Catherine Maxwell Stuart, 21st Lady of Traquair

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific_prefix = The Much Honoured

| name = Lady of Traquair

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100|DL}}

| image =

| caption =

| office = Lord Lieutenant of Tweeddale

| term_start = 28 August 2024

| monarch = Charles III

| predecessor = Sir Hew Strachan

| birth_name = Catherine Margaret Mary Maxwell Stuart

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|11|16|df=y}}

| birth_place = Peebles, Scottish Borders, Scotland

| nationality = British

| parents = 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

| spouse = {{marriage|John Grey|1995|1998|end=died}}
{{marriage|Mark Muller|1999}}

| children = 3

}}

Catherine Margaret Mary Maxwell Stuart, 21st Lady of Traquair {{post-nominals|country=GBR|DL}} (born 16 November 1964) is a Scottish landowner, politician, hotelier, brewer, and writer. She is the first female Laird of Traquair and, at the time she succeeded her father in 1990, she was the only female laird in Scotland. She took over the management of the lairdship from her mother in 1999, which includes a bed and breakfast and ancient brewery. A lifelong socialist, Maxwell Stuart ran for public office four times as a Labour Party candidate, including in the 2003 Scottish Parliament election and the 2007 Scottish Parliament election.

Early life and family

Maxwell 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.{{cite web | title=Traquair Castle House near Edinburgh, The Oldest Historical Inhabited House in Scotland | website=Celtic Castles | url=https://www.celticcastles.com/castles/traquair/history.aspx | access-date=16 April 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://brill.se/en/producers/traquair|title=Brill|website=brill.se}}{{Cite web|url=https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb248-th|title=Records of Traquair House Brewery Ltd, brewers, Innerleithen, Scotland – Archives Hub|website=archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk}} As a member of a recusant family, she was raised in the Roman Catholic faith.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/after-800-years-the-maxwells-are-forced-to-admit-it-s-time-for-a-move-284616.html|title=After 800 years, the Maxwells are forced to admit it's time for a move|date=16 August 2013|website=The Independent}} Her father was an officer in the British Indian Army and a managing director at Vickers. Maxwell Stuart's maternal grandfather was Sir Alexander Carr-Saunders. She is a great-great-granddaughter of William Constable-Maxwell, 10th Lord Herries of Terregles.

A member of the Clan Stewart and a descendant of the Clan Maxwell, Maxwell Stuart is a relative of the House of Stuart and descends from the first laird in the female line through Henry Constable Maxwell Stuart.{{Cite web|url=https://adventureandanxiety.com/2016/10/traquair-house/|title=Traquair House.|date=17 October 2016}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.stewartsociety.org/history-of-the-stewarts.cfm?section=castles-and-buildings&subcatid=8&histid=541|title=History of the Stewarts | Castles and Buildings | Traquair House|website=www.stewartsociety.org}}{{cite web | title=A brief history of Traquair and the family | website=Traquair House | date=14 March 2017 | url=https://www.traquair.co.uk/history-of-traquair/ | access-date=16 April 2021}} She is also a descendant of Mary, Queen of Scots.{{Cite web|url=https://www.visitorsguidetoscotland.com/2020/12/traquair-house/|title=Traquair House is in the Scottish Borders region and dates from 1107.|date=15 December 2020|website=Visitors Guide to Scotland}} Maxwell Stuart grew up at Traquair House, her family's estate in the Scottish Borders. She was educated at Traquair Primary School and Peebles High School in Peeblesshire.

