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The Royal Company of Archers, The King's Bodyguard for Scotland is a ceremonial unit that serves as the Sovereign's bodyguard in
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
—a role it has performed since 1822 during the reign of King George IV when the company provided a personal bodyguard to the King on his visit to Scotland. It is currently known as the King's Bodyguard for Scotland or, more often and colloquially, The Royal Company. It is located in
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
, the capital city of Scotland. The Royal Company of Archers has a long history in Scotland as a body that celebrated both the recreation and talent of local
archers Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In mo ...
. As a body established by the Monarch, the company has a long history of unique prizes, influential supporters, and ceremonial roles. It has an associated charity, "The Royal Company of Archers Charitable Trust", dedicated to helping disadvantaged individuals with their health and wellbeing in Scotland.


Early history

During the 17th and 18th centuries in Scotland, a muster or military rendezvous, called a "
wapinschaw A wapenshaw or ''wapinshaw'' (from the Old English for "weapon show") was originally a gathering and review of troops formerly held in every district in Scotland. The object was to satisfy the military chiefs that the arms of their retainers were in ...
" (a weapon show - Scot’s dialect wapen (weapon), shaw (show)) was held at least twice a year. Men were summoned by the sheriff and other civil
magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judic ...
s to attend a muster in their respective
counties A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
at least 20 days in advance of the meeting. The civil magistrates, in conjunction with commissioners appointed by the King, supervised this body of
militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
, divided it into companies, and appointed captains. People of all stations were obligated to play their part in each rendezvous and to show up equipped in military kit that conformed to their respective ranks. The
Lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...
s and Barons were required to provide a list of the members of their company and the weapons they brought with them to the civil magistrates and King's commissioners. The commissioners then compiled a list of the whole muster, which was presented to the King.Hugo Arnot, ''The history of Edinburgh, from the earliest accounts, to the year 1780'', Edinburgh, 1816, p.272 By using the old laws of ''
wapinschaw A wapenshaw or ''wapinshaw'' (from the Old English for "weapon show") was originally a gathering and review of troops formerly held in every district in Scotland. The object was to satisfy the military chiefs that the arms of their retainers were in ...
'', the Jacobites formed a plan to institutionalise a military corps, under a pretext of sports and recreation, that could be assembled by an authority as occasion offered. A society for encouraging and exercising archery had already been formed in 1676, as a private archery club. This society sought and acquired the patronage of the Scottish Privy Council, which provided a prize that was shot for by the company's members. The company consisted of distinguished nobles and gentlemen of the day. The Marquis of Athole was the company's Captain-General in 1670; and they held frequent meetings during the reign of the royal brothers. No traces of this company exist for some time after the Glorious Revolution. Upon the accession of Queen Anne, and death of the Marquis of Athole, they appointed Sir George Mackenzie, then Lord Tarbat and Secretary of State, and afterwards Earl of Cromarty, their Captain-General. Having chosen a new leader, the society obtained from Queen Anne a charter under the
Great Seal of Scotland The Great Seal of Scotland ( gd, Seala Mòr na h-Alba) is a principal national symbol of Scotland that allows the monarch to authorise official documents without having to sign each document individually. Wax is melted in a metal mould or matrix ...
, establishing it as a corporation by Letters Patent, dated 31 December 1713 into a Royal Company. These letters of patent: revived and ratified, on their behalf, the old laws and acts of Parliament that favored archery; gave them power to admit members, chose a President and council, appoint commanding officers, and to meet and act under their officers' supervision in military form for weapon-shawing as often as they should think convenient; and prohibited the civil magistrate from interrupting their activities. These rights and privileges were designed after the mode of feudal tenure, and to hold them in blanch fee (''reddendo'') of Her Majesty and her successors, therefore annually acknowledging a pair of barbed arrows. The society received these rights and privileges in its charter from Queen Anne in 1704. In return for being endowed with "perpetual access to all public butts, plains and pasturages legally allotted for shooting arrows", the Royal Company is required to present to the Sovereign three barbed arrows on request. The first such weapon-shawing was held on 14 June 1714, with the Marquis of Athole as the company's Captain-General, even though he was in his 80s by this time, and the Earl of Wemyss as Lieutenant-General at the head of about 50 archers.Hugo Arnot, ''The history of Edinburgh, from the earliest accounts, to the year 1780'', Edinburgh, 1816, p.273 On that occasion, the society shot a silver arrow, presented to them by the City of
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
, at Leith. By the following year, the company had doubled in number and was led by David Wemyss, 4th Earl of Wemyss after the death of the Marquis of Athole.Hugo Arnot, ''The history of Edinburgh, from the earliest accounts, to the year 1780'', Edinburgh, 1816, p.275 After the
Jacobite rising of 1715 The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( gd, Bliadhna Sheumais ; or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland for the exiled Stuarts. At Braemar, Aberdeenshire ...
no parade was held for nine years, but they resumed under
James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton and 2nd Duke of Brandon KT FRS (5 January 1703 – 2 March 1743) was a Scottish peer, the son of the 4th Duke of Hamilton. Hamilton attended Winchester College from 1716 to 1717. He matriculated at Christ ...
on 4 August 1724 at Musselburgh. However, after 1734 public parades were discontinued until the
Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
were over.


