Steuart Pringle

Early life and education Pringle was born in Dover on 21 July 1928, the only child of Sir Norman Hamilton Pringle of Stichill, 9th Baronet (1903–1961), and his first wife, Winifred Olive Curran (died 1975).

Military career Pringle joined the Royal Marines in 1946. Promoted to major-general on 1 February 1978 (local major-general from 20 February 1978), he then became Major General Commando Forces.

Pringle went on to be chief of staff to the Commandant General Royal Marines in 1979 and Commandant General Royal Marines in 1981.

As Commandant General of the Royal Marines, he was seen welcoming the Commandos home following the Falklands War. He was named BBC Pebble Mill Man of the Year for his "outstanding achievement and bravery". He later returned to duties, and retired in June 1984.

Later life In retirement he became chairman and Chief Executive of the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust. and an Honorary LLD of Exeter University in 1994. He was also an Honorary Admiral of the Texas Navy.

In 2009, Sir Steuart agreed to DNA testing for a project launched by his first cousin Murray Pringle (born 1941), an accountant who was attempting to restore a clan chief to Clan Pringle, which has been an armigerous clan since 1737. The results indicated that Sir Steuart's paternal DNA was not consistent with that of other Pringles, but Murray heeded advice that the issue of the legitimate claimant to the baronetcy should not be contested during Sir Steuart's lifetime. After he died in 2013, both Simon (Sir Steuart's eldest son) and Murray attempted to claim the baronetcy. In 2016, a court agreed Murray Pringle was the rightful heir to the baronetcy instead of his first cousin once removed Simon, as DNA evidence demonstrated that Sir Steuart's father was not the biological son of Sir Norman Pringle, 8th Baronet. There were two younger sons – Ronald Steuart (1905–1968; Murray Pringle's father), and James Drummond (1906–1960). Norman Hamilton was proven with a "high degree of probability" to be fathered by someone outside the Pringle clan, and Sir Steuart and his father were removed posthumously from the Official Roll of the Baronetage. Murray Pringle was declared the 10th Baronet and his father the de jure 9th Baronet. However, as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, Sir Steuart was still styled as Sir.