Thomas Brudenell-Bruce, 1st Earl of Ailesbury

The Right Honourable The Earl of Ailesbury KT
The Earl of Ailesbury by Joshua Reynolds.
Personal details
Born	30 April 1729
Died	19 April 1814 (1814-04-20) (aged 84) Seamore Place, Mayfair, London, England
Nationality	British
Spouse(s)	(1) Susanna Hoare (1732–1783) (2) Lady Anne Elizabeth Rawdon (1753–1813)

Thomas Brudenell-Bruce, 1st Earl of Ailesbury KT (30 April 1729 – 19 April 1814), styled The Honourable Thomas Brudenell until 1747 and known as The Lord Bruce of Tottenham between 1747 and 1776, was a British courtier.

Born Thomas Brudenell, he was the youngest son of George Brudenell, 3rd Earl of Cardigan and Lady Elizabeth Bruce, daughter of Thomas Bruce, 3rd Earl of Elgin. He was the younger brother of George Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu, James Brudenell, 5th Earl of Cardigan and the Honourable Robert Brudenell. He was educated at Winchester College. In February 1747, aged 17, he succeeded his uncle, the 4th Earl of Elgin and 3rd and last Earl of Ailesbury, as 2nd Baron Bruce of Tottenham according to a special remainder in the letters patent. In 1767 he assumed by Royal licence the additional surname of Bruce.

Lord Bruce served as a Lord of the Bedchamber to King George III, and was briefly in May 1776 Governor to the Prince of Wales and Prince Frederick. In June 1776 he was created Earl of Ailesbury, in the County of Buckingham, a revival of the earldom which had become extinct on his uncle's death. He subsequently served as Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire from 1780 to 1782, as Lord Chamberlain to Queen Charlotte from 1780 to 1792 and as Treasurer to Queen Charlotte from 1792 to 1814. On 29 November 1786 he was made a Knight of the Order of the Thistle.

Lord Ailesbury married firstly, Susanna Hoare, daughter of the banker Henry Hoare and widow of Viscount Dungarvan, on 17 February 1761. They had five children: