The event’s Director, Simon Brooks-Ward, says that the creation of a new military tattoo last year was serendipitous. But there was something inevitable about the birth of the Royal Windsor Tattoo. All the portents were there. There was the weight of history, a groundswell of public goodwill and a gap in the market. Then there were the experienced organisers and an existing infrastructure. And last – but not least – there were friends in some very high places.
The Tattoo, held in the Queen’s private grounds at Windsor Castle over four evenings in May, provides a companion piece to the Royal Windsor Horse Show, which takes place on the preceding afternoons. It was launched last year to considerable acclaim and sold out on all its three nights, raising valuable funds for the Legion in the process.
This year, the Tattoo will be bigger and even better. Now tri-service, it will feature at least 20 of the latest military vehicles, 150 pipers, 250 horses, 500 military musicians and play host to 30,000 spectators. Hosting a massive event in the Queen’s garden is a double-edged sword, however. Yes, you get Royal patronage and beautiful grounds, especially when Windsor Castle is floodlit at night. But you also have to keep a monarch with her own opinions happy.
“Obviously, we needed the Sovereign’s permission for the Windsor Tattoo, because it’s held in her grounds,” says Simon, the chief organiser of both Horse Show and Tattoo. “Her Majesty takes a close personal interest in everything that happens. She is
very much involved in the Royal Windsor Horse Show and, by association, the Royal Tattoo as well. The Queen has been kept informed of progress constantly.”
Does she ever disapprove of his plans? “The Queen is entirely positive and helpful and always suggests things which will add to the event and never take away from it,” he says.
The monarch’s involvement goes back a long way. The Royal Windsor Horse Show was borne out of WWII and the ‘Wings for Victory’ campaign, which aimed to raise funds for RAF aircraft. In that first year, Windsor contributed almost £400,000, equivalent to the price of 78 Typhoon aircraft in modern terms. The Windsor Horse and Dog Show, as it was then known, immediately enjoyed the patronage of the King and his daughters – Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret – who were both keen horse riders were competitors at that very first show.
The modern-day event was devised to raise public awareness of the wide contribution to security that the armed forces deliver – and to raise funds for the Legion. It came about as Hpower, Simon’s company, looked to devise an event to take place on the evenings of the Windsor Horse Show. As a former deputy producer of the Royal Tournament and producer of the TA 100 National Pageant at Horse Guards, a military-themed event was always on the cards. In addition, Simon is a Colonel in the Territorial Army who served in Iraq as Commanding Officer with the Royal Yeomanry.
And as he explains: “On top of all this, there was a wave of positive feeling towards the armed forces during 2007. So we came up with an idea to run a Tattoo at night-time, beneath Windsor Castle. It is there to educate the public about modern-day soldiers – and now also sailors and airmen – about how they go about their business and what risks they take. As well as celebrating the ceremonial pieces that we do so well,” he adds.
This year, the theme of the Tattoo is ‘one team working together’. Simon promises that it will be a dramatic evening. “I’m a great believer that if you are going to educate, you have to entertain people. We will use big screens and other techniques to tell a story, and we’ll
do it in an entertaining way.”
This year’s event will include Royal Marine Commandos entering the arena on a zip wire and a firefight. “We’ll have the Army using reconnaissance, the Artillery providing indirect fire and stuntmen jumping through the air and through hoops of fire on to mats. It will be like something from a film set,” he promises.
The team behind the show is arguably the most experienced Tattoo/national-celebration event team in the world. Among them is Brigadier Melville Jameson, formerly the producer of the Edinburgh Tattoo for 12 years. He served with both the Royal Scots Greys and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, which he commanded from 1986-1988.
Then there is Dougie Squires, one of the best-known choreographers in the country. His career spans more than five decades and in that time he has worked with some 10,000 dancers and on 10 Royal Command Performances. For the past six years, he has directed the Not Forgotten Association Christmas Show at St James’s Palace.
Company Manager Isobel Hatton is a former producer for TV shows Blind Date and Surprise, Surprise. The lighting is orchestrated by Jon Pope, whose clients have included Diana Ross and Elton John; and the sound is by Paul Keating, a veteran of arranging the acoustics for TV shows like The X-Factor and Britain’s Got Talent. “It’s one very, very talented team at staging these things,” says Simon.
But what is he looking forward most to this year? “My highlight will be seeing the Navy run a field gun again. When the Royal Tournament ended, everybody was saying it would never be seen in public again. When those guys march in with the Royal Marines Band to Hearts of Oak, I think there will be a few wet eyes in the audience.”
Isobel Hatton can vouch for that. She says that she loved the ‘firefight’ last year when the Army did a mocked-up battle scene: “They came in with their tanks and captured the enemy – it was all dark in the arena when they came in. No one was hurt, I should stress. It was really exciting. I was sitting with my son, who was five at the time, and the look on his face was just unbelievable. He wanted me to buy him a DVD of the event at the end. He’d never seen anything like it before.”
Isobel continues: “That’s what is so amazing about this Tattoo. It encourages families to come and witness a little bit of what actually goes on. It was a really impressive moment when the tanks came in. All the noise and smoke – it was a real ‘wow’ moment. The whole mix of live action and ceremony makes it a fantastic family event. I’m dead old-fashioned, so I love the marching bands, it reminds me of my childhood and makes me proud to be British.”
Last year’s event had a similar effect on Dougie Squires. The veteran choreographer recalls that the most telling moment for him was the finale. “It was the moment when 200 heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan marched into the arena (pictured above).
“We had the whole company assembled on the Saturday night in front of the Queen and Prince Philip in the Royal Box. Then these heroes marched on in their military dress. It was the most touching moment. The whole audience rose in one and cheered them and it was absolutely thrilling. It was a moment when you felt really proud.”
Brigadier Jameson says that he hopes this year’s audience will react in a similar way and he expects them to be moved by the finale. “The ending is the biggest thing for me – it’s going to be such a big sound. It will be a tune familiar to many, Highland Cathedral. I’m hoping that at Windsor, they’ll all say ‘wow’. It’s a magical piece for a Tattoo with combined pipes, bands and choir.”
He also has words of praise for The Royal British Legion: “On the Saturday night last year, we had the Legion’s Standards Bearers. We only had 30 minutes in the arena to stage them. I had to make sure that whatever they did, they did it correctly, because otherwise they would have been trampled by horses. But they were absolutely wonderful. I marked it through just the once and in the show they just marched on with their Standards and proudly did what they had to do. They were amazing.”
The Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo runs from 13 to 16 May.
If it sounds like your kind of evening, tickets are priced from
£15-£60 and are available from the box office by telephone on
0871 230 5570, or via the internet at www.windsortattoo.com
