{{Short description|Position in the British Royal Household}} The '''Piper to the Sovereign''' ({{langx|gd|Pìobaire an Uachdarain}}), more commonly known as the '''King's Piper''' (''Pìobaire an Rìgh'') or '''Queen's Piper''' (''Pìobaire a' Bhanrighe''), is a position in the [[Royal Households of the United Kingdom|British Royal Household]] in which the holder of the office is responsible for playing the [[Great Highland Bagpipe|bagpipes]] at the [[British monarchy|Sovereign's]] request.
== History == The position was established in 1843 when [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]] and [[Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha|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 [[Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld|Dowager Duchess of Kent]]:
{{cquote|We have heard nothing but bagpipes since we have been in the beautiful [[Scottish Highlands|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]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Queen Victoria's Life in the Scottish Highlands|author=Millar, Delia|publisher=[[Philip Wilson Publishers]]|year=1985|page=20}}</ref>}}
The office has been held continuously since then (apart from a brief interruption during [[World War II]]) and the piper's main duty is to play at 9{{nbsp}}a.m. for 15 minutes under the Sovereign's window, and on state occasions.<ref name="history">{{Citation | last = McKay | first = Neville | year = 1996 | title = A History of the Office of Piper to the Sovereign | periodical = Folk Music Journal | volume = 7 | issue = 2 | pages = 188–204|jstor=4522546}}</ref>
The first Piper to the Sovereign was [[Angus MacKay (piper)|Angus MacKay]], a noted collector and publisher of ''[[piobaireachd]]''. Every subsequent piper has been a serving [[non-commissioned officer]] and experienced [[pipe major]] (PM) from a [[Scottish regiment]] or an [[Irish in the British Armed Forces#Regiments|Irish Regiment]]. While the Piper is a member of the Royal Household, he retains his military rank for the duration of the secondment.<ref name="history"/>
*1843–1854: Angus MacKay *1854–1891: PM William Ross, 42nd Highlanders ([[Black Watch]]) *1891–1910: PM James Campbell, 42nd Highlanders (Black Watch) *1910–1941: PM Henry Forsyth, [[Scots Guards]] *1941–1945: ''None'' *1945–1965: PM Alexander MacDonald, Scots Guards *1965–1973: PM Andrew Pitkeathly, [[Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders]] *1973–1980: PM David Caird, [[Royal Highland Fusiliers]] *1980–1995: PM Brian MacRae, [[Gordon Highlanders]] *1995–1998: PM Gordon Webster, Scots Guards *1998–2003: PM Jim Motherwell, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders *2003–2006: PM Jim Stout, [[Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons)|The Highlanders, 1st Battalion]] *2006–2008: PM Alastair Cuthbertson, 1st Battalion, [[Royal Scots]] *2008–2012: PM Derek Potter RVM, [[Royal Scots Dragoon Guards]] *2012–2015: PM David Rodgers, [[Irish Guards]] *2015–2019: PM Scott Methven, [[Royal Regiment of Scotland]] *2019–2021: PM Richard Grisdale RVM, Royal Regiment of Scotland *2021–2025: PM Paul Burns RVM, Royal Regiment of Scotland *2025–Present: PM Andrew Reid, Royal Regiment of Scotland
==See also== * [[Piper to the Queen Mother]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20141110225420/http://www.royal.gov.uk/TheRoyalHousehold/OfficialRoyalposts/TheQueensPiper.aspx Official Royal posts, The Queen's Piper]
{{British Monarchy Household}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Piper To The Sovereign}} [[Category:1843 establishments in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:British military bands]] [[Category:British military music]] [[Category:Ceremonial officers in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Pipe bands]] [[Category:Positions within the British Royal Household]]