A memorial service has been held for the late 18th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne at a place close to his heart in England.
Family, friends, colleague and residents joined together to remember Michael Fergus Bowes-Lyon at a memorial service in Middleton-in-Teesdale on Thursday.
The Queen’s cousin died after a “courageous battle with cancer” in February, aged 58.
Lord Strathmore became earl after succeeding his father, Fergus Bowes-Lyon in 1987, and was also the great-nephew of the Queen Mother.
Known as “Mikey”, he was born in June 1957 and spent his childhood on the family’s Scottish estate Glamis, near Forfar, where he settled permanently from 1972.
Educated at Eton and Aberdeen University, he served in the Scots Guards between 1980 and 1984 before working for stockbroker, Strauss Turnbull and Tarmac in London and then becoming a Conservative Whip and Deputy Chief Whip in government from 1989 to 1994.
He owned swathes of Teesdale, in County Durham, where he would often stay at his second home, Holwick Hall, near Middleton-in-Teesdale.
His voluntary roles included being patron of both The Friends of the Bowes Museum and the Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services.
Lord Strathmore led a colourful life and married three times.
Speaking at the thanksgiving service held at the Church of St Mary the Virgin, close friend Jonathan Nainby-Luxmoore paid tribute to Lord Strathmore before his sons took the readings.
He said the earl was “enormously proud” of his four years spent in the Scots Guards and while he thoroughly enjoyed his time in Parliament, it was Teesdale that “held his heart”.
He also said the earl was fond of “tinkering” with anything and everything which once led to him spray painting someone else’s Land Rover, but he also had a great sense of humour.
Anecdotes included a time when Lord Strathmore was in Barnard Castle and saw two young women from London drenched in the rain after visiting their boyfriends in HMYOI Deerbolt.
He took them to Boyes and bought them coats.
Dr Nainby-Luxmoore said: “Quite simply, everybody loved him.
“His magnificent sense of humour, generosity, all coupled with that wicked smile. He was unassuming, generous and concerned for others.”
