Charles Bruce (Lord Bruce) is married to Dr Alice Enders and has five children. He was educated at Eton College; University of St Andrews (MA Hons); University of Dundee (MSc). (Dr Enders’ father, Tom Enders, was US ambassador in Ottawa from 1976-79. Alice attended Ottawa and Queen’s Universities.)

A Page of Honour to HM the Queen Mother, 1975–77; Deputy Chairman Association for Protection of Rural Scotland, 1998–2001; Director, Scottish Lime Centre Trust, 1994–; Director, Environmental Trust for Scotland, 1996–2012. Member International Advisory Council, International Academic Forum, 2010–; Trustee, Historic Scotland Foundation, 2001–2016; Chairman Patrons, National Galleries of Scotland, 2006–11; Patron, Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies, Edinburgh Napier University, 2011–; Chairman, Kolkata Scottish Heritage Trust, 2008–; Director, Canadian Friends of Scotland Foundation, 2006–; Honorary President, St Andrew Society 2007–12; Hon. Patron, Japan Society of Scotland, 2008–; President, The Democracy Forum 2016-; Hon. Keeper, Keepers of the Quaich, 2009; President, Dunfermline United Burns Club, 2011 (Chairman, 2005–10); Member, Queen’s Bodyguard for Scotland, Royal Company of Archers, 2003; Deputy Lieutenant, Fife, 1997; Hon. Major, 31 Combat Engineer Regt (The Elgins), Canadian Forces, 2007; FSAScot; Paolozzi Gold Medal, National Galleries of Scotland, 2012.

He is eldest son and heir to Andrew Bruce, 11th Earl of Elgin & 15th Earl of Kincardine KT, 37th Chief of the Name of Bruce.

His father, The Earl of Elgin, is Colonel of the Regiment, 31 Combat Engineer Regiment (The Elgins; in Waterloo and St. Thomas, ON) and he has been deputising for him for 10 years as Hon Major. Lord Bruce’s father and grandfather have served continuously as Hon Colonel of the same Canadian regiment for an unbroken period of 80 years. (The Elgins existed before the Confederation of Canada, tracing their origin to 1866 when the Militia Act officially created the 25th, Elgin, Battalion of Infantry from five local militia companies.)

His great-grandfather, Victor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin, was born in Montreal in 1849. The only child born in Canada for whom Queen Victoria agreed to be godmother.

His great-great-grandfather, James Bruce 8th Earl of Elgin, was Governor General of Canada from 1848-54. He married (secondly) Mary Louisa Lambton, (daughter of the 1st Earl of Durham). He was the first Governor General to read the speech from the throne in both official languages, and the only Governor General to be threatened by mob violence. (He was the only Governor General, who was ejected from both the St Andrews Society of Montreal and the Thistle Curling Club). His principal task was to enact the Durham Report. He introduced responsible government in 1849 with the passage of the Rebellion Losses Bill but suffered the destruction of the parliament building in Montreal. He calmed the Annexation Movement and prevented the colonial government from abandoning British North America. In 1854 he negotiated the most advantageous free trade agreement in the history of Canada's bilateral relations with the US. He introduced the Canadian postal system and was the first to use the maple leaf as an official emblem. His last act was to select Bytown (Ottawa) for the site of the dominion capital. Lord Bruce’s great-great-great-grandfather was Jack Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, author of the Durham Report.