Glengarry Question

[macwilkin]

Dicing on both glengarrys and balmorals signifies support for the House of Hanover of which the Queen of England is the present head. You are very unlikely to "offend" even staunch Jacobites like myself by wearing it. Most are unaware of the significance.....

I have heard this old chestnut for almost twenty years now, and I have never found any documentation for it. Historian Stuart Reid at one time quoted a source that believed that dicing was somehow related to the fess chequy found on the arms of Stewart chiefs (ironically making it a sign of a Jacobite!) but most historians tend to believe that it is an ornamental holdover to a bonnet's threaded ribbon drawstrings.

That being said, if you do know of a primary source that supports such a claim, I'd love to see it.

The Royal Regiment of Scotland wears diced Glengarries when in parade dress (as do the pipe bands when they're not in their "no. 1's" - with feather bonnets or bearskins).

Dicing supposedly means loyalty to the House of Hanover.

Just a clarification, though: the RRS may wear diced glengarries, but some of the individual regiments that now make up its battalions, most notably the Black Watch, did not. The diced glengarry was a compromise to allow some battalions to continue their "golden threads" after amalgamation.

I'm afraid this old chestnut has went the way of "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance":

When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.

Bottom line: if you liking diced bonnets, then wear one. My balmoral (A Mackie from our own Dunadd Trading Co.) has fawn and lovat green dicing.

And if anyone tries to feed you the myth, remind them that the Black Watch regiment took no battle honours from the Revolution, as it was a war between "kith and kin", according to their regimental history.

T.