Duties and traditions

The Royal Company's traditions relate to its reason for formation, the archery competition. To further this, it offers thirteen prizes that were at some time in the past competed for annually. Many are retained to the present day.


The Musselburgh Arrow

The tradition of shooting the silver ''Musselburgh Arrow'', a small arrow presented by the town of Musselburgh in 1603, predates the creation of the Royal Company and follows in the traditions of other burghs of Scotland. A new, large arrow was presented in 1713. The victor of the shooting retains the arrow for a year, and on handing it over to the next victor appends a medal to the arrow with an engraved personal motto, all of which are held by the Royal Company. One hundred and three such medals were held by the company by 1816.


Three Arrows

By the 1820s three more arrows were also presented by the cities of
Peebles Peebles ( gd, Na Pùballan) is a town in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. It was historically a royal burgh and the county town of Peeblesshire. According to the 2011 census, the population was 8,376 and the estimated population in June 2018 wa ...
(1626), Selkirk (1675) and
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
. ''The Edinburgh Arrow'' was presented by the City of Edinburgh in 1709, and the medals appended to it are in gold. The winner was at one time entitled to a prize of five pounds Sterling from the city, but this fell into abeyance after 1716. The 'Edinburgh Arrow' is an annual competition competed for at the nearby Bruntsfield Links. It is the rule of the prize "1. That the said Silver Arrow be shot for at the rovers in Leith Links, upon the second Monday of June yearly, at ten of the clock in the forenoon if the day be favourable; and if not, that the shooting be adjourned to the next fair Monday." 16 June 2009 marked the 300th anniversary of the first competition for The Edinburgh Arrow. The three arrows are now depicted on one of the standards. Until the institution of the third prize, only a pair of arrows was presented to the Sovereign on demand, this now increased to three.


The Silver Punch bowl and Ladle

The fifth prize is ''The Silver
Punch bowl A punch bowl or punchbowl is a bowl, often large and wide, in which the drink punch is served.''The Language of Drink'' Graham and Sue Edwards 1988, Alan Sutton Publishing Origins The word ''punch'' is a loanword from Hindi. The original drin ...
and Ladle'' presented to the company in 1720, and likewise had medals appended to it by its winner. The Bowl made to the value of £20, and the bill for its construction and the engraving on it came to £22, 13s. 9d. sterling. It had inscribed on one side the common seal of the company, and on the opposite side the reverse of the seal; and between those, on one side a Saint Andrew, and on the other the following inscription: "''Edinburgh, 20th June 1720. — The Councill of the Royall Company of Archers, viz., Mr David Drummond, Praeses, Thomas Kincaid, John Nairn, James Ross, Robert Lowis, John Lowis, John Carnegy, George Drummond, Tresr., William Murray and James Lowis, clerks, ordered this piece of plate to be furnished out of the stock of the Company, and to be shot for as ane annual pryze. at rovers by the said Company, as the Councill for the time shall appoint''"


The Pagodas Medal

This prize consists of a medal, one of two which were presented to the Company in 1793 by Major James Spens, The 73rd Regiment (Royal Highland East Indies). They were made from fifty "
pagodas A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, ...
", being part of the money actually paid by Tippu Sultan to the allies at the
Treaty of Seringapatam The Treaty of Seringapatam (also called Srirangapatinam or Srirangapatna), signed 18 March 1792, ended the Third Anglo-Mysore War. Its signatories included Lord Cornwallis on behalf of the British East India Company, representatives of the Niz ...
in 1792.


