Robin Ian Evelyn Milne Stuart de la Lanne-Mirrlees (13 January 1925 – 23 June 2012) was an author and former officer of arms at the College of Arms in London.
Biography
He was born as Robin Ian Evelyn Grinnell-Milne in 1925. His father was Duncan Grinnell-Milne and his mother was Frances Warrington Peyrigné Lalanne (daughter of Frank Dale Lalanne, US Ambassador to Prague), who remarried secondly Maj.-Gen. William Henry Buchanan Mirrlees. His step-aunt was the author Hope Mirrlees. He was a godson of the 11th Duke of Argyll. He was educated at the English School of Cairo, and also in Paris. He attended Merton College, Oxford, matriculating in 1947 and taking a third class degree in PPE in 1949. He undertook military service, rising to the rank of captain in the Royal Artillery. His heraldic career began on 17 May 1952 when he was appointed Rouge Dragon Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary. Later that year his name was changed to that listed above to the name Robin Ian Evelyn Milne Stuart de La Lanne-Mirrlees.
In 1958 he adopted by deed poll the name of Robin Ian Evelyn Milne Stuart le Compte de La Lanne-Mirrlees and in 1959 rectified the spelling to Robin Ian Evelyn Milne Stuart le Comte de La Lanne-Mirrlees. He would hold this post of Rouge Dragon Pursuivant until December 1962, when he was promoted to the office of Richmond Herald of Arms in Ordinary. He retired from this post in 1967. During his time at the College of Arms, Robin Milne Stuart de la Lanne-Mirrlees was perhaps best known for his correspondence with Ian Fleming. Fleming was doing research for his book On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
In 1964 the Republic of San Marino granted him a comital title, which was recognised by ex-King Umberto II of Italy.
