Background
Bruce is the eldest son of Edward Bruce, 10th Earl of Elgin and the Honourable Katherine Elizabeth Cochrane, daughter of Thomas Cochrane, 1st Baron Cochrane of Cults.
Bruce is the eldest son of Edward Bruce, 10th Earl of Elgin and the Honourable Katherine Elizabeth Cochrane, daughter of Thomas Cochrane, 1st Baron Cochrane of Cults.
He was educated at Eton and at Balliol College, Oxford.
He served in the 3rd (Armoured) Bn Scots Guards as a lieutenant and was wounded in the break out from Normandy in August 1944. Since 1970, he has been Colonel-in-Chief of the 31 Combat Engineer Regiment (The Elgins), and was Honorary Colonel of the 153 (Highland) Transport Regiment from 1976 to 1986.
Elgin has held a number of business appointments, including as President of the Scottish Amicable Life Assurance Society (1975–1994), and Chairman of the National Savings Committee for Scotland.
He was President of the Royal Scottish Automobile Club, and the Scottish motor racing team, Ecurie Ecosse. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1951, was Deputy Lieutenant of Fife 1955–1987, and Lord Lieutenant 1987–1999.
In 1982 Her Majesty The Queen installed him as a Knight of the Thistle. He is a former Captain of the Royal Company of Archers and a former convenor of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs.
He was County Cadet Commandant for Fife from 1952 to 1965, Brigade President of the Boys" Brigade from 1966 to 1985, and Grand Master Mason of Scotland from 1961 to 1965.
He is a Freeman of Bridgetown, Regina, Saskatchewan, Portuguese Elgin, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Saint Thomas, Ontario, and Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Lord Elgin is a former President of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club, and is the Life President of the Broomhall Curling Club. He skipped the Scottish curling teams that defeated the Governor General of Canada"s teams in a series of matches in Ottawa in 1982.
Charles Edward Bruce, Lord Bruce married Amanda Grimes (divorced 1996)
The Honorary
Alexander Bruce
The Honorary Adam Bruce
The Lady Georgina Bruce
The Lady Antonia Bruce.
The Countess is a Patroness of the Royal Caledonian Balliol The Earl succeeded to the earldoms and other titles on the death of his father in 1968.
Lord Elgin is Chief of Clan Bruce, and President of the Bruce Organization which is the main association for members of the Bruce family.