Silver Vase and Gold Medal

A prize by the General John Earl of Hopetoun commemorating the 1822 visit by King
George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...
is also competed for annually on the king's or queen's birthday, and known as the Commemoration Prize.


The Royal (Queen's) Prize of 20 Guineas

Since 1677 there has also been a competition for ''The Royal (Queen's) Prize'' for which £20 is awarded on the condition that the winner contributes to the Company silver plate to the value of money received from the Crown. The condition is that the plate must bear the insignia of Archery.


The Silver Bugles

The ninth and tenth prizes are a pair of Silver Bugles, one presented to the Royal Company by one of the General Officers, Sir Henry Jardine, Knight, and which was shot for on 9 April 1830, for the first time. The second was presented later by the Sovereign's Bodyguard.


St. Andrew's Prize

St. Andrew's Cross, given in the 1840s by Sir George Steuart Mackenzie, of Coul, to the Royal Company, and called the "St.Andrew's Prize." The above prizes were competed at the 180, 185 and 200 yards distance with two targets or 'clouts' as the aiming mark, one located at each end of the range. Two further prizes are competed for 'at butts' or point blank distance.


Prize of the Goose

The ''Prize of the Goose'' was competed for since 1703 and involved a live goose, requiring the winner to kill the goose when only its head protruded from the mark. The winner was to be known as the Captain of the Goose for a season. At some time in the history of the company the above method was adopted for shooting for the prize of the Goose by inserting a small glass globe of about an inch in diameter in the centre of the butt-mark, which is a circular piece of cardboard, four inches in diameter. The competitor whose arrow first breaks this globe is declared " Captain of the Goose " for the year, and was awarded the other gold medal presented by Major Spens.


The Gold Medal

This is the more often competed for prize, the competition being held three times a year for three days each time, the scoring accounted in points like the usual archery competition.


Competition Rules

The Rules and Regulations of the Royal Company of Archers have never been printed, and, in fact, were never completed. The society may, therefore, be considered as "lawless" when within the precincts of their shooting ground.


Duties

The main duties of the company are now ceremonial, and since the 1822 appointment as the Sovereign's 'Body Guard in Scotland' for George IV's visit to Edinburgh, include attending the Sovereign at various functions during the annual Royal Visit to Scotland when he or she approach within five miles of Edinburgh, including the Order of the Thistle investitures at The High Kirk of
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
( St Giles Cathedral), the Royal Garden Party and the Ceremony of the Keys at the
Palace of Holyroodhouse The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh ...
and the presentation of new colours to Scottish regiments. At the Holyrood-house they provide corridor guard of honour. The Company arrives at the Holyrood-house by march at noon, preceded by their pipes and drums band, and holding the unstrung bows in their right hands. Initially they occupy the colonnades of the façade. The company has a
march March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March ...
, the Archer's March composed by Allan Ramsay, which was played on special occasions. ''Sound, sound the music, sound it,''
''Let hills and dales rebound it,''
''Let hills and dales rebound it''
''In praise of Archery.''
''Used as a Game it pleases,''
''The mind to joy it raises,''
''And throws off all diseases''
''Of lazy luxury.'' ''Now, now our care beguiling,''
''When all the year looks smiling,''
''When all the year looks smiling''
''With healthful harmony.''
''The sun in glory glowing,''
''With morning dew bestowing''
''Sweet fragrance, life, and growing''
''To flowers and every tree.'' ''Tis now the archers royal,''
''An hearty band and loyal,''
''An hearty band and loyal,''
''That in just thought agree,''
''Appear in ancient bravery,''
''Despising all base knavery,''
''Which tends to bring in slavery,''
''Souls worthy to live free.'' ''Sound, sound the music, sound it,''
''Fill up the glass and round wi't,''
''Fill up the glass and round wi't,''
''Health and Prosperity''
''To our great chief and officers,''
''To our president and counsellors,''
''To all who like their brave forbears''
''Delight in Archery.''


