"Rules" for wearing family tartan

[davidlpope]

Just out of curiousity....how many here agree that a clan chief is "entitled" to the "right" of wearing three eagle feathers in his bonnet?

I do. That "right" is codified and enforced by the legal jurisdiction of the Lord Lyon's court. See the website which contains the pertinent quote, below: http://www.lyon-court.com/lordlyon/242.html

Chiefs of Clans

Chiefs have the right to wear their Crests as badges

either simpliciter, without the accompaniment of circlet, motto or feathers behind the badge.
or, as is more usual, surrounded with a plain circlet inscribed with his Motto or Slogan, NOT a strap-and-buckle which is for clansmen; and, if they choose, with THREE eagle’s feathers in silver behind the circlet.
Chiefs

Heads of large branches of a Clan, who have been Officially Recognised as Chiefs by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, may wear:

either their own personal Crest within a plain circlet inscribed with the Motto, as for a Chief, but with two small eagles' feathers instead of the Chief’s three. If the Chieftain is also a Peer, he may add the appropriate coronet of rank on top of the circlet,
or they may wear their Chief’s Crest badge without feather like any other clansman, as described for clansmen, below.
Armigers

A person who has registered his or her own coat of Arms and Crest, or inherited these according to the Laws of Arms in Scotland from an ancestor who had recorded them in the Lyon Register, may wear their own Crest as a badge:

either on its Wreath, Crest Coronet or Chapeau,
or, as is more usual, within a plain circlet inscribed with his Motto.
An armiger may also choose to wear instead the Crest badge of his Chief if the armiger is a clansman. An armiger is entitled to one silver eagle's feather behind the plain circlet, and if he is also a Peer he may add his appropriate coronet of rank on top of the circlet.

If there was a legal authority that governed the wear and use of tartans, then there could also be "rights" related to them. As the current situation presents itself, I maintain that only the chief of a clan may make any sort of "authoritative" decision concerning his or her clan's tartan. Even then, that authority is "moral", instead of "legal" as there is no court with jurisdiction over the wear and use of tartan (except in those rare cases where a tartan has been copyrighted, such as the Isle of Skye sett.)

Cordially,

David

[butch]

Only if the Eagle agrees

[robthehiker]

And I thought my original question would have a quick yes/no answer and that'd be the end of that... :-)

No.

[Dixiecat]

Chief of the Murrays dressed circa 1822:

great-great-great-grandfather.....

Neither images of which were Victorians...or Edwardians...FYI

[auld argonian]

And I thought my original question would have a quick yes/no answer and that'd be the end of that... :-)

You're new here, aren't ya?

Best

AA

[Brian K]

You're new here, aren't ya?

Best

AA

Sort of reminds of the old saying of Talmudic scholars: "Ask 10 rabbis a question and you'll get 11 opinions!"

[McClef]

Surely you mean Charles Philip Arthur George Battenberg-Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Mein Herr? ;)

All German family titles were renounced in 1916. Besides which you have missed out the Danish paternal line of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg!

Evidently his German great, great, great grandfather thought so too:

Actually the Duke of Rothesay is not descended at all from George IV whose only legitimate issue, Princess Charlotte, died before him. Rather he is descended through his younger brother, Edward Duke of Kent (father of Queen Victoria).

[davidlpope]

My question regarding the entitlement or right of a clan chief is intended to illustrate that there are rights "by tradition" that are neither earned nor enforcable by law. A clan chief is entitled by tradition to the right of wearing three eagle feathers in his bonnet.

I must strongly disagree with you. A clan chief is entitled by the legal jurisdiction of the Lord Lyon to the right of wearing three eagle feathers in his bonnet, not by some vague notion of tradition. His or her armorial rights are enforceable by law.

Since there is no legal authority with jurisdiction over the wear of tartan, this analogy simply does not fit.

Cordially,

David

[Dixiecat]

True, which shows that Highlanders were dressing to the nines well before the Victorian period - in opposition to the earlier argument that a "real Highlander" would not go in for such ornament.

No it doesn't show that at all. It shows that highlanders of a particular social status and wealth dressed like that on special or court occasions. They certainly wouldn't wear that gear everyday. You can't take what you see in portraits of wealthy or royal, or both men as what 'real' highlanders were wearing at the period the portrait was painted.

[davidlpope]

Eagle feathers are not an element of a clan chief's armorial bearings.

Correct. But they are an indication of his status as an armiger and head of a clan, over which Lyon has jurisdication.

Cordially,

David