Queen Victoria first heard the bagpipes in 1842 when she and Prince Albert visited the Highlands for the first time. They stayed at Taymouth Castle with the Marquess of Breadalbane who had his own personal piper, John Ban MacKenzie. Queen Victoria was much taken with the idea, writing to her mother,
"We have heard nothing but bagpipes since we have been in the beautiful Highlands and I have become so fond of it that I mean to have a Piper, who can if you like it, pipe every night at Frogmore."
The Marquess of Breadalbane was able to recommend Angus MacKay, Piper to Campbell of Islay, to the Queen. In 1843, MacKay became the first personal Piper to the Sovereign. He was also a noted composer of Pipe music, publishing a collection of Piobaireachd as well as a volume of reels and strathspeys.
As well as playing regularly after breakfast, MacKay played at balls and special occasions including the erection of a cairn in 1852 on the top of Craig Gowan to commemorate The Queen's acquisition of the Balmoral Estate. The Queen wrote that he played for the hour it took to build the cairn and 'some merry reels were danced on a stone opposite'.
In 1854, Angus MacKay was replaced by Pipe Major William Ross who had served in the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment, the Black Watch, before joining the Royal Household. An extract from the Privy Purse shows that Ross was employed as a Gentleman Porter of various residences and that he was also Groom of the State Chamber.
In a memorandum of 1854, the Piper's duties were clearly indicated and included taking his turn of duty with the footman in the garden in the morning, waiting at dinner if required, receiving visitors to dinner and generally taking orders from the Sergeant Footman. He was paid £80 per annum as Piper, £50 as Groom and also had an allowance of £5 per annum for the upkeep of his pipe. He was also entitled to one morning suit, two dinner dresses of Highland clothing, 3 bonnets and 3 pairs of brogues.
Ross served the Queen until his death in 1891, which hugely saddened Queen Victoria, who wrote in her journal shortly afterwards:
"He...was an excellent Piper and musician and his well known stout figure, white hair and beard, gave him a presence, which looked so well as Royal Piper. I can't believe he is really gone and am very grieved."
In those days there was often more than one single piper. At various times, there might be a Head Piper, a 1st Piper and a 2nd Piper. William Ross joined the Queen's service as 1st Piper in 1854 but held the position of Head Piper between 1883 until 1891. James Campbell, who replaced William Ross on the latter's death in 1891, had already served for ten years in the Queen's service as 2nd Piper. Like Ross, Campbell had also served in the 42nd Regiment and he was to remain the Sovereign's Piper until his retirement in 1910. He thus played the Pipes through the last the years of Queen Victoria and throughout the reign of her eldest son, King Edward VII.
Campbell's duties as 2nd Piper required him to take charge of the Gun Room at all the Queen's Palaces and to keep the Guns, Fishing Rods, Skates etc. in good order. He was to take all his orders from Mr Brown (John Brown was a member of Queen Victoria's Household) and to make himself generally useful. On his promotion to 1st Piper, his nephew William was appointed 2nd piper.
When Queen Victoria died at Osborne on the Isle of Wight in January 1901, both James and William Campbell took part in the first stage of her funeral procession. They walked in front of the gun carriage as it left the entrance to Osborne House and played 'The Dirge of the Black Watch' and 'The Flowers of the Forest'.
After the Queen's death, William Campbell left the Royal Household and from this time only one Piper served the Sovereign. At Balmoral however, it became the practice to employ one or two pipers as gamekeepers who would join the King's piper in playing a march around the table in the evening.
 |
Pipe Major Henry Forsyth had been in the service of King George V since 1905 and served the monarchy for 36 years until his retirement during the reign of King George VI in 1941 |
| > View large picture in new window |
When King George V acceded the throne in 1910 he retained the services of Pipe Major Henry Forsyth who had been his personal piper since 1905. By 1919 there were five qualified pipers employed as estate workers at Balmoral who were equipped to play with Forsyth in the evening after dinner. In London, the Pipe Majors of the Scots Guards were granted a warrant in 1932 as Household Pipers to the Sovereign and were required to provide twelve pipers to play at State Banquets.
Henry Forsyth continued as the Sovereign's personal piper right through the reigns of King George V and King Edward VIII and into the reign of King George VI until his retirement in 1941 after 36 years service. No further appointments were made until after the war when Pipe Major Alexander MacDonald (ex Scots Guards) was selected. He remained in the post long into the present reign, retiring in 1965 after 20 years as a royal piper.
From that point it was decided that the post would be removed from the Civil List; it would instead be given to a serving soldier and experienced army Pipe Major on secondment, who would retain his army status and pay although becoming a member of the Master of the Household's Department at Buckingham Palace.
Andrew Pitkeathly of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was the first to be appointed on this basis, serving in the household until 1973.
Since then, The Queen's Pipers have all been serving Pipe Majors, including David Caird (Royal Highland Fusiliers, 1973 - 1980), Brian MacRae (Gordon Highlanders, 1980 - 1995), Gordon Webster (Scots Guards, 1995 - 1998) and Jim Motherwell (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 1998 - 2003).
 |
Gordon Webster of the Scots Guards, held the post between 1995 and 1998 prior to Jim Motherwell and the current Sovereign's Piper, Pipe Major Jim Stout |
| > View large picture in new window |
Pipe Major Jim Stout is the 11th personal Piper to the Sovereign in 161 years. Born in Kirkwall in Orkney he joined the Army in 1981 and was Pipe Major of the 1st Battalion The Highlanders on taking up the post.
|