Organisation

The Royal Company of Archers has its base in Buccleuch Street, Edinburgh at Archers' Hall. Building commenced on 15 August 1776, and was completed by Alexander Laing in 1777. The Hall was extended in 1900 by A.F. Balfour Paul, and recently refurbished. The Hall consists of a hall, forty feet by twenty-four, and eighteen feet high; two rooms of eighteen by nineteen, and kitchen, cellars, lobby, and other apartments. Until 2010, the ground behind the house was laid out into a bowling-green, known as The Meadows or Hope Park, a spot deriving its name from Sir Thomas Hope, who drained and converted it into an archery ground, maintained by the Edinburgh Bowling Club. The Hall serves as a venue for various dinners and meetings of the Royal Company. The affairs of the Royal Company are managed by a President and six counsellors, who are chosen annually by the whole membership. The Adjutant, an officer, is the only ex-officio member of Council. The council is vested with the power of receiving or rejecting candidates for admission, and of appointing the company's officers, civil and military. The structure of the organisation is divided between officers and Archers. By seniority, the officers comprise one Captain-General, four Captains, four Lieutenants, four Ensigns and twelve Brigadiers. From the starting membership of 50 the number of the corps numbered about 1,000 in the late 18th century, but only exceeded five hundred by the 1930s. The Captain-General is the Gold Stick for Scotland.Frank Adam, Thomas Innes, ''The Clans, Septs and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands'', 1934, p.331 The Royal Company of Archers functions as the Sovereign's 'Body Guard in Scotland'. Every officer of The Royal Company is of the rank of a general, and the Archers of the corps rank at Court as colonels. Members of the Royal Company must be Scots or have strong Scottish connections. Membership is by election; the present membership totals around 530, with an active list of some 400 who pay an annual subscription.


Company standards

The Royal Company has two standards. The first of these bears on one side
Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...
and Cupid encircled in a wreath of
thistles Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles can also occur all over the planton the stem and on the flat parts of the leaves. ...
, with this motto: ''In peace and war''. On the other, a yew tree, with two men dressed and equipped as
archer Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
s, encircled as the former motto: ''Dal gloria vires'' (Glory Gives Strength). The other standard displays on one side, on a field or, a lion rampant gules, encircled with a double tressure flory-counter flory of the second (the Royal Arms of Scotland); on the top, a thistle and crown, motto: '' Nemo me impune lacessit'' (no one provokes me with impunity). On the other, St Andrew on the cross on field
argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to ...
; at the top, a crown, motto: ''Dulce pro patria periculum'' (danger is sweet for one's country). The three arrows on the standard were added after introduction of a third-place winner in the competition since 1720.