Lairdship and career

File:Traquair House - geograph.org.uk - 13310.jpg

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.{{cite web | title=Lady Lairds, The ladies challenging tradition by running their own Scottish highland estates – Catherine Maxwell-Stuart – Laird of Traquair | website=BBC | date=13 April 2021 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03ltgqv/p03lxyfc | access-date=16 April 2021}} Prior to her return to Scotland, she was working as a teacher in South America. At the time she inherited, she was the only female Laird in Scotland and the first female laird of Traquair.{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12193823.lady-of-traquair-goes-into-battle-scotlands-only-woman-laird-gets-set-to-fight-commons-seat-for-blair/|title=Lady of Traquair goes into battle Scotland's only woman laird gets set to fight Commons seat for Blair|website=HeraldScotland}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.duchessthepodcast.com/episode/catherine-maxwell-stuart-of-traquair-house|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416041031/https://www.duchessthepodcast.com/episode/catherine-maxwell-stuart-of-traquair-house|url-status=usurped|archive-date=16 April 2021|title=Catherine Maxwell Stuart of Traquair House – Duchess|website=www.duchessthepodcast.com}} As a Scottish Laird, she is entitled to the old style of address of The Much Honoured and the title "Lady of Traquair".{{Cite book|last=Adam|first=Frank|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_U0Ii-Om3EwC&q=%22The+Much+Honoured%22+laird&pg=PA410|title=The Clans, Septs & Regiments of the Scottish Highlands|page=410|date=1970|publisher=Genealogical Publishing Com|isbn=978-0-8063-0448-9|language=en}} Traquair is the oldest continually inhabited stately home in Scotland.{{cite web | title=Lady Lairds, The ladies challenging tradition by running their own Scottish highland estates - Traquair House - Scotland's oldest inhabited house | website=BBC One | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03ltgqv/p03lxy11 | access-date=16 April 2021}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/four-star-borders-bb-certified-fit-king-811445|title=Four star Borders B&B is certified as fit for a king |newspaper=The Southern Reporter |date=2016-06-28}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.grovesraines.com/projects/restorationconservation/traquair-house-th0l|title=Traquair House | Restoration/Conservation | Projects | Groves-Raines|website=www.grovesraines.com}} The castle was given to James Stuart, 1st Laird of Traquair, who was an illegitimate son of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan and a cousin of James III of Scotland, in 1491.{{Cite web |url=http://bonvoyagelauren.com/night-traquair-house-scotlands-oldest-inhabited-house/ |title=A Night At Traquair House: Scotland's Oldest Inhabited House |first=Lauren |last=Meshkin |work=Bon Voyage, Lauren! |date=April 2017}} Maxwell Stuart operates a bed and breakfast and a brewery at the castle, and works as a tour guide at the estate.{{cite web | title=Lady Lairds, The ladies challenging tradition by running their own Scottish highland estates – Inside Traquair | website=BBC One | date=13 April 2021 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03ltgqv/p03ltnwq | access-date=16 April 2021}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/traquair-house-brewery-p1059061 |title=Traquair House Brewery, Innerleithen – Breweries |website=VisitScotland}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.aboutscotland.com/traquair/brewery.html |title=History of Traquair House, the oldest inhabited Scottish Castle |website=About Scotland}} She also hosts weddings, formal events, and summer festivities at Traquair.{{cite web | title=Welcome to Traquair, our very special family home | website=Traquair House | url=https://www.traquair.co.uk/about-traquair/ | access-date=16 April 2021}} She owns the house in partnership with a charitable trust.

A socialist, in 1999 Maxwell Stuart ran as a Labour Party candidate in a local government election, representing Innerleithen and Walkerburn, for the Scottish Borders Council. She lost by ninety votes. In 2001 she ran as a Labour candidate for Roxburgh and Berwickshire in the General Election.{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12184748.taken-as-red-scotlands-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/|title=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 |website=The Herald |location=Glasgow |date=2000-07-14}} Her platform included the construction of a new railway line, tackling crime, raising the minimum wage, and increasing the number of jobs in the Scottish Borders. She ran in the 2003 Scottish Parliament election and the 2007 Scottish Parliament election as a Labour candidate for Tweeddale, Ettrick, and Lauderdale.

In 2016, Maxwell Stuart accepted the Four Star Gold Quality Assurance Award from VisitScotland on behalf of Traquair House. That same year, she was featured in a BBC documentary titled Lady Lairds, which followed women owners of castles and country houses.{{Cite news |url=https://www.peeblesshirenews.com/news/14392267.lady-of-traquair-bucks-male-trend-in-bbc-documentary/ |title=Lady of Traquair bucks male trend in BBC documentary |newspaper=Peeblesshire News|date=2016-03-30}}

She has written two books, All for Our Rightful King: Traquair's Jacobite Story, 1688–1842 and A Family Life Revealed: The Stuarts at Traquair 1491–1875.{{cite web | title=Catherine Maxwell Stuart | website=Goodreads | url=https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6479208.Catherine_Maxwell_Stuart | access-date=16 April 2021}}

In April 2021, she was featured on the Duchess podcast, where she was interviewed by Emma Manners, Duchess of Rutland.

In August 2024, Maxwell Stuart was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Tweeddale, succeeding Sir Hew Strachan.{{cite web |title=Appointment of Lord-Lieutenant for Tweeddale: 28 August 2024 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/appointment-of-lord-lieutenant-for-tweeddale-28-august-2024 |access-date=29 August 2024 |website=GOV.UK}}

Personal life

Maxwell Stuart is a practising Catholic. The National Portrait Gallery holds a 1992 portrait of Stuart.{{Cite web|url=https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp143307/catherine-maxwell-stuart-21st-lady-of-traquair|title=Catherine Maxwell Stuart, 21st Lady of Traquair – National Portrait Gallery|website=www.npg.org.uk}}

In 1995 she married fashion designer John Grey in a Catholic ceremony at Traquair's chapel. Her husband died in 1998 from cancer. In 1999 she married Mark Muller, a human rights lawyer. She met Muller in the 1980s while studying at the London School of Economics, and the two had been friends prior to their marriage. Muller was the Labour candidate for Windsor at the 2001 General Election. She has three children: Isabella, Louis, and Charlotte.{{Cite web|url=https://exploringeuropeandrussia.wordpress.com/2015/08/15/having-the-run-of-a-mansion-dating-to-the-1400s/|title=Having the Run of Traquair House, A Mansion Dating to 1107 and Home of the Stuart Royal Family|date=15 August 2015}}