Timothy Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 7th Earl of Minto

The Right Honourable
The Earl of Minto
The Right Honourable The Earl of Minto
	Official portrait, 2023
Shadow Minister for Defence
	In office; 1 September 2024 – 29 April 2026
Leader	Rishi Sunak; Kemi Badenoch
Preceded by	The Lord Coaker
Minister of State for Defence
	In office; 14 November 2023 – 5 July 2024
Prime Minister	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	The Baroness Goldie
Succeeded by	The Lord Coaker
Minister of State for Regulatory Reform
	In office; 27 March 2023 – 13 November 2023
Prime Minister	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	The Lord Johnson of Lainston
Member of the House of Lords; Lord Temporal
	Incumbent
	Life peerage ; 17 June 2026
	Elected Hereditary Peer; 25 October 2022 – 29 April 2026
By-election	2022
Preceded by	The 3rd Baron Colwyn
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Personal details
Born	1 December 1953
Party	Conservative
Spouse	Diana Barbara Trafford (m. 1983)
Children	4
Parents	Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 6th Earl of Minto; Lady Caroline Child Villiers;

Gilbert Timothy George Lariston Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 7th Earl of Minto, Baron Minto of Burncrooks (/kɪˈnɪnmənd/;^[1] born 1 December 1953), styled Viscount Melgund between 1975 and 2005, is a British hereditary peer, businessman, and Conservative member of the House of Lords. He was previously the chief executive of British stationery company Paperchase.^[2] He is a descendant of King Henry VII of England.

Early Life and family

He is the son of the late Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 6th Earl of Minto and his first wife, Lady Caroline Child Villiers. Lord Minto resides in Minto in Roxburghshire.

He succeeded his father in the earldom on 7 September 2005. His father's estate has been the subject of a dispute between Lord Minto and his father's third wife.^[3]

He was an officer in the Scots Guards from 1972 to 1976.^[4]

On 30 July 1983, he married Diana Barbara Trafford, daughter of Brian and Audrey (née Taylor) Trafford.^[5]^[6] They have two sons and one daughter; a second son is deceased.

House of Lords

Lord Minto became a member of the House of Lords in October 2022, having finished second in a by-election to replace both the Viscount Ullswater and the Baron Colwyn.^[7]

On 27 March 2023, Lord Minto was appointed Minister of State in the Department for Business and Trade and served in that role until 14 November 2023 when he was appointed Minister of State for Defence.^[8] He was appointed Shadow Minister for Defence under Rishi Sunak, and was reappointed by Kemi Badenoch.^[9]

In May 2026, it was announced that he was to be given one of 26 new life peerages, returning him to the House of Lords after the coming into force of the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026.^[10]

Arms

Coat of arms of Timothy Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 7th Earl of Minto
	Crest A dexter arm embowed issuant from clouds, throwing a dart, all proper.. Escutcheon Quarterly : 1st and 4th grand quarters, quarterly; 1st and 4th, argent, a hunting-horn sable, stringed gules, in the dexter chief point a crescent of the last ; on a chief wavy azure, three mullets of the field (Murray of Melgund) ; 2nd and 3rd, azure, a chevron argent, between three fleurs-de-lis or (Kynynmound of that ilk) ; 2nd and 3rd grand quarters, gules, on a bend engrailed or, a baton azure, within a bordure vair (Elliot, of Minto) ; over all, a chief of augmentation argent, charged with a Moor's head couped in profile proper., being the arms of Corsica. Supporters Dexter, an Indian sheep, sinister, a fawn, all proper. Motto Non eget arcu (He needs not the bow); Below: Suaviter et fortiter (Mildy and firmly).^[11]

Children

Gilbert Francis Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, Viscount Melgund (b. 1984)
The Hon. Lorne David Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound (b. & d. 1986)
The Hon. Michael Timothy Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound (b. 1987)
Lady Clare Patricia Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound (b. 1991)

References

↑ Pointon, G. E. (1983). BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 137. ISBN 0-19-282745-6.
↑ "Lady Minto lifts lid on bitter legacy". The Scotsman. 25 May 2008. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
↑ "Lady Minto chases cleaning jobs, but says she's owed £90k". The Scotsman. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
↑ Who's Who 2017
↑ Leo van der Pas "Descendants of Princess Mary Tudor of England" Archived 4 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine
↑ "Conqueror 154". william1.co.uk. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
↑ "Hereditary peers' by-election, October 2022: result" (PDF). Parliament.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
↑ "Ministerial appointment: 27 March 2023". GOV.UK (Press release). 27 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
↑ "Parliamentary career".
↑ "Political Peerages May 2026". GOV.UK. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
↑ Burke's peerage and baronetage. 1915. pp. 1271–1274.

[1] Pointon, G. E. (1983). BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 137. ISBN 0-19-282745-6.

[Yesreally-2] "Lady Minto lifts lid on bitter legacy". The Scotsman. 25 May 2008. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2010.

[3] "Lady Minto chases cleaning jobs, but says she's owed £90k". The Scotsman. Retrieved 22 December 2022.

[4] Who's Who 2017

[5] Leo van der Pas "Descendants of Princess Mary Tudor of England" Archived 4 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine

[6] "Conqueror 154". william1.co.uk. Retrieved 6 February 2022.

[7] "Hereditary peers' by-election, October 2022: result" (PDF). Parliament.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2022.

[8] "Ministerial appointment: 27 March 2023". GOV.UK (Press release). 27 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.

[9] "Parliamentary career".

[10] "Political Peerages May 2026". GOV.UK. Retrieved 13 May 2026.

[11] Burke's peerage and baronetage. 1915. pp. 1271–1274.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]