[3] Through the marriage of his maternal aunt, Princess Margaret of Connaught, to the Swedish prince who later became King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden, his first cousins included Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, whose son later became King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden; and Princess Ingrid of Sweden, who later became Queen of Denmark after marrying the Danish prince who later became King Frederik IX of Denmark.

[4] Alexander Arthur Alfonso David Maule Ramsay was born on 21 December 1919 in his mother's bathroom at Clarence House, then the London residence of his maternal grandfather, the Duke of Connaught.

[5][3] He, along with his cousin Viscount Lascelles, acted as a page of honour during the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

[2][1] Upon returning to Britain in 1947, he was informed that he would inherit Mar Lodge and its estates from his aunt, Princess Arthur of Connaught, Duchess of Fife.

At that point, Lord Lyon King of Arms allowed him to add the designation "of Mar" to his name.