<![CDATA[The Queen’s Piper principal duty is to play every
weekday at 9 am for approximately 15 minutes under Her Majesty’s
window when she is in residence at Buckingham Palace, Windsor
Castle, Balmoral Castle or the Palace Holyroodhouse.
The piper though does not travel to Sandringham and play due to the
shortage of accommodations there.
At Windsor, Balmoral and Holyroodhouse, he also pipes at Her
Majesty’s dinner table. The piper is also in charge of forming the
entry and exit of the 12 pipes that play around the table after
State banquets.
The Queen’s Pipe is also a Honourary Page of Presence and carries
out those duties when not piping.
One can read more in about The Page of Presence in The
Royal W: the Page of Presence.
The Piper at Balmoral wears the Balmoral Tartan. The tartan is grey
and red that was conceived by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
around 1850. Although produced in 1857, it is represented prior in
an 1852 painting by Queen Victoria.
In the morning at the other Royal residences, he wears the Ancient
Hunting Stewart tartan. In the evening, it is the Royal Stewart.
Both tartans have gone through many incarnations dating back to
1124.
The first Monarch to have the services of the Royal Piper was Queen
Victoria. After a visit to Scotland to stay with the Marquees of
Breadalbane in 1842, The Queen was keen on having a personal piper
for her one enjoyment. Thus in 1843, Angus MacKay became the first
personal Piper to the Sovereign.
The tradition of the piper has continued to this day,
except for a stoppage from 1941-1945 during World War II.
The current Queen’s Piper is Pipe Major David Rodgers from the
Irish Guards.
Featured photo credit: UK in Israel via photopin cc]]>
God save Her Majesty!