John Dalrymple, 14th Earl of Stair

John David James Dalrymple, 14th Earl of Stair (born 4 September 1961) is a British politician and a former crossbench member of the House of Lords.

Background

Stair is the eldest child of John Dalrymple, 13th Earl of Stair and Davina Katherine Bowes-Lyon (2 May 1930 1 November 2017), daughter of David Bowes-Lyon, brother of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

Lord Stair's mother, Davina, therefore, was a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and he is a second cousin of The King, The Princess Royal, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and The Duke of Edinburgh. Through his mother, he is descended from the Bowes-Lyon, Astor, and Cavendish-Bentinck families. Educated at Harrow School & RMA Sandhurst, he served with 2nd Battalion Scots Guards in the Falklands War. Through his paternal-grandmother, Violet Evelyn Dalrymple (Née Harford), he is a direct descendent of Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore, the Calvert family were the founders and Proprietors of the Province of Maryland.

Political career

Upon inheriting his peerage in 1996, Lord Stair entered the House of Lords and sat as a crossbencher. In 1999, the House of Lords Act removed the rights of all hereditary peers to sit in the House; however, ninety-two peers were permitted to remain in the House, elected by other peers. He failed to be elected at that time. Following the death of Davina Ingrams, 18th Baroness Darcy de Knayth in 2008, Lord Stair was elected to the Lords. On 13 October 2011, he made a speech in the Aviation Debate.

Family Lord Stair married Emily Mary Julia Stonor (daughter of Ralph Stonor, 7th Baron Camoys, and Elizabeth Mary Hyde Parker) in 2006. They have two children.

Arms