Seymour Monro


Seymour Hector Russell Hale Monro is a former officer in the British Army and current Lord Lieutenant of Moray.

Earliest life and education

Monro is the eldest son of Hector Monro, Baron Monro of Langholm, and was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 7 May 1950. He was educated at Cargilfield Preparatory School and Glenalmond College, both independent schools in Scotland.

Career

Military service

He was commissioned into the Queen's Own Highlanders in 1970 from RMA Sandhurst and was awarded the Sword of Honour. He commanded the 1st Battalion  Queens Own Highlanders in Belfast and in the First Gulf War. Subsequently, he commanded the 39 Infantry Brigade in Belfast and later was the United Kingdom's Director of Infantry. His last military appointment was as Deputy Commander of the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps, in Italy.

Business career

Monro later became Executive Director of the Atlantic Salmon Trust and Adjutant of The Queen's Body Guard for Scotland and later Chairman of the Highlanders’ Museum at Fort George where he was responsible for its £2.75 million upgrade project. He has also been Chairman of the Prince's Trust in the Highlands and of the Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Fisheries’ trust. He served on the board of Cairngorm Mountain Ltd.
He was instrumental in establishing The Highland Military Tattoo at Fort George in 2014 and was its Executive Chairman and Tattoo Director until it ceased in 2017. He was also Honorary Air Commodore of 2622 Squadron The Royal Auxiliary Air Force at RAF Lossiemouth from 2008 to 2019.
He is currently Chairman of the Northern Meeting Piping Trust. He is also Honorary President of Forres and District Pipe Band, of the Forres Branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland, of Forres in Bloom and of the Brisbane Observatory Trust in Largs. He is also Chairman of the Leanchoil Trust which will turn the former cottage hospital in Forres into a Veterans’ Activity Centre and a local community health and wellbeing hub.

Honours

Monro is appointed as Her Majesty The Queen's Lord-Lieutenant for Moray to succeed Lieutenant Colonel Grenville Johnston CVO OBE TD, who retired on 28 January 2020.
He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1996, and was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 2010.