His Majesty's Botanist is a member of the Royal household in Scotland.
The office was created in 1699, and from 1768 until 1956 it was combined with the office of Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, who also held the post of Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Edinburgh. Since then the office of HM Botanist has been honorary, but conferred on a serving or retired Regius Keeper.
Office holders
1699: James Sutherland
1715: Dr William Arthur
1716: Charles Alston
1761: Dr John Hope
1786: Daniel Rutherford MD
1820: Robert Graham MD
1845: John Hutton Balfour MD
1880: Alexander Dickson MD LLD
1888: Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour
1922: Prof. Sir William Wright Smith (d 1956) 1966: Harold Roy Fletcher (d 1978) 1987: Prof. Douglas Mackay Henderson 2010: Prof Stephen Blackmore
See also
Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
References
Sources
Holders from 1703 to 1820 from "Exchequer Establishment List" c.1770 (E/229/10/1) in National Archives of Scotland Royal Botanic Garden: A Brief History