H.E. Fra' Fredrik Crichton-Stuart (1940 - 2011), Grand Prior of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in England - Requiescat in pace

The sad news has just reached me that H.E. Fra' Fredrik Crichton-Stuart, Grand Prior of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in England and President Emeritus of the International Federation "Una Voce", died at his Edinburgh home yesterday morning. Fra' Fredrik, 71, though suffering from a long illness had continued to be devoted to his duties until the end. He was the grandson of John Crichton-Stuart, 4th Marquess of Bute, and the great-grandson of John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, the illustrious Victorian convert to Catholicism.

The Grand Priory of the Order of Malta in England announced Fra' Fredrik's death yesterday morning, and also mentioned that: "Freddy, as he was always known, was born in 1940, the eldest son of Lord Rhidian Crichton-Stuart. He was educated at Ampleforth and brought up in Scotland and North Africa where his father had business interests. His long career included spells in industry and farming and he was a Chartered Accountant with his own practice until his retirement. He was an officer in the Territorial Army, and a trustee and later Chairman of Una Voce Scotland, and he sat on the boards of a number of charities in Scotland."

According to the St Conleth's Catholic Heritage blog, Fra' Fredrik was a "member of the Order [of Malta] since 1962, Delegate of Scotland and the Northern Marches, and first Chancellor of the restored Grand Priory of England, he was installed as the second Grand Prior of England since the Reformation in 2008, succeeding Fra' Matthew Festing, who had been elected Prince and Grand Master of the Order to succeed Fra' Andrew Bertie, a cousin of Fra' Fredrik. Through his various positions, he was able to give even greater service to Our Lords the Sick and Our Lords the Poor." It is also worth noting that Fra' Freddy was tireless in his work on behalf of the sick and disabled and even continued to serve as a devoted Chairman of Dial-A-Journey in mid-Scotland until his death.

Fra' Freddy Crichton-Stuart was known as a man of prayer whose love of and commitment to the Order of Malta, its traditions and works, was exemplary and inspirational.

May his family, friends and brethren in the Order of Malta be comforted during this time of grief, and may Fra' Freddy's soul, through the Mercy of God, rest in peace.

[Image: Fra' Fredrik Crichton-Stuart, in the regalia and habit of a Knight of Justice and Grand Prior of the SMOM in England; source and attribution: Sovereign Military Order of Malta in the United Kingdom]