The Queen re-appoints Duke of Buccleuch as Lord High Commissioner for GA 2019

Published on 3 October 2018

The Queen has re-appointed the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry as the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly in 2019.

The Duke of Buccleuch with Rt Rev Susan Brown
Lord High Commisioner His Grace Richard Scott, Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, with Rt Rev Susan Brown, Moderator of the 2018 General Assembly

The appointment was announced in a statement from the Prime Minister's office, which said:

"The Queen has approved that His Grace Richard Walter John Montagu Douglas Scott, The Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, KBE, DL, FSA, FRSE, be re-appointed as Her Majesty's Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 2019."

The Lord High Commissioner is the Sovereign's personal representative to the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. During General Assembly week from the 18-24 of May 2019, the Duke of Buchleuch will attend on behalf of the Sovereign. He will make the opening and closing addresses to the Assembly, as well as carrying out official visits.

His Grace served as Lord High Commissioner in 2018, taking the opportunity to visit the Threshold youth service in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, run by the Kirk's social care arm, CrossReach.

He praised staff at the youth service who had dedicated their lives to "looking after those with constant needs in a loving Christian way" for at least 20-years.

His Grace also praised the Heart and Soul festival, saying he had enjoyed the "infectious atmosphere" and had "learned much about the Church he didn't know."