The Prince's Tour & Banquet at Holyroodhouse Palace

Celebration Banquet & Private Tour

HRH Prince Charles Edward was reputed to have thrown many a party and many a ball at Holyroodhouse Palace when he was in residence for 6 weeks in 1745 after Victory at Prestonpans. The Royal Apartments in the Palace at the time were in a poor state of repair so he stayed in the apartments His Grace The Duke of Hamilton had maintained for himself as Keeper. All this and more we were to learn on the private conducted tour led by the Palace's Curator Deborah Clarke which 80 Supporters and Re-enactors took on September 21st 2007 prior to the Prince's Banquet in The Conservatory - By Command of HRH Bonnie Prince Charlie grandly represented throughout by Arran Johnson. The Prince also gave His Declaration in ringing tones!

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Protocol precluded photography within the Palace ...

...so the pictures given below mainly show the assemblage outwith the Palace gates and the Scottish Parliament and on the Green at the foot of Arthur's Seat. Needless to say it was a great occasion for those attending and it attracted goodly press and media attention. But The Trustees purpose in holding the event was two fold: [i] to thank the re-enactors who are entirely volunteers for coming to join in our celebrations on the 22nd from as close as our own Prestonpans Pipes and Drums and as far away as the Czech Republic; but significantly [ii] to put down a marker that Partying and Celebration is very much part of how they intend to celebrate the Prince's Victory, and the Hopes and Ambitions it aroused, in the years ahead.

The first picture shows The Prince in conversation with Rhona and [Councillor] Peter MacKenzie. Peter established the Prestonpans Battlefield Walk in 2000 and he acted as Public Narrator throughout the whole weekend. [Photographs are by Garry Menzies, Andrew Crummy and Prestoungrange.]

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Trustees of the Battle of Prestonpans Heritage 1745 Trust