Virginia Ogilvy, Countess of Airlie


Virginia Fortune Ogilvy, Countess of Airlie, DCVO is a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II.

Early life

Lady Airlie was born in Newport, New Jersey, the daughter of John Barry Ryan, Jr., and Margaret Kahn. Her mother was the daughter of German-American financier Otto Kahn, and her father was the grandson of Thomas Fortune Ryan.
Lady Airlie has been a Lady of the Bedchamber since 1973. She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1995.
As a Lady of the Bedchamber she is a senior Lady-in-Waiting, and attends the Queen on major occasions and overseas tours. In May 2007, she accompanied the Queen on her trip to the United States to commemorate the 400th anniversary of England's first American settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. On 7 May 2007, she attended a state dinner at the White House, hosted by President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush.

Personal life

On 23 October 1952, she married David Ogilvy, Lord Ogilvy, who in 1968 became the Earl of Airlie. With her husband, Lady Airlie has six children: