New Royal title for Edinburgh Tattoo

Published on Sunday 3 January 2010 21:38

SCOTLAND'S capital – which already boasts a Royal Mile and a Royal Yacht, not to mention a Royal palace – added another member to its Royal family yesterday.

To the delight of its organisers, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo – which has rung with stirring patriotic sentiment for 60 years – has won official approval to take a Royal title. From today, the military spectacle will be named "The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo". It is the first, and only, Edinburgh festivals event to become "Royal".

The Tattoo's chief executive and producer, Major-General Euan Loudon, said: "We are enormously proud to receive such a prestigious honour which, as we embark on our diamond jubilee year, is a wonderful endorsement for this unique, national institution."

But while the Tattoo announced that the Queen had "graciously conferred" the Royal title, a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said she knew nothing about the new name, and nor did the Ministry of Defence.

There was also no indication that it carries a formal Royal Warrant, a prestigious recognition of patronage that goes to a select handful of UK businesses. But observers said the Royal title would raise the profile of not just the Tattoo, but all of Edinburgh's festivals.

The Royal Family has been closely connected with the Tattoo since it began in 1950. Queen Elizabeth was present that year, when Sir Thomas Beecham conducted its massed bands.

In 2002, the Tattoo helped celebrate the Queen's golden jubilee year with a special production, which featured performers from across the Commonwealth. Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, is also the Tattoo's current patron.

The event has long served to present servicemen and women in a positive light. It has channelled some 5million to support arts and culture, as well as the Army Benevolent Fund and other charities. The Tattoo has also been a major driver behind the economic clout of Edinburgh's festivals, and is said to be second only to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in terms of audience spend and economic benefit for the city.

More than 200,000 people see the event live every summer – about 12 million in total to date – and two-thirds come from outside Scotland.

It is broadcast from the stands at Edinburgh Castle across the world, drawing a television audience estimated as high as 100 million.

A Fringe spokesman commented yesterday: "It is obviously a great honour for the Tattoo themselves, but it will help all the festivals in terms of reinforcing the quality and the range of things that are available.

"It will attract people to Edinburgh who will come to the other festivals as well as the Tattoo."

Asked if the Fringe itself might consider asking for a Royal title, he said: "It's not something we've given any thought to."

The Tattoo kicks off its diamond jubilee celebrations in February – with a series of performances in Sydney, Australia.

This summer, it will draw about 1,000 performers from the Middle East, Switzerland, New Zealand, the USA and the UK, running from 6-28 August.

The capital's list of 'Royal' organisations

Royal Mile

Name may date to 1124, when King David I laid out a high street for his "Burgh of Eiden" called the "Via Regis", or the "Way of the King"..

Royal Botanic Garden

It was first founded near Holyrood Palace as a "physic garden" for medicinal plants in 1670, but got its Royal Warrant from William III in 1699.

Edinburgh Royal Infirmary

Properly known as the Royal Infirmary of Edinburg, it received its Royal Charter in 1736.

The Royal Yacht Britannia

Launched in 1953, arrived at Leith after she was decommissioned in 1997 to become a major tourist attraction.

The Royal Museum of Edinburgh

Originally opened in 1854 as the Industrial Museum of Scotland, but became the Royal Scottish Museum in 1904. It is now officially part of the National Museum of Scotland, but the name lingers on. The magnificent Royal Scottish Academy building on the Mound dates to 1826, but is now officially part of the "National Galleries Complex".

The Royal Lyceum Theatre

It was built in Edinburgh in 1883 and was named after the Theatre Royal Lyceum in London – keeping its Royal title while the London original has dropped it.

The Royal Society of Edinburgh

With 1,500 members reckoned experts in their fields, was created in 1783 by Royal charter for "the advancement of learning and useful knowledge".