lauderdale.
In 2016, Maxwell Stuart accepted the Four Star Gold Quality Assurance Award fromVisitScotlandon behalf of Traquair House.[17]That same year, she was featured in aBBCdocumentary titledLady Lairds,which followed women owners of castles andcountry houses.[10]
She has written two books,All for Our Rightful King: Traquair's Jacobite Story, 1688–1842andA Family Life Revealed: The Stuarts at Traquair 1491–1875.[24]
In April 2021, she was featured on theDuchesspodcast, where she was interviewed byEmma Manners, Duchess of Rutland.[11]
In August 2024, Maxwell Stuart was appointedLord Lieutenant of Tweeddale,succeedingSir Hew Strachan.[25]
Personal life
editMaxwell Stuart is a practising Catholic.[11]TheNational Portrait Galleryholds a 1992 portrait of Stuart.[26]
In 1995 she married fashion designer John Grey in a Catholic ceremony at Traquair's chapel.[14]Her husband died in 1998 from cancer.[14][11]In 1999 she married Mark Muller, a human rights attorney.[14][12]She met Muller in the 1980s while studying at theLondon School of Economics,and the two had been friends prior to their marriage.[11]She has three children: Isabella, Louis, and Charlotte.[1][4][14]
References
edit- ^abcdef"Traquair Castle House near Edinburgh, The Oldest Historical Inhabited House in Scotland".Celtic Castles.Retrieved16 April2021.
- ^"Brill".brill.se.
- ^"Records of Traquair House Brewery Ltd, brewers, Innerleithen, Scotland – Archives Hub".archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk.
- ^ab"Having the Run of Traquair House, A Mansion Dating to 1107 and Home of the Stuart Royal Family".15 August 2015.
- ^"After 800 years, the Maxwells are forced to admit it's time for a move".The Independent.16 August 2013.
- ^"Traquair House".17 October 2016.
- ^"History of the Stewarts | Castles and Buildings | Traquair House".www.stewartsociety.org.
- ^"A brief history of Traquair and the family".Traquair House.14 March 2017.Retrieved16 April2021.
- ^"Traquair House is in the Scottish Borders region and dates from 1107".Visitors Guide to Scotland.15 December 2020.
- ^ab"Lady of Traquair bucks male trend in BBC documentary".Peeblesshire News.30 March 2016.
- ^abcdef"Catherine Maxwell Stuart of Traquair House – Duchess".www.duchessthepodcast.com.
- ^abcd"Taken as red Scotland's socialist lady laird is set to challenge 20 years of voting habits in the Borders – as well as becoming a mother for the second time".The Herald.Glasgow. 14 July 2000.
- ^"Lady Lairds, The ladies challenging tradition by running their own Scottish highland estates – Catherine Maxwell-Stuart – Laird of Traquair".BBC.13 April 2021.Retrieved16 April2021.
- ^abcdefghij"Lady of Traquair goes into battle Scotland's only woman laird gets set to fight Commons seat for Blair".HeraldScotland.
- ^Adam, Frank (1970).The Clans, Septs & Regiments of the Scottish Highlands.Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 410.ISBN978-0-8063-0448-9.
- ^"Lady Lairds, The ladies challenging tradition by running their own Scottish highland estates - Traquair House - Scotland's oldest inhabited house".BBC One.Retrieved16 April2021.
- ^abcd"Four star Borders B&B is certified as fit for a king".The Southern Reporter.28 June 2016.
- ^"Traquair House | Restoration/Conservation | Projects | Groves-Raines".www.grovesraines.com.
- ^Meshkin, Lauren (April 2017)."A Night At Traquair House: Scotland's Oldest Inhabited House".Bon Voyage, Lauren!.
- ^"Lady Lairds, The ladies challenging tradition by running their own Scottish highland estates – Inside Traquair".BBC One.13 April 2021.Retrieved16 April2021.
- ^"Traquair House Brewery, Innerleithen – Breweries".VisitScotland.
- ^"History of Traquair House, the oldest inhabited Scottish Castle".About Scotland.
- ^"Welcome to Traquair, our very special family home".Traquair House.Retrieved16 April2021.
- ^"Catherine Maxwell Stuart".Goodreads.Retrieved16 April2021.
- ^"Appointment of Lord-Lieutenant for Tweeddale: 28 August 2024".GOV.UK.Retrieved29 August2024.
- ^"Catherine Maxwell Stuart, 21st Lady of Traquair – National Portrait Gallery".www.npg.org.uk.