Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
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Two men in full Highland dress, armed with medieval pole axes, are now standing guard at the gates of Balmoral. Who are the 'Balmoral Highlanders', and why has the King revived a ceremonial corps that had been disbanded for ninety years?
In this video I trace the history of the Balmoral Highlanders from Victoria and Albert's acquisition of the estate in the 1840s, through Edward VII's founding of the corps in 1903, its disbandment by George V in 1936, and Charles III's revival of it this year. I look at the uniform — the kilt, the piper's plaid, the silver fittings made by the Ballater silversmith William Robb — and at the new Glen Gelder tartan created for the King, based on a 500-year-old fragment of cloth found in Glen Affric. I also explain the Lochaber axe, the pole arm the Highlanders carry, and its earlier use by Scottish town guards.
If you enjoy royal history, Highland dress and tartan, heraldry, or the ceremonial traditions of the British monarchy, this is the story behind a small revival with a great deal of history attached to it.
#BalmoralHighlanders #KingCharlesIII #ScottishHistory #Tartan #RoyalFamily
📜 Enjoyed this video? Support The Antiquary and get more history in your inbox and on your doorstep:
📖 UK: https://theantiquary.online/product/the-antiquary-history-magazine-subscription/
🌍 International: https://theantiquary.online/product/monthly-history-magazine-subscription-international-shipping/
💻 Digital: https://theantiquary.online/product/monthly-history-magazine-subscription-digital/
Two men in full Highland dress, armed with medieval pole axes, are now standing guard at the gates of Balmoral. Who are the 'Balmoral Highlanders', and why has the King revived a ceremonial corps that had been disbanded for ninety years?
In this video I trace the history of the Balmoral Highlanders from Victoria and Albert's acquisition of the estate in the 1840s, through Edward VII's founding of the corps in 1903, its disbandment by George V in 1936, and Charles III's revival of it this year. I look at the uniform — the kilt, the piper's plaid, the silver fittings made by the Ballater silversmith William Robb — and at the new Glen Gelder tartan created for the King, based on a 500-year-old fragment of cloth found in Glen Affric. I also explain the Lochaber axe, the pole arm the Highlanders carry, and its earlier use by Scottish town guards.
If you enjoy royal history, Highland dress and tartan, heraldry, or the ceremonial traditions of the British monarchy, this is the story behind a small revival with a great deal of history attached to it.
#BalmoralHighlanders #KingCharlesIII #ScottishHistory #Tartan #RoyalFamily
