The Queen is pleased to appoint Mr Roderick Macduff Urquhart as Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for East Lothian in succession to Major Michael Williams MBE, who is due to retire on 15th March.
Background
Roderick Urquhart, whose early years were spent living in Stenton in East Lothian, was educated at Loretto School, Musselburgh. He later read Law at University and subsequently joined the family law firm Urquharts in Edinburgh, in 1982. He is the fourth generation of his family to have worked for the firm, which was established in 1876. He has been Senior Partner since 2009, and is due to retire from Urquharts on 31 March 2021. In addition to being a solicitor, Mr Urquhart is a Writer to the Signet and a Notary Public. In his professional life, he has sat on various management and executive committees, including the Society of Writers to Her Majesty’s Signet, and the Boards of various private companies and family trusts.
In 1990, Mr Urquhart was appointed Clerk to the Governors of Loretto School, a post he held for 19 years. He worked closely with the Chairman of the Board of Governors, and with the Heads and Bursar, and was responsible for providing administrative support.
In 1997, he was elected as a member of the High Constables and Guard of Honour of Holyroodhouse. His obligations include assisting with Royal visits to the Palace, and with the Lord High Commissioner’s Week. He has been a senior Office Bearer for the past six years, and was previously Captain of the Guard.
Mr Urquhart became a Trustee of the Lamp of Lothian Trust in 2009, and he sat on the Trust for nine years before retirement. The Trust, based in Haddington, East Lothian, is a key provider of an extensive range of buildings available for community use.
In 2016, he was appointed Deputy Lieutenant for East Lothian.
