According to the Queen’s personal piper, as the wind raised his kilt in front of her, he unintentionally exposed that he was a “genuine Scotsman.”
The Queen afterwards made light of the event, according to Scott Methven, 48, who claimed to have been “briefly exposed” while playing the bagpipes outside Windsor Castle on a breezy morning.
According to Mr. Methven in The Spectator magazine, “one particularly windy morning, as I was playing at Windsor Castle, my kilt was blown up and, being a “genuine Scotsman,” I was temporarily exposed.”
One of the Queen’s advisors made light of the situation when he got back to the castle.
Later, when I was accompanying Her Majesty, she inquired as to whether the morning had been very chilly.
From 2015 until 2019, the former Pipe Major performed every morning at 9am outside the Queen’s window at the different palaces as a member of the Royal Household.
The Queen, according to him, was not only witty and enjoyed making jokes, but she also showed care and devotion to her employees.
After 25 years, he retired from the Army in 2019 and is now a bagpipe instructor.
The Queen was not just witty and enjoyed making jokes, but she was also kind and committed to her employees, according to Mr. Methven.
Working with her allowed me to get familiar with her sense of humour and the comfort with which she interacted with everyone.
Her Majesty asked me whether I was settling in on my first day of work, when I was a bit anxious.
“I said I was getting lost at the Palace, and she smiled and said she used to get lost all the time with Princess Margaret when they were kids,” she said.
The Queen, who stood at a renownedly short 5 feet 3 inches, made fun of Mr. Methven’s height as well.
He recalled: “She used to make fun of my 5’6″ height and say that I was the first piper to occupy the position who she didn’t have to look up to.”
After Queen Victoria established the position in 1843 because she had appreciated the sound of the bagpipes while on vacation in Taymouth Castle, Mr. Methven became the 15th Queen’s Piper.
He has previously spoken about how the Queen showed his family and him special attention when his wife Morven was told she had terminal illness.
While Mr. Methven cared for his wife in the hospital and his five-year-old son Fearghas (corr) played with Prince George, the couple’s children were permitted to remain at Balmoral Castle and were looked after by royal nannies.
The Queen also brought strawberries and muffins to the nurses on duty, and Mr. Methven said that his son regularly discussed his love of red squirrels with the Duke of Edinburgh.
He said that after learning of his wife’s sickness, the Queen advised him to put his family first.
When I was standing next to the Queen, she remarked, “If you don’t play the bagpipes in the morning, then I know you’re gone.” If your family needs you, don’t wait to ask anybody; immediately return home since family comes first.
“Just know Pipes, if anybody has a problem with that you say them that I said it was OK to leave,” she again grabbed my arm, he continued.
Before leaving the Army in 2019, Mr. Methven served in Northern Ireland and completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan. He is now a bagpipe instructor.