Kaiser Bill!

[Nick]

I'm not entirely sure if this is the right place to put this, but it's a famous person wearing a kilt, so here goes.

Not something I expected to see, the future Kaiser Wilhelm II and his father in kilts!

[macwilkin]

I'm not entirely sure if this is the right place to put this, but it's a famous person wearing a kilt, so here goes.

Not something I expected to see, the future Kaiser Wilhelm II and his father in kilts!

And wearing the Balmoral tartan! Of course, this is nothing unusal, as Queen Victoria was Kaiser Wilhelm II's grandmother. The Kaiser was colonel-in-chief of a British regiment, but I can't remember which one at present!

Here's a painting of Tsar Nicholas II ("Cousin Nicky") in the uniform of the Scots Greys:



The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, who are on their North American tour at present, wear a black backing behind their cap badge in memory of Nicholas, who was their colonel-in-chief:

http://www.andrewcusack.com/blog/200...oyal_scots.php

Regards,

Todd

[Dirk Skene]

I never would have expected to see that.

[Nick]

The Kaiser was colonel-in-chief of a British regiment, but I can't remember which one at present!

I knew they were all related, I suppose it makes sense. But I didn't know he was colonel of a British regiment!

[cavscout]

Very cool! and a little pipers plaid as well.

[macwilkin]

I knew they were all related, I suppose it makes sense. But I didn't know he was colonel of a British regiment!

A Colonel-in-Chief is an honourary position.

T.

[Galician]

I believe that connection was through his mother. So why would his father be wearing a kilt?

[macwilkin]

I believe that connection was through his mother. So why would his father be wearing a kilt?

See my earlier post above. The Royal houses of Europe were quite "entwined" under their "grandmother" Victoria. No doubt it was during a visit to Balmoral.

T.

[Galician]

Of course! I checked, and found that Wilhelm's father was almost entirely of Germanic ancestry (except for a great-grandmother who was a daughter of the Tsar). But his father's uncle was godfather to the Crown Prince of England. How's that for intertwining??!!

So if Wilhelm's father wore a kilt, it was entirely based on following local practice. Just goes to show how you don't have to be Scottish to wear a kilt!!!!

[Arlen]

Besides all the family reasons for him to be wearing a kilt here's the main reason:
Queen Victoria really liked to get everyone visiting Balmoral to wear kilts. As often as she could. She thought it was great.