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By Roddy Marline
THE Royal Caledonian Ball held at Grosvenor House is one of the major events of the annual London social season. A glittering occasion by any standards, London-Scottish society and the Scottish Regiments get together dressed in their tartans and uniforms to dance reels until the early hours of the morning.
Though formal (Highland dress or white tie and the ladies wear tartan sashes), it is a light-hearted evening:; enormously enjoyable, but it also serves a useful purpose in that it raises substantial sums of money for Scottish charities such as the Royal Caledonian Schools at Bushey in Hertfordshire. This year the organisers have made a contribution of £8000 towards the Queen Victoria School Sports Hall Appeal.
First held in 1849 at the invitation of the 6th Duke and Duchess of Atholl, the Ball has been held at Grosvenor House on London's Park Lane, since 1946. It is now held under the patronage of Her Majesty the Queen, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, HRH Princess Margaret Countess of Snowdon, HRH Princess Alice
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Duchess of Gloucester and HRH The'Duke of Kent.
On average approaching 1000 guests assemble in the great ballroom and the programme starts with the Set Reels, which comprise sixteensomes and eightsomes made up from representatives of major Scottish families and regiments while others spectate from the balcony.
This year guests were welcomed by the Pipes and Drums of the 1st Battalion 51st Highland Volunteers. Thereafter, the Earl of Erroll, Chairman of the Ball, descended the staircase with the Countess of Erroll and Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, who attended in her capacity as Colonel in Chief of the Royal Scots.
Other regimental parties this year comprised The King's Own Scottish Borderers, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, the cadets from The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
The 24th Earl of Errol is Hereditary Lord High Constable of Scotland, Senior Great Officer of the Royal Household in Scotland, an honour bestowed on his ancestor in the fourteenth century by King Robert Bruce. In this capacity he takes precedence in Scotland over all but the Blood
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Royal.
As the eldest son of the late Sir Iain Moncreiffe of that Ilk and the Countess of Erroll, he is carrying on what is very much a family Caledonian tradition, taking over the chairmanship from Lady Gillian Anderson, who retains her association as Vice-President with the Duke of Atholl as President.
Dancing, which continued until 3.30 am. was to the Ben Sanders Band, who now travel . all around the world to provide their popular style of Scottish country dance music. The Duke of Perth, the Reel of the 51st Highland Division, Hamilton House, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the revellers at the Royal Caledonian Ball had obviously practiced for weeks beforehand.
The remarkable aspect of such an event is that it endures at all in the modem age. But there is little doubt that the Royal Caledonian Ball is as popular, if not more so, than it has ever been.
Scottish country dancing has been growing steadily in popularity with clubs in places as far away as Hong Kong and notably in London at Wandsworth Town Hall where dances are held on Wednesday evenings throughout the winter months.
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