During a recent rare public date night in Canada, Meghan Markle revealed one of Prince Harry’s passions, which has a long-held significant royal connection.

The couple made a glamorous surprise joint appearance at the David Foster Foundation’s star-studded 40th anniversary gala on Friday night, during which they walked past a line of musicians with bagpipes – an instrument the Duke of Sussex holds an affinity for, according to his wife.  A smiling Meghan quipped that her husband “loves bagpipes” in a behind-the-scenes video from the night shared to her Instagram grid.

“Where are mine?” Harry joked, before clarifying “pipes and drums, just to be clear”. The royals walked hand-in-hand past musicians dressed in traditional Scottish pipe band uniforms, consisting of a red and black tartan cloth draped over the shoulder and a ceremonial feather bonnet.

© Instagram/ @meghan

Royal significance of bagpipes

The bagpipes hold special and historical significance for the royal family, dating back to Queen Victoria’s reign. The instrument holds a deep connection to Scotland, where the royal family have residences at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh and Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire.

In the British royal household, the Piper to the Sovereign, a position first created by the late Queen Victoria in 1843, is responsible for playing the bagpipes at the monarch’s request. During Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, the piper would play at 9am for 15 minutes under the monarch’s window when she stayed at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Balmoral or Holyroodhouse. King Charles has continued the tradition, having a piper in his royal household.

© Getty Images

In his memoir, Spare, Harry shared that his grandmother loved to be awoken to the sound of the instrument, and that it should also play as she settled in for dinner.

The Duke of Sussex also recalled a memory attached to his mother Princess Diana’s death: “With bagpipes it’s not the tune, it’s the tone. Thousands of years old, bagpipes are built to amplify what’s already in the heart. If you’re feeling silly, bagpipes make you sillier.”

He continued: “If you’re angry, bagpipes bring your blood to a higher boil. And if you’re in grief, even if you’re twelve years old and don’t know you’re in grief, maybe especially if you don’t know, bagpipes can drive you mad.”

The bagpipes played for Queen Elizabeth’s final farewell at her state funeral in September 2022. Her personal piper, Pipe Major Paul Burns, played the traditional Scottish lament Sleep, Dearie, Sleep.

Harry and Meghan’s date night

© The David Foster Foundation via

Harry and Meghan got glammed up to celebrate their close friend David Foster’s foundation, which was established in 1986, on 7 August in Victoria, Canada. Meghan looked lovely in an asymmetrical navy dress by Canadian designer Greta Constantine.

The Duchess swept her hair into an elegant up-do and added a particularly meaningful finishing touch to her evening look, wearing a pair of sapphire and diamond earrings that previously belonged to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. Meanwhile, Harry opted for a classic black tuxedo and bow tie on the night.

The pair posed for pictures at the Victoria Conference Centre alongside their longtime friends David Foster and Katharine McPhee on the red carpet.