Uniforms

The Royal Company of Archers have the distinction of being the first military body of troops in the service of the British Crown who adopted
tartan Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...
as a part of their
uniform A uniform is a variety of clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, ...
. The original uniform of the corps appears to have been a "shooting" dress, consisting of a tartan, lined with white, trimmed with green and white ribbons; a white sash, with green tassels; and a blue bonnet, with a St. Andrew's cross, a tartan coat, with knee-breeches and white vest; and a "common uniform", the coat of which was "a green lapelled frock." Tartan was fashionable at the time as an expression of anti-Union and pro-Jacobite sentiment and many of the company were known Jacobites. From 1713 to 1746 a
red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...
tartan sett was used for uniform, but it has not been satisfactorily settled as to what sett of tartan this was, though it was intended to be patterned on that worn by Prince Charles Edward Stuart. After 36 years following the Battle of Culloden the Act of Proscription passed by Parliament which "proscribed or banned the making or wearing of Tartan cloths" was repealed, and from 1783 tartans were worn again. However, in 1789 the red tartan sett was discarded for the
Black Watch The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regime ...
one. In 1734 the headgear worn by the corps was a flat
bonnet A Bonnet is a variety of headgear, hat or cap Specific types of headgear referred to as "bonnets" may include Scottish * Blue bonnet, a distinctive woollen cap worn by men in Scotland from the 15th-18th centuries And its derivations: ** Fea ...
, ornamented with green and white
feathers Feathers are epidermal growths that form a distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on both avian (bird) and some non-avian dinosaurs and other archosaurs. They are the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates and a premier ...
.Hugo Arnot, ''The history of Edinburgh, from the earliest accounts, to the year 1780'', Edinburgh, 1816, p.274 Until 1823 (and possibly later) the Royal Company of Archers still wore tartan. Late in the 19th century when the
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
opened the Glasgow Exhibition, Her Majesty's Scottish Body Guard wore their dark green
tunics A tunic is a garment for the body, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the knees. The name derives from the Latin ''tunica'', the basic garment worn by both men and women in Ancient Rom ...
(formerly of the "Black Watch" tartan), with black braid facings and a narrow stripe of crimson velvet in the centre; shoulder wings and gauntleted cuffs similarly trimmed; dark green trousers with black and crimson stripe; a bow case worn as a sash, adorned with two arrows forming a St. Andrew's cross surmounted by a crown; a black leather waist-belt with richly chased gold clasp; a short, gilt-headed Roman sword, like an English bandsman's; Highland bonnet with thistle and one or more eagle feathers. Their uniform until the Second World War, however has been a Court dress of green with gold embroidery, and cocked hat with a plume of dark cock's feathers. The officers' dress has gold embroidery, and their rank is indicated by two or, in the case of the captain, three, feathers being worn in the bonnet. The corps shooting dress is a dark-green tunic with crimson facings, shoulder-wings and gauntleted cuffs and dark-green trousers trimmed with black and crimson, a bow-case worn as a sash, of the same colour as the coat, black waistbelt with sword, Highland cap with
thistle Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles can also occur all over the planton the stem and on the flat parts of the leaves ...
ornament and one or more eagle feathers, and a
hunting knife A hunting knife is a knife used during hunting for preparing the game to be used as food: skinning the animal and cutting up the meat. It is different from the hunting dagger which was traditionally used to kill wild game. Some hunting knives ar ...
. The weapon worn with this uniform is the sword.


