James Lindesay-Bethune, 16th Earl of Lindsay

James Randolph Lindesay-Bethune, 16th Earl of Lindsay, DL (born 19 November 1955), is a Scottish businessman and Conservative politician.

Early life

The son of David Lindesay-Bethune, 15th Earl of Lindsay, and his first wife Mary Douglas-Scott-Montagu, he was educated at Eton, the University of Edinburgh and the University of California, Davis.

Career

He succeeded his father as Earl of Lindsay in 1989. He was vice-chairman of the Inter-Party Union Committee on Environment 1994–95, and was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland from 1995 to 1997, during which time he was responsible for agriculture, fisheries and the environment. His work has been involved with the environment and the food industry. Between 2012 and 2017, Lord Lindsay was President of the National Trust of Scotland and appointed President of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute in April 2021.

Personal life

In 1982 he married Diana Mary Chamberlayne-Macdonald, a granddaughter of Sir Alexander Somerled Angus Bosville Macdonald of Sleat, 16th Baronet; the two have five children:

• Lady Frances Mary Lindesay-Bethune (born 1986), married to Rostislav Gabinsky. They have a son, Alexander Fabian (born 2018).
• Lady Alexandra Penelope Lindesay-Bethune (born 1988), married to Jack Coleman. They have two sons: Nicholas Tankerville Wallace (born 2019) and James Horatio Somerled (born 2021).
• William James Lindesay-Bethune, Viscount of Garnock, Master of Lindsay (b. 30 December 1990), engaged to Lady Violet Manners
• The Hon. David Nigel Lindesay-Bethune (born 1993)
• Lady Charlotte Lindesay-Bethune (born 1993), married to Prince Jaime, Duke of Noto, eldest child of Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria, on 25 September 2021 at Monreale Cathedral, Palermo. The couple has a daughter named Francesca Sofía.

The Countess of Lindsay is a patroness of the Royal Caledonian Ball and a master of the Fife Foxhounds.

Arms