Queen Elizabeth is known for her elegance, bold wardrobe and equestrian skills, but it turns out that there's even more to the matriarch than we realized.
According to the royal website, Her Majesty is actually a big fan of Scottish country dancing. Her bio reads, "A lesser known interest is Scottish country dancing. Each year during her stay at Balmoral Castle, The Queen gives dances known as Ghillies' Balls, for neighbours, estate and Castle staff and members of the local community."
It doesn't come as a big surprise, considering how much the queen loves music and the arts. In fact, in the BBC documentary Our Queen: 90 Musical Years, it was revealed that she loved to listen to the kind of songs that "remained in one's head and were very danceable to."
In the documentary, the 92-year-old's cousin, Lady Elizabeth Anson, talked about Queen Elizabeth's impressive moves. She said, "The Queen is a fantastic dancer. She's got great rhythm." The British party planner also mentioned that, at a previous Trooping the Colour ceremony, she'd been spotted "tapping her toes" to the beat.
The annual Ghillies Ball became a tradition after Queen Victoria held the first dance in 1852. And during this event, servants and staff are usually invited to celebrate with members of the royal family (although this year, due to quarantine restrictions, things may go a bit differently).
Previously, the queen opened up about the importance of following tradition, saying, "If you live in this sort of life, which people don't very much, you live very much by tradition and by continuity. I think that's one of the sad things that people don't take on jobs for life, they try different things all of the time. As far as I'm concerned, you'll know exactly what you're doing two months hence, and even know about next year."
Well, if the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, are still down to have the Ghillies' Ball this year, we'd definitely love an invite.
