David George Coke Patrick Ogilvy, 8th (or 13th) Earl of Airlie was born on 17 May 1926. He is the eldest son of David Ogilvy, 7th (or 12th) Earl of Airlie and Lady Alexandra Coke. His younger brother is The Rt. Hon. Sir Angus Ogilvy, the husband of HRH Princess Alexandra of Kent.

Lord Airlie enjoyed a conventional upper-class education at Eton, and served in the Scots Guards during the Second World War. He remained in the army until 1950, when he attended the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, in order to learn more about estate management. He maintains two large homes on the family's 69,000 acre (280 km²) estate in Angus : Cortachy Castle and Airlie Castle. He also has a home in Chelsea, London.

On 23 October 1952, he married Virginia Fortune Ryan, the daughter of John Barry Ryan, an American multi-millionaire, and Margaret Kahn, whose father was the financier Otto Kahn. He subsequently took up merchant banking, joining J. Henry Schroder in 1953. He was appointed a director of the company in 1961 and chairman in 1973.

In 1984, Lord Airlie resigned from Schroder in order to take up the position of Lord Chamberlain. He was following in the footsteps of his late father, who served as Lord Chamberlain to HM The Queen Mother. He remained in the post until 1997. Lord Airlie has also served as the Lord Lieutenant for the county of Angus in Scotland, and as the Captain General of The Royal Company of Archers and Gold Stick for Scotland. His wife is a Lady of the Bedchamber to HM Queen Elizabeth II.

Lord Airlie and his wife have six children :

• The Lady Doune Mabell Ogilvy (b. 13 August 1953)
• The Lady Jane Fortune Margaret Ogilvy (b. 24 June 1955)
• David John Ogilvy, Lord Ogilvy (b. 9 March 1958)
• The Hon. Bruce Patrick Mark Ogilvy (b. 7 April 1959)
• The Lady Elizabeth Clementine Ogilvy (b. 4 June 1965)
• The Hon. Patrick Alexander Ogilvy (b. 24 March 1971)

The numbering of the titles vary, depending on whether the attainted holders of the earldom and their successor are counted or not.

Sources

• Royal Household
• Lord Airlie
• Lord Airlie's family