Noble, merchant banker, land-owner, reforming Lord Chamberlain and loyal servant to Queen Elizabeth II. Born in Westminster into an old Scottish family, Airlie was the eldest son of another David Ogilvy, the 12th Earl of Airlie (1893 - 1968). A childhood friend of Queen Elizabeth II, he was educated at Eton and commissioned into the Scots Guards in 1944, seeing active service in Europe and the Far East. In 1953 he joined the merchant bank Schroders in London, rising the became a Director in 1961 and Chairman in 1973. In 1984, Airlie was appointed Lord Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth, and went about modernising the royal household, bringing to bear his business expertise and ensuring management of the household stood separately from the Civil Service. He commissioned external consultants to undertake an extensive review which resulted in 188 recommendations for change, all of which were approved by the Queen.
Airlie helped the Elizabeth II through her annus horribilis of 1992, when the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales ended and her much-loved Windsor Castle was badly damaged in a fire. He coordinated the public opening of Buckingham Palace in order to finance the restoration of Windsor and negotiated the arrangements following his employer's decision to begin paying income tax from 1993. In 1997, Airlie played a key role following the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, coordinating the return of her body to Britain, planning the funeral and advising the Royal Family.
He retired as Lord Chamberlain in 1997 and became a permanent Lord-in-Waiting. He served as Chancellor of Abertay University (1994 - 2009), President of the National Trust for Scotland (1997 - 2002), was awarded GCVO (Grand Cross) in 1984 and made a Knight of the Thistle the following year. He was appointed Chancellor of the Order of the Thistle in 2007 following the death of John Scott, the 9th Duke of Buccleuch, and continued in this role until his own death.
Having succeeded to the Earldom and estates in 1968, he spent time living between his family seat in Angus, Cortachy Castle, and a flat in London.
He remained a loyal friend of Queen Elizabeth II until her death and attending her funeral in 2022. Over his long life, he was one of few who had attended three coronations; King George VI 1937, Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, and King Charles III in 2023.
