The story of Balmoral tartan

It’s been quite the week for tartan. The King was fully kilted out as he headed to John O’Groats for a wee dram at the start of his Scottish holidays. Meanwhile his heir, Prince William, found his own Scottish style under scrutiny as conversations began about when the Duke of Rothesay was last seen in a kilt.

Should William choose to toss a fashion caber and go for a kilt during his own stay in Scotland, he may well choose a pattern with a very special link to the place the royals call home in Aberdeenshire. For Balmoral has its own tartan and, like so much else, it has links to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

The Balmoral tartan was, most likely, designed by Prince Albert. Records indicate he created it in 1853 although the Scottish Register of Tartans notes that a similar, if not identical, pattern was in use in 1850.

All that aside, it’s a rather exclusive design. For a start, it can only be worn by royalty which means no kilt clash for the Duke of Rothesay should he decide to embrace this style statement. The Piper to the Sovereign is also permitted to wear it and, in a modern (ish) twist, as of 1936 so are the Balmoral Estate Pipers.

The tartan is grey, black and red and, as he always did, Prince Albert had a good reason for picking those colours. They were chosen to reflect the stonework of Balmoral castle and no one knew its design better than the Prince Consort for the whole place had been built to his specifications.

Albert had found and bought Balmoral when Queen Victoria decided she and their family needed a Scottish retreat. However, the smaller residence they found in this idyllic part of Scotland was soon pulled down and remodelled to provide adequate space and improved facilities for Victoria and Albert’s ever growing family.

It became a favourite retreat and Victoria spent many days there following the early death of Albert. It was in Balmoral that she passed the weeks before her first Jubilee, her Golden celebrations, in 1887 and her love for the castle has been passed on through the generations. The Royal Family always spends time there during the summer and Queen Elizabeth II was particularly fond of Balmoral. She would pass the final months of her life there, making history as she appointed a Prime Minister at the castle, rather than at Buckingham Palace. In fact, for what would prove to be her final duty, Her Late Majesty chose to wear Balmoral tartan. She died at the castle two days later.

So Balmoral tartan now has another poignant note to its already varied history. And as the Royal Family retreat to the castle for the summer, this famous tartan may well be seen again. No pressure, William.