Flashback: The Balmoral Ghillies Ball, 1991

Amongst all the news of Scotland's vote on independence this week was the tidbit that the annual Ghillies Ball at Balmoral has been postponed by a day this year, so that the estate staff can place their votes. Held each September, the ball is a private event, but the 1992 documentary Elizabeth R offered a small glimpse of the fun.

For this year (filmed, I imagine, in 1991), The Queen and her mother both sported tiaras (though the rest of the royal ladies went without): the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara and the Greville Tiara, respectively. The Queen completed her suite of diamonds with her Antique Girandole Earrings, the King Faisal Diamond Necklace, and the True Lover's Knot Brooch. A sparkling view, and a treat to peek inside an event we don't often see.

Photo: BBC video