Piper to the Sovereign


The Piper to the Sovereign, more commonly known as the King's Piper or Queen's Piper, is a position in the British Royal Household in which the holder of the office is responsible for playing the bagpipes at the Sovereign's request.

History

The position was established in 1843 when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited John Campbell, 2nd Marquess of Breadalbane at Taymouth Castle a year earlier and discovered the Marquess had his own personal piper. The Queen was taken with the idea of having one for herself, writing to her mother, the Dowager Duchess of Kent:
The office has been held continuously since then and the piper's main duty is to play at 9a.m. for 15 minutes under the Sovereign's window, and on state occasions.
The first Piper to the Sovereign was Angus MacKay, a noted collector and publisher of piobaireachd. Every subsequent piper has been a serving non-commissioned officer and experienced pipe major from a Scottish regiment or an Irish Regiment. While the Piper is a member of the Royal Household, he retains his military rank for the duration of the secondment.