Royal observers bemoan Prince William’s avoidance of
kilts
The prince has not inherited his father’s enthusiasm
for traditional Highland dress
Caroline
Davies
Mon 31 Jul
2023 14.24 BST
He has
donned plumes of ostrich feathers, embraced bows and ribbons and even worn a
cap with an embroidered leek.
Such are
the elaborate sartorial demands on the Prince of Wales, who away from royal and
military ceremonials tends to be a blue-shirt-and-chinos man.
So what has
Prince William got against kilts?
It’s
something royal observers are asking of a man who has inherited the Scottish
titles of the Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the
Isles and Prince & Great Steward of Scotland. Not to mention he’s the heir
to the throne of Scotland.
Yet he has
not been seen in public in Scotland in traditional Highland attire since he was
a child, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by his father’s Scottish tailor
John Sugden, owner of Campbell’s of Beauly and holder of a royal warrant.
“We would
be delighted to make a kilt and jacket for the Prince of Wales. It would keep
up a tradition and, especially being Lord of the Isles, it would be a perfect
vehicle to popularise the traditional Highland dress – particularly to a
younger generation,” he has said.
“It is
curious that William has not worn the kilt as an adult, though he may have done
so in private,” said Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine.
William is
not often photographed in the Highlands. “Sightings of him in rural Scotland
are rare. But wearing a kilt in an urban setting at least once would silence
his critics. Others, of course, would see it as a PR stunt,” added Little.
No reason
for the royal’s reluctance has been made public. Wearing a kilt is optional,
unlike the vestments and accoutrements of the Order of the Garter in which he
is seen: midnight-blue velvet cape, red velvet hood, white taffeta, a black
bonnet sprouting plumes of white ostrich and black heron feathers and a garter
around the left calf.
The tartan
kilt, jacket, sporran (a dangling fur or leather pouch) and sgian dubh dagger,
is a much-treasured part of Scotland’s heritage, and is worn with pride at many
a Scottish wedding.
For his
wedding. William chose the ceremonial uniform of the Irish guards. For his
father’s coronation, there were white bows and ribbons, yards of heavy gold
braid and the aforementioned leek hat as he turned out in the ceremonial dress
uniform of the Welsh guards, of which he is colonel.
At his
graduation from the University of St Andrews, when he had the option of wearing
a kilt, he plumped instead for a white bow tie and black silk academic gown
with cherry-red lining.
By
contrast, his father embraced the kilt enthusiastically. And his grandmother,
the late Queen Elizabeth II, was regularly attired in tartan as soon as she
crossed the border. The Braemar Gathering often saw her wrapped up against the
Highland chill in a tartan blanket.
Balmoral
Castle was a temple to tartan with its tartan carpets. The Balmoral tartan,
worn by the royals, was said to have been designed by Prince Albert for Queen
Victoria in 1853. The queen was wearing a skirt of Balmoral tartan on her last
public appearance before her death.
King
Charles has an extensive wardrobe of kilts, jackets, sporrans and socks, and
takes every opportunity to show them off while in Scotland. He is, it seems,
very particular. Two years ago, he ordered an outfit from Campbell’s of Beauly,
insisting that every inch of material used was sourced from Scotland, including
the stag-horn buttons.
Sugden told
the Times recently that Charles was “very open and fastidious and passionate
about craft. He was particular that the buttons had to be Scottish stag horn.
He does care about the detail. It really matters to him that he promotes
British crafts, even with the smallest of things.”
About us
https://www.campbellsofbeauly.com/about/
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Established
in 1858, Campbell’s of Beauly is an iconic privately owned and family run
country tailor and outfitters. Situated in the picturesque village of Beauly,
10 miles west of Inverness, Campbell’s is a thriving retail business as well as
busy tailoring workshop.
The
business changed hands in 2015, and John & Nicola Sugden have taken over
the reins, but their outlook remains reassuringly sympathetic to those who love
this “Highland gem” of a store. Maintaining the charming character of the
retail shop is as important to them as it is to Campbell’s many loyal
followers. In an age where in the “rag trade” the all important history and
heritage is often contrived, Campbell’s has no need or desire to overly hype
it’s provenance.
Employing a
full time tailors and seamstresses in their tailoring workshop, all Campbell’s
bespoke garments are made on site and the Campbell’s name is synonymous with
quality craftsmanship and attention to detail. Campbell’s specialise in
sporting tweeds and Highland dress and are often referred to as The Highland
Tweed House.
Campbell’s
retail emporium is an experience in itself with a truly original and
characterful charm to its rustic and vintage appearance. The alchemy of the
original fixtures and fittings from 1858 with the contemporary products sold
today makes for both a unique appearance and experience.
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Campbell’s of Beauly granted second royal warrant
Scottish specialist tweed and tailoring producer
Campbell's of Beauly has been awarded a royal warrant by the Prince of Wales.
BY KIRSTY
MCGREGOR
14 APRIL
2022
https://www.drapersonline.com/news/campbells-of-beauly-granted-second-royal-warrant?tkn=1
The
Inverness-shire business already has a royal warrant to the Queen, which was
awarded in 2017. It has held previous royal warrants since the 1960s, including
to the Duke of Windsor and the Queen Mother.
Campbell's
of Beauly has been manufacturing bespoke sporting tweeds and Highland dress
since 1858. It also sells knitwear and tweed garments, many of which are made
in Scotland and the UK.
The Prince
of Wales opened a new state-of-the-art tailoring workshop for Campbell’s of
Beauly in 2019.
The named
grantee of the royal warrant, John Sugden, took over the business with wife Nicola
Sugden in 2015. Sugden’s late father, James Sugden, had a lifelong career in
textiles, including as managing director of Scottish cashmere and woollens
producer Johnstons of Elgin.
Royal
warrants are given to individuals or companies that have supplied goods or
services for at least five years to the Queen and/or the Prince of Wales.
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