Editing Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin (section)

==Early life==
A member of the formerly royal [[house of Bruce]], Elgin was born at the family seat, [[Broomhall House]], near [[Dunfermline, Fife]]. He was the second son of [[Charles Bruce, 5th Earl of Elgin]] and his wife [[Martha Bruce, Countess of Elgin and Kincardine|Martha Whyte]], governess to [[Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796–1817)|Princess Charlotte of Wales]].<ref name="annual">''The Annual Biography and Obituary for the year 1818'' (Longman, Hurst, Rees, 1818), [https://books.google.com/books?id=DEdOAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA239 p. 239].</ref><ref>Cokayne, G.E., ''[[The Complete Peerage]]'', vol. E to G (St Catherine Press, Limited, 1926), p. 43.</ref> He succeeded his older brother William Robert Bruce, the 6th Earl, in 1771 when he was only five.<ref name="BritA" />

He was educated at [[Harrow School|Harrow]] and [[Westminster School|Westminster]]. After several years at [[University of St Andrews|St Andrews]], he proceeded to the Continent where he completed his studies at [[University of Paris|Paris]].<ref name="BritA" />