Captains-General

* John Murray, 1st Marquess of Atholl c.1676–1703 *
George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie FRS (1630–1714), known as Sir George Mackenzie, 2nd Baronet from 1654 to 1685 and as The Viscount of Tarbat from 1685 to 1703, was a Scottish statesman. Life He was born at Innerteil, near Kinghorn, Fi ...
1703–1714 * David Wemyss, 4th Earl of Wemyss 1715–1720 *''vacant'' *
James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton and 2nd Duke of Brandon KT FRS (5 January 1703 – 2 March 1743) was a Scottish peer, the son of the 4th Duke of Hamilton. Hamilton attended Winchester College from 1716 to 1717. He matriculated at Christ ...
1724–1743 * James Wemyss, 5th Earl of Wemyss 1743–1756 * Charles Douglas, 3rd Duke of Queensberry 1756–1778 *
Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch and 5th Duke of Queensberry KG FRSE (2 September 174611 January 1812) was a Scottish nobleman and long-time friend of Sir Walter Scott. He is the paternal 3rd great-grandfather of Princess Alice, Duchess of G ...
1778–1812 * Charles Montagu-Scott, 4th Duke of Buccleuch 1812–1819 *
John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun General John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun, (17 August 1765 – 27 August 1823), known as The Honourable John Hope from 1781 to 1814 and as Lord Niddry from 1814 to 1816, was a Scottish politician and British Army officer. Military career Hopetoun ...
1819–1823 *
James Graham, 3rd Duke of Montrose James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...
1824–1830 *
George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie General George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie, (23 October 1770 – 21 March 1838), styled Lord Ramsay until 1787, and Baron Dalhousie from 1815, was a Scottish soldier and colonial administrator. He was Governor of Nova Scotia from 1816 to 182 ...
1830–1838 *
Walter Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch Walter Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch, 7th Duke of Queensberry, (born Walter Francis Montagu-Scott; 25 November 1806 – 16 April 1884), styled Lord Eskdail between 1808 and 1812 and Earl of Dalkeith between 1812 and 18 ...
1838–1884 * William Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 6th Duke of Buccleuch 1884–1914 *
John Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch John Charles Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch and 9th Duke of Queensberry, (30 March 1864 – 19 October 1935), styled The Honourable John Montagu Douglas Scott until 1884, Lord John Montagu Douglas Scott between 1884 and 1886 ...
1914–1935 * Sidney Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone, 16th Lord Elphinstone 1935–1953 *
John Dalrymple, 12th Earl of Stair John James Hamilton Dalrymple, 12th Earl of Stair, (1 February 1879 – 4 November 1961), styled Viscount Dalrymple between 1903 and 1914, was a Scottish soldier and Conservative Party, later Unionist Party, politician. Military and politica ...
1953–1961 * Walter Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 8th Duke of Buccleuch 1961–1973 * John Dalrymple, 13th Earl of Stair 1973–1988 *
Ronald Colville, 2nd Baron Clydesmuir Ronald John Bilsland Colville, 2nd Baron Clydesmuir, KT, CB, MBE, TD (21 May 1917 – 2 October 1996), was a Scottish soldier and businessman. He notably served as Governor of the Bank of Scotland, Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire, and Capt ...
1988–1996 * Sir Hew Fleetwood Hamilton-Dalrymple, 10th Baronet 1996–2004 *
David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie David George Coke Patrick Ogilvy, 8th (or 13th) Earl of Airlie, (born 17 May 1926) is a Scottish peer. Background and education Airlie is the eldest son of David Ogilvy, 12th Earl of Airlie and Lady Alexandra Coke. His younger brother was Si ...
2004–2006 *
James Graham, 8th Duke of Montrose James Graham, 8th Duke of Montrose (born 6 April 1935), known as Earl of Kincardine until 1954 and Marquess of Graham between 1954 and 1992, is a Southern Rhodesia-born hereditary peer of the Peerage of Scotland and a British Conservative Party ...
2006-2014 * Richard Walter John Montagu Douglas Scott, 10th Duke of Buccleuch, 12th Duke of Queensberry 2014–present


