The Royal Connection - Marking Accession Day

Today, 6th February 2022, marks Her Majesty The Queen's Accession Day and she has become the first British Monarch to reign for 70 years. We commemorate 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth. On this historic occasion, RSCDS Archivist Alan Macpherson takes a look at the Royal connection with the Society.

The 'Royal' connection goes back to the 1930s when in 1932, HRH Queen Mary was presented with a bound collection of the Scottish Country Dance Society's dance books; in 1939, Queen Elizabeth received the same.

In November 1946, the Executive Council approached Buckingham Palace to ask if Princess Elizabeth would consider becoming the Patron of the Society.  This request was successful and HRH Princess Elizabeth duly became the Society's Patron on 20th December 1946.  Following her accession to the throne in 1952, her Patronage was reaffirmed on 14th November 1952.

During her 76 years as our Patron, HRH The Queen, who was an accomplished country dancer, has taken a very active interest in the Society, and she has attended several Society functions.  In 1961, together with the Duke of Edinburgh, she visited the Society’s Headquarters at 12 Coates Crescent, Edinburgh accompanied by Lady Elgin, the Society’s President to meet members of the Society. On the occasion of the Society’s Golden Jubilee in 1973, she attended the Jubilee Ball in the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh and again in 1998 Her Majesty was present at the Society’s 75th Anniversary reception held in the City Chambers in Edinburgh. 

In 2003, the year of The Queen's Golden Jubilee, Elspeth Gray and Alan Macpherson met Her Majesty at Holyrood Palace and presented her with a suite of Golden Jubilee Dances.  In 2013, again at Holyrood Palace, she was present during a demonstration by the Society’s Youth Demonstration Team.

We congratulate Her Majesty The Queen on this historic milestone and look forward to commemorating the Platinum Jubilee in June.