Queen Elizabeth spends her summer vacations at Scotland's Balmoral Castle. "There, Granny seems to be the happiest. I believe she has a deep affection for the Highlands "Princess Eugenie, her granddaughter, appeared in the film Our Queen At Ninety.
The Ghillies Ball, a custom initiated by the Queen's great-grandmother Queen Victoria, continues when she is at Balmoral. Here is all the information you need to know about the yearly dance.
The history of Ghillies Ball
In order to thank their employees and servants, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert hosted a dance in September after they bought Balmoral in 1852. The Ghillies Ball would eventually be the name of this dance. Gamekeeper is the Gaelic word for "ghillie," and ghillies are also specially made shoes that are frequently used in Scottish country dancing.
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Scottish highland dancer wear ghillies. |
In Twilight of Splendor: Queen Victoria's Court Greg King describes Victoria's participation in the elaborate jigs and dances during Her Diamond Jubilee Year as "sometimes joining in despite her age and infirmity, a sash of Balmoral tartan hung over the bodice of her black satin gown while the pipers played." Queen Victoria had "light airy steps in the old courtly form; no limp or stick, but every figure delicately and prettily danced," according to a contemporaneous observer.
The Ghillies Ball was also celebrated during the later reigns of King George VI and King George V, the grandfather and father of Queen Elizabeth.
The Deputy Comptroller of Supply at Buckingham Palace, Frederick Corbett, recalled his memories at the Ghillies Ball under George V's rule. According to Corbett's recollections, "Queen Mary was an incredibly lively figure at these dances." "All Highland dances were her favorites, as were many traditional English country dances, which she usually included in the program. Throughout the first half of the dance, she would participate in each one. However, King George V was a terrible dancer. He would proceed and take a seat on the Royal dais at the other end of the space and keep a close eye on the dancers, occasionally turning to one of his attendants and making a cunning remark."
Elizabeth, then Princess Elizabeth, was first permitted to attend the yearly ball when she was 12 years old.
What happens at the Ghillies Ball?
The ball was a Scottish dance celebration organized as a thank you to the employees for all their hard work, and every member of the royal family in residence and their guests would attend, according to royal family chef Darren McGrady in Eating Royalty. According to McGrady, the "Dashing White Sergeant," a Scottish country dance in which two women dance with one guy, is usually the opening dance.
Under George V, Corbett recalled, "Dancing starts at nine-thirty and goes on until about eleven-thirty when usually the Royal Family leave the ballroom with their guests to take refreshments from a buffet set up in the Castle dining room." You can see a menu for the 1912 Ghillies Ball here.
What do attendees wear to the Ghillies Ball?
In Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch, Queen Elizabeth's biographer Sally Bedell Smith describes the attire of the men and ladies at the ball as being black tie and kilts for the men and tiaras, long dresses, and tartan sashes with diamond brooches for the women.
Since the event is private, no images or videos are normally made public. But in 1971, the ball was captured on camera as part of the celebrations for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's silver wedding. The event was captured on camera for the film Elizabeth R: A Year in the Life of the Queen twenty years later. Princess Diana, Princess Anne, and, of course, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip may all be seen dancing an Eightsome Reel, a Scottish country dance, in the documentary.
Queen Elizabeth seemed ecstatic in the video. She is decked up in the Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara and the customary tartan sash. View the video here:
Dame Darcy Bussell, a former dancer, stated in Royal Road Trip that the Queen had engaged in a great deal of Scottish dancing over her 70 years as queen. The Ghillies Ball is a significant component of it. According to Bussell, "supposedly she danced every dance, staying up late into the night and simply being there to appreciate it."
When does the Ghillies Ball take place?
The event usually takes place in late August or early September each year, at the end of the royal family's summer vacation. The majestic ballroom of Balmoral Castle serves as the venue.
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