HRH Prince Charles in Highland Evening Attire - Let's Take a Look!

[creagdhubh]

Wondeful photos, Colin! I have seen only one of what you posted, so I am delighted to see more pictures from different angles. I definitely like the look of His Grace's salmon buttons on the Argyll style jacket...quite striking and very unique.

Cheers,

[CMcG]

Perhaps these photos will embolden you to wear your dad's fantastic old hair sporran more often, Colin.

Perhaps... I love that thing, but it tends to get more attention than I do when I wear it




That being said, a long hair sporran is an excellent accessory for those times when one wants to stand out a bit!

[creagdhubh]

Perhaps... I love that thing, but it tends to get more attention than I do when I wear it

That being said, a long hair sporran is an excellent accessory for those times when one wants to stand out a bit!

Hahaha! Well said.

I've always admired your horsehair sporran, Colin. I sold my bespoke L&M horsehair sporran a few years ago. I found that my tastes and personal preferences changed and I was no longer keen on wearing it. Don't get me wrong, it was a beautiful sporran and I did enjoy many uses out of it, but it was time for it to move on to someone else who would wear it more often.

[Nathan]

What is that sceptre he is holding?

[Chas]

His Grace holds the following Hereditary offices

• Master of the Royal Household in Scotland
• Admiral of the Western Isles
• Keeper of the Royal Castles of: Carrick, Dunoon, Dunstaffnage, Tarbert
• High Sheriff of Argyllshire
• Member Queen's Body Guard for Scotland

So it could be the baton of one of those. I would think that it is the first. Notice the crest on the Royal Arms for Scotland

[MacLowlife]

In the photos of His Young Grace with the baton or mace, the fish on his right breast and the ones on his left breast are all swimming to his right. In other photos ( the magazine cover), they swim towards his spine. Do ye reckon it is a "before and after spawning" thing or is the symbolism political?

[Jock Scot]

It depends if they are grilse(one winter at sea, before returning to spawn) or, salmon(more than one winter at sea before returning to spawn).

[OC Richard]

a story of our clan founder Somerled agreeing to take leadership of the Island men only if he caught a salmon. Just then, the story goes, he got a bite and pulled a large salmon out of the water.

That sounds like a version of the Wisdom Tooth legend, the Salmon of Knowledge (ever wonder why they're called "wisdom teeth"?)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salmon_of_Knowledge

The Salmon is sacred in various cultures. The main post of one of the earliest Celtic harps, the Queen Mary Harp is carved as a salmon.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1JPGMw4CBv...0/P5080175.JPG

So it's a fairly universal ancient totem, not the exclusive provenance of any one clan.

Indeed the Salmon is sacred in some Native American tribes. After a 150 year gap the Sacred Salmon Ceremony is again annually done in the Pacific Northwest

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes_Baker_Pilgrim

And what probably is a Salmon is tattooed on the leg of an ancient Scythian chieftan

http://gallowsburden.files.wordpress...an_tattoos.gif

[OC Richard]

It's been five pages so to refresh my 'eye' I'm putting some of the earlier photos here.

What I really like is the non-matching hose. Diced hose is a very old thing, a thing which persists in the Army, and it's nice to see the Charles going that route. Philip is wearing nonmatching tartan hose, and a nonmatching tartan waistcoat, both refreshing to see.

Below, I like how Charles uses the same tartan hose with two different kilts, neither of which is the same tartan as the hose.





Here is Charles again wearing diced hose, this time green & red

[Jock Scot]

OCR.

Your last post exemplifies the successful "personal flair" aspect of Highland attire, that the two Dukes demonstrate so perfectly. I think many on this website are trying to over-think all this kilt/tartan/hose/waist coat/flashes thing. There are dangers though for the inexperianced and yes, the experienced too, where it is possible that certain colour and pattern combinations just do not work. That is where experience and knowledge comes to the fore and a certain abilty to go back to the "drawing board" when necessary.

We shall never know, but it is possible that if one of the Dukes saw these pictures now, they could well change something, or, may well have already ditched that look for another?