In 1594
James VI sent him as ambassador to London and gave him £1,000
Scots for his expenses. With
James Colville, he was sent to invite
Queen Elizabeth to send a representative to the
baptism of Prince Henry, discuss the matter of the
Earl of Bothwell, Catholics in Scotland, and ask for the
yearly sum of money that Elizabeth gave to James VI. They were to ensure the money was paid to
Thomas Foulis. He also requested the rendition of
Anne of Denmark's goldsmith
Jacob Kroger who had fled to England with the queen's jewels.Bruce was sent to London for money from Elizabeth again in April 1598 and received £3,000. He interceded in a legal case in London for his brother,
George Bruce of Carnock, whose ship the
Bruce had been forced to take on a group of African and Portuguese captives by English captains. He also successfully negotiated the release of
Robert Ker of
Cessford who was held by the
Archbishop of York at
Bishopthorpe. Bruce brought portraits of King James VI and
Prince Henry to England., now part of
King's College London's
Maughan Library.On his return to Edinburgh, Bruce met with James VI in his cabinet at
Holyrood Palace for four hours. Bruce's advice to the king on the
Valentine Thomas affair led to rumours that he was corrupted by Elizabeth's gift of a gold chain. He was made Commendator of the
Abbey of Kinloss in 1601 and became
Baron of Muirton. He served as a
Lord of Session from 1597 to 1603 and was created
Lord Kinloss in 1602, with remainder to his heirs and assigns whatsoever. Bruce and the
Earl of Mar went to London as ambassadors in April 1601, to understand the mood in London towards James's
accession to the English throne after
Essex's Rebellion. After the embassy, the sum paid as a
subsidy to James VI was increased, by the persuasion of
Sir Robert Cecil. Bruce was involved in the "
Secret correspondence of James VI", an initiative to help
put James on the throne of England.
England Bruce arrived in London ahead of King James in April 1603 at the
Union of the Crowns. In June the king sent him to greet
Charles of Arenberg, who had arrived as the envoy from
Isabella and
Albert Rulers of the Netherlands to congratulate James, but had fallen ill from gout. According to a French ambassador, the
Marquis de Rosny, Bruce was a member of a conspicuous bedchamber faction at court which included the
Earl of Mar and
Sir Thomas Erskine. The
Duke of Lennox and his followers formed a separate Scottish group and envied the influence of the bedchamber Scots. Rosny gave Bruce a diamond ring. Bruce became an English subject, was admitted to the
Privy Council, and appointed
Master of the Rolls for life. He also received
Whorlton Castle and its manor in 1603, which would remained in the Bruce family until the late 19th century. He died in London in January 1611. He was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son, also named Edward. ==Marriage and children==