Notable members

Over the years the Company members have included soldiers, scientists, lawyers and politicians: * Robert Ferguson of Raith (1770–1840) and his brother Lt-Gen. Sir Ronald Craufurd Ferguson (1773–1841) – subjects of the painting, "The Archers" (1789 or 1790), by Sir
Henry Raeburn Sir Henry Raeburn (; 4 March 1756 – 8 July 1823) was a Scottish portrait painter. He served as Portrait Painter to King George IV in Scotland. Biography Raeburn was born the son of a manufacturer in Stockbridge, on the Water of Leith: a f ...
(1756–1823). (Collection: National Gallery) *
Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...
(1771–1832) * Sir Henry Raeburn (1756–1823) *
Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...
(1759–1796) * John Rattray (1707–1771), surgeon and golfer * Sir Patrick Ford, 1st Baronet 1877–1945 * James Duff, Edinburgh, Author: ''Bows and Arrows'', 1927, Jersey City, New Jersey bowmaker and fletcher * Sir Tony Keswick (1903–1990), managing director of Jardine, Matheson & Co., governor of the
Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business di ...
and a director of the Bank of England * Sir Maxwell Inglis, 9th Baronet (1903–1974), Lord-Lieutenant of Midlothian * Brig. Patrick Sholto Douglas, MC (1912–1977) * Dr Paul MacKenzie (1919–2014) * Lt-Col. Malcolm Robert Wallace of that Ilk (1921–1990) * Donald Erskine of Cardross and Carnock, DL (1925–2017) * James Charles Macnab, The Macnab (1926–2013)'Macnab of Macnab, James Charles' in '' Who's Who 2012'' (London: A. & C. Black, 2011) * Charles Jauncey of Tullichettle (1925–2007), a
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
Law Lord *
Sir Angus Ogilvy Sir Angus James Bruce Ogilvy (14 September 1928 – 26 December 2004) was a British businessman. He is best known as the husband of Princess Alexandra of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. Ogilvy is also remembered for his role in a bu ...
(1928–2004), husband of HRH the Princess Alexandra ''later'' The Hon Lady Ogilvy * Aidan Cuthbert (1934–), of
Beaufront Castle Beaufront Castle is a privately owned 19th-century country house near Hexham, Northumberland, England. It is a Grade I listed building.
and former husband of Lady Lucy Percy *
Robin Orr Blair Robin Orr Blair, CVO, WS (born 1 January 1940), former Lord Lyon King of Arms of Scotland, is a retired solicitor, and was a partner with Dundas & Wilson CS and later with Turcan Connell. From 1988 until his appointment as Lord Lyon, he held t ...
, CVO, WS (1940–), late Lyon King of Arms * Sir Lachlan Maclean, 12th Baronet, CVO, DL (1942–), 28th Chief of Clan Maclean * Sir Malcolm Leslie Rifkind KCMG KC (1946-), Secretary of State for Scotland *
Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll Merlin Sereld Victor Gilbert Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll (born 20 April 1948), is a crossbench member of the House of Lords, chief of the Scottish clan Hay, and hereditary Lord High Constable of Scotland. Early life and education Lord Erroll, elde ...
(1948–), Chief of Clan Hay, hereditary
Lord High Constable of Scotland The Lord High Constable is a hereditary, now ceremonial, office of Scotland. In the order of precedence of Scotland, the office traditionally ranks above all titles except those of the Royal Family.p60-61, Bruce, Alistair, Keepers of the King ...
and a cross-bench member of the House of Lords * Maj-Gen. Alastair Bruce of Crionaich, OBE, DL (1960–), Governor of Edinburgh Castle * Alan Cuthbert (1962–) *
Alister Jack Alister William Jack (born 7 July 1963) is a British politician serving as Secretary of State for Scotland since 2019. A member of the Scottish Conservatives, he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dumfries and Galloway since 2017. Ear ...
(1963–), Secretary of State for Scotland * Ben Wallace, (1970–), Secretary of State for Defence


Significance

The Royal Company forms a part of The King's Household in Scotland. Archers' Hall is a Category B
listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
, i.e. "buildings of regional or more than local importance, or major examples of some particular period, style or building type which may have been altered" in compliance with Scotland's Town and Country Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.


See also

*
Woodmen of Arden The Woodmen of the Ancient Forest of Arden are an exclusive society of longbow shooting toxophilites, founded (or possibly re-founded) in 1758 in the village of Meriden, in the Borough of Solihull, in the ancient Forest of Arden. History Th ...
* High Constables and Guard of Honour of the Palace of Holyroodhouse


Notes


References


Bibliography

* Hugh Oakeley Arnold-Forster, The Army in 1906: A Policy and a Vindication (London 1907) * Sir Paul James Balfour, 'Lyon King of Arms, Scottish Archery' (Chapter XIII), in Duke of Beaufort, ed., ''The Badminton Library of sports an pastimes'', C.J. Longman and Col. H. Walrond, 1894. * Sir Paul James Balfour, ''The History of the Royal Company of Archers: The Queen's Body-guard for Scotland'' W. Blackwood, (Edinburgh 1875) * John Britton, ''Modern Athens, displayed in a series of views, or, Edinburgh in the Nineteenth century'', (London, 1829) * Charles Lowe, The Royal Company of Archers, ''The Graphic'', 9 August 1902.


External links


The Royal Company of Archers




{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Company of Archers 1676 establishments in Scotland British ceremonial units Bodyguards Scottish royalty History of Edinburgh Lists of Scottish people Military of Scotland Military units and formations established in 1676 Sports organizations established in the 17th century Sports teams in Edinburgh Organisations based in Edinburgh Scottish ceremonial units