Home > Visit of King George IV to Scotland
150px Sir David Wilkie's flattering portrait of the kilted King George IV, with lighting chosen to tone down the brightness of his kilt and his knees shown bare, without the pink tights he wore at the event.The 1822 visit of King George IV to Scotland was the first visit of a reigning monarch to Scotland since 1650. Government ministers had pressed the King to bring forward a proposed visit to Scotland, to divert him King from diplomatic intrigue at the Congress of the Nations in Vienna. The visit increased his popularity in Scotland, turning his subjects away from the rebellious radicalism of the time. However, it was Sir Walter Scott's organisation of the visit with the inclusion of tartan pageantry that was to have a lasting influence, by elevating the plaid kilt to a part of Scotland's national identity.
1 Background
After a decade of ruling as Prince Regent, George IV acceded to the throne and his coronation on July 19, 1821, was celebrated by splendid traditional pageantry, much of it invented for the occasion. He was obese and was widely unpopular with many offended by his treatment of his wife. He had also been struggling to manipulate the government which was seen as a corrupt oligarchyOligarchy is a form of government where most political power effectively rests with a small segment of society (typically the most powerful, whether by wealth, military strength, ruthlessness, or political influence). The word oligarchy is from the Greek by radicals who went as far as civil warFor other uses, see Civil War (disambiguation A civil war is a war in which the competing parties are segments of the same country or empire. Civil war is usually a high intensity stage in an unresolved political struggle for national control of state pow following the revolutions which shook AmericaThe American Revolution refers to the series of events, ideas, and changes that resulted in the political separation of thirteen colonies in North America from the British Empire and the creation of the United States of America. The American Revolutionary and FranceThe period of the French Revolution in the history of France covers the years between 1789 and 1799, in which democrats and republicans overthrew the absolute monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church perforce underwent radical restructuring. While France wo. He was invited to attend a Congress of the Nations in Vienna, but government ministers wanting to keep ParliamentThe Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty) legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. At its head is the Sovereign; it also includary control of foreign affairs pressed him to bring forward a proposed visit to Scotland. Suffering from painful illness and pushed by opposing factions of diplomats and ministers, the King remained indecisive, but preparations went ahead in the hope of his agreement.
Walter Scott was author of the novel WaverleyWaverley is a novel by Sir Walter Scott. This was Scott's first venture into prose fiction, anonymously published in 1814, and is often regarded as the first historical novel. Scott's later novels were advertised as being "by the author of Waverley". which popularised a romantic image of the Scottish Highlands. This led to him being invited to dine with George, who was then the Prince Regent, in 1815. By 1822 Scott had become a baronet, and was well acquainted with both Highland and Lowland aristocracy.
Kilts and tartans were used for army uniforms but were no longer ordinary Highland wear, having been proscribed in the wake of the Jacobite Risings by the Dress Act. The "small" kilt as worn today was a relatively recent innovation in the Highlands, having been introduced around the 1720s and later adopted as dress uniform by the army, but the romance of the "ancient" Belted plaid still appealed to those wanting to preserve the Highland identity. Soon after the Act's repeal in 1782, Highland aristocrats set up Highland Societies in Edinburgh and other centres including London and Aberdeen, landowners' clubs with aims including "Improvements" (which others would call the Highland clearances) and promoting "the general use of the ancient Highland dress" by obliging members to wear this when attending meetings. Numerous less exclusive associations including the Celtic Society of Edinburgh , of which Scott was enthusiastic chairman, had membership including many lowlanders as well as chieftains of impeccable Highland ancestry, and also promoted Highland culture with all attending meetings and dances wearing "the garb of old Gaul".
