Royal Stewart tartan facts for kids
The Royal Stewart or Royal Stuart tartan is a very famous pattern of criss-crossed lines and colors. It is strongly connected to the House of Stewart, which was a royal family in Scotland. This special tartan was also the personal design of Queen Elizabeth II.
The pattern was first shown to the public in 1831. It appeared in a book called The Scottish Gaël by James Logan.
Who Wears the Royal Stewart Tartan?
Officially, certain groups are allowed to wear this tartan. These include the pipers (musicians who play bagpipes) of the Black Watch, the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, and the Scots Guards. A few civilian groups also have permission, like the Glasgow Police Pipe Band and the Winnipeg Police Pipe Band.
Some Scout groups, like the 5th Bolton Scout Group, wear a scarf with this tartan. They have special permission from the Queen to do so. The Queen's Bands at Queen's University also wear the tartan as part of their official uniforms. Sometimes, people who complete a special training course for patrol leaders can also wear it. In 1968, the Pipes and Drums of the 3rd battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, were also given permission to wear it.
Why is the Royal Stewart Tartan So Popular?
Technically, you are supposed to get permission from the British monarch (the King or Queen) to wear this tartan. However, it has become so popular that many people wear it. The Scottish Register of Tartans says that because it's so well-known, it's now seen as a "universal tartan." This means anyone can wear it, especially if they don't have their own family (clan) tartan.
Think of it this way: just as family members wear their chief's tartan, all subjects of the monarch can wear the Royal Stewart tartan. Some people believe this happened because the tartan became very popular in stores and fashion. In the past, other tartans like the Black Watch tartan or the Hunting Stewart tartan were used as universal designs that didn't need special permission.
Besides being used for clothes like skirts and scarves, the Royal Stewart tartan has appeared on many other items. You might have seen it on biscuit tins for Scottish shortbread, like Walker's Shortbread.
In the 1960s, this tartan became famous in car racing. Formula One world champion Jackie Stewart from Scotland wore a unique band of Royal Stewart tartan around his racing helmet. Later, in the late 1970s, the Royal Stewart tartan became a very popular design in punk fashion.
