Lot 344
Royal Interest A set of blackwood Highland bagpipes, belonging to Edward, HRH the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII,
Auction: 29 June 2005 at 12:00 BST
Description
with silver plated mounts, the turned and scored dromes with ivory spacers and with applied silver embossed Royal crest, the leather pipe bag covered in a Royal Stuart tartan wool, the whole contained within oak pipes box with brass bound angles and with inset plaque inscribed 'H.R.H. Prince of Wales Bag Pipes'
Footnote
Provenance; R.G.Lawrie & Co., Glasgow, maker
H.R.H. Edward, Prince of Wales, later
H.R.H. King Edward VII
R. G. Lawrie Ltd.
Note; In 1843 Queen Victoria appointed Angus Mackay to be her personal piper. For centuries it had been common practice in the Scottish Highlands for the Chief of a clan to have his own piper however this was the first appointment by the Sovereign. Mackay retired in 1854 and was replaced by William Ross who died in 1891. His replacement was his second piper James Campbell and he in turn was replaced by his second piper and his nephew William Campbell. In 1893 the Queen purchased a set of bagpipes from R. G. Lawrie & Co., Glasgow. According to the memory of Lawrie's son, James, the Queen had hoped that this purchase would encourage her eldest son Edward to learn the pipes.
In 1901 following the Queen's death her son Edward succeeded her as Edward VII and presented his bagpipes to William Campbell, who had become redundant. Campbell emigrated to Canada where he died in 1960. His brother inherited the pipes and they ended up in the hands of his Civilian Pipe Major who then sold them to a Mr. McPhee of Wellington, New Zealand. McPhee then sold the pipes at auction in London where they were bought by R.G. Lawrie Ltd., the original makers and the current owners.