In 2015 I was lucky enough to become the Queen’s Piper. I played the bagpipes every morning for about 15 minutes under the window of Her Majesty, normally while she was eating breakfast. The Piper to the Sovereign is part of the household so I travelled with Her Majesty to her royal residencies, including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Balmoral Castle and the Palace of Holyrood house. The appointment also involved welcoming guests and visitors to the households for audiences with foreign and domestic dignitaries such as ambassadors and heads of state – and also British citizens receiving OBEs or CBEs and so on.
For these occasions my role consisted mainly of informing them of the general etiquette and expectations while in Her Majesty’s presence. The position was created in 1843 by Queen Victoria, who so enjoyed the sound of daily bagpipes while she holidayed in Taymouth Castle that she decided to appoint her own personal piper.
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