The kilts have come a long way from being used just as a garment to cover the body to becoming a uniform for both Scots and non-Scots around the globe. The ability of men’s kilts to remain distinct while transforming itself to suit every generation is the reason for its huge success and popularity. However, that wasn’t the situation for kilts in older times.
In 1688, Britain’s only Catholic king was thrown out of the castle during the Bloodless Revolution, also known as the Glorious Revolution of 1688. It marked the country’s transition to the parliamentary democracy system. However, another thing that didn’t get much attention was the kilt ban that occurred a few decades after.
During the same period, King James II became the father of a newborn boy. That was terrible news for the English Parliament because the king was a Roman Catholic, which wasn’t very popular in the region, and the newborn boy meant ancestry for the leaders of the parliament. So, they had to stop that from happening, and they immediately removed King James from his throne and gave it to his rebel daughter Mary and her husband William.
For around 60 long years, countless people fought and died to bring their leader back. They were known as Jacobites, and their motive was simple: give back their leader “King James II” his throne back! Most people in this group were Scottish. These Jacobites always went to battle wearing their tartan kilts.
After that battle, it became widely popular as a perfect battle outfit, and soon after that, it became the symbol of Scottish heritage. The battle of the Jacobites had been going on continuously for 60 long years! But in the end, they lost, and soon England constituted a law that prohibited people from wearing kilts or tartan fabric.
Below is a snippet that describes that law in the exact words used in the official public statement:
That form and after the first day of August, one thousand, seven hundred and forty-six, no man or boy within that part of Britain called Scotland, other than such as shall be employed as Officers and Soldiers in His Majesty’s Forces, shall, on any pretext whatever, wear or put on the clothes commonly called Highland clothes (that is to say) the Plaid, Philabeg, or little Kilt, Trowse, Shoulder belts, or any part whatever of what peculiarly belongs to the Highland Garb; and that no tartan or party-coloured plaid of stuff shall be used for Great Coats or upper coats
If anyone refused to take the law seriously, they had to get ready for severe punishments like six months in jail without bail or transported beyond the seas and remain outside of Britain for a period of seven years. People started to follow the law, and it removed every single bit of tartan or kilt in Britain. The government thought that by implementing the law, they would stop people from wearing kilts or tartans, but soon people started wearing kilts to show their love for their motherland. The protestors also wore kilts when protesting.
In 1782, the kilt ban was finally lifted because the British government saw that there wasn’t anything to worry about another Scottish rebel group. The ban lasted for a long 35 years.
So, that was our article on “The Era When Kilts Were Banned.” If you enjoyed reading this article, then do share it with your friends. If you’d like to share or ask anything, then don’t forget to drop them in the comments section below.
Robert Burns was born on January 25, 1759, in Ayrshire, Scotland. He is known as the national poet of Scotland and wrote poems and songs in both Scottish and English languages. He was very vocal and rebellious against strict religion. Both his father and mother were farmers, and they lived in the northeast region of …
The Celtic culture is one of the oldest cultures in the world, dating back to 1200 B.C. It is predominantly found in the western part of Europe, including Britain and Ireland. The word “Celts” is synonymous with “Culture” as it refers to a group of people sharing the same traditions, language, and customs. The Celtic …
Many people think that Irish people don’t wear kilts, but that’s completely wrong! They have been wearing men’s kilts for a long time now, but certainly not as long as the Scottish people. The people of Ireland have been wearing kilts for around the past 100 years, while Scottish tartan kilts have some serious history …
It is known that there were a lot of Gordons in the North East region of Scotland from the 12th century. The name “Gordon” originated from the lands of Gordon in Berwickshire. Gordon (Gor Din in the ancient British language) means Hill Fort. The native Gordons are known to be from Normandy, and they started …
The Era When Kilts Were Banned
The kilts have come a long way from being used just as a garment to cover the body to becoming a uniform for both Scots and non-Scots around the globe. The ability of men’s kilts to remain distinct while transforming itself to suit every generation is the reason for its huge success and popularity. However, that wasn’t the situation for kilts in older times.
In 1688, Britain’s only Catholic king was thrown out of the castle during the Bloodless Revolution, also known as the Glorious Revolution of 1688. It marked the country’s transition to the parliamentary democracy system. However, another thing that didn’t get much attention was the kilt ban that occurred a few decades after.
Checkout: Famous Celtic Symbols
During the same period, King James II became the father of a newborn boy. That was terrible news for the English Parliament because the king was a Roman Catholic, which wasn’t very popular in the region, and the newborn boy meant ancestry for the leaders of the parliament. So, they had to stop that from happening, and they immediately removed King James from his throne and gave it to his rebel daughter Mary and her husband William.
For around 60 long years, countless people fought and died to bring their leader back. They were known as Jacobites, and their motive was simple: give back their leader “King James II” his throne back! Most people in this group were Scottish. These Jacobites always went to battle wearing their tartan kilts.
Checkout: How to make a Kilt
After that battle, it became widely popular as a perfect battle outfit, and soon after that, it became the symbol of Scottish heritage. The battle of the Jacobites had been going on continuously for 60 long years! But in the end, they lost, and soon England constituted a law that prohibited people from wearing kilts or tartan fabric.
Read here: History 5 Popular Tartans
Below is a snippet that describes that law in the exact words used in the official public statement:
If anyone refused to take the law seriously, they had to get ready for severe punishments like six months in jail without bail or transported beyond the seas and remain outside of Britain for a period of seven years. People started to follow the law, and it removed every single bit of tartan or kilt in Britain. The government thought that by implementing the law, they would stop people from wearing kilts or tartans, but soon people started wearing kilts to show their love for their motherland. The protestors also wore kilts when protesting.
See here: Top 10 Facts About Robert Burns
In 1782, the kilt ban was finally lifted because the British government saw that there wasn’t anything to worry about another Scottish rebel group. The ban lasted for a long 35 years.
So, that was our article on “The Era When Kilts Were Banned.” If you enjoyed reading this article, then do share it with your friends. If you’d like to share or ask anything, then don’t forget to drop them in the comments section below.
Related Posts
Top 10 Facts About Robert Burns
Robert Burns was born on January 25, 1759, in Ayrshire, Scotland. He is known as the national poet of Scotland and wrote poems and songs in both Scottish and English languages. He was very vocal and rebellious against strict religion. Both his father and mother were farmers, and they lived in the northeast region of …
Top 10 Famous Celtic Symbols & Their Meaning
The Celtic culture is one of the oldest cultures in the world, dating back to 1200 B.C. It is predominantly found in the western part of Europe, including Britain and Ireland. The word “Celts” is synonymous with “Culture” as it refers to a group of people sharing the same traditions, language, and customs. The Celtic …
Everything You Need To Know About Irish Kilts
Many people think that Irish people don’t wear kilts, but that’s completely wrong! They have been wearing men’s kilts for a long time now, but certainly not as long as the Scottish people. The people of Ireland have been wearing kilts for around the past 100 years, while Scottish tartan kilts have some serious history …
The History of Gordon Tartan
It is known that there were a lot of Gordons in the North East region of Scotland from the 12th century. The name “Gordon” originated from the lands of Gordon in Berwickshire. Gordon (Gor Din in the ancient British language) means Hill Fort. The native Gordons are known to be from Normandy, and they started …