King Charles loves centuries-old morning ritual, begins day with sound of bagpipes

King Charles III begun his day with sound of bagpipes for first time at London home this week, sending a message to the people that the new monarch will keep the centuries-old morning ritual alive.

It may not be everyone's idea of a perfect awakening, but for the new King it is a royal tradition which he loves to continue with. The practice began with Queen Victoria 179 years ago, with 17 pipers to date.

Buckingham Palace released the video to its official social media handles on Wednesday, showing the military musician from the Royal Regiment of Scotland in his uniform marching around the grounds of Clarence House while played his distinctive tones.

The palace wrote: "His Majesty’s Pipe Major played for the first time in the Clarence House garden this morning, as The King woke up in residence."

It added: "The position was created by Queen Victoria in 1843, and Queen Elizabeth enjoyed the special tradition following her Accession to the Throne in 1952."

A lone piper plays a selection of songs below the monarch's window for 15 minutes at 09:00 in the morning during their presence at the palace. The current piper to the sovereign, Pipe Major Paul Burns, played for the first time at Clarence House this week. The daily performance is split into two sessions of seven minutes, separated by a minute in between to adjust and tune the traditional Scottish instrument.

Pipe Major Burns gained worldwide attention last month when he played the lament Sleep, Dearie, Sleep to mark the moment that Queen Elizabeth II's coffin left Westminster Abbey at the end of her funeral.