Royal piper says King Charles once asked him to play AC/DC

Pipe Major Scott Methven said that he was able to have a ‘good laugh’ with the royal family

The Queen’s former piper, Pipe Major Scott Methven has recalled how King Charles III – formerly known as the Prince of Wales – once asked him to play AC/DC at an event.

The professional bagpiper – who has performed at other events including Sting’s 60th birthday party in 2012 – said that he was able to have a “good laugh” with the royal family.

"I remember one night, it was just the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, and several other members of the family. The invited guests hadn’t arrived so I said I would mix it up and I did movies on the bagpipes,” he said.

"I would go around the tables and it would be like Top Gun and the Prince of Wales (now King Charles) had asked if I could do AC/DC ‘Thunderstruck’.”

Methven also recalled the “banter” that he shared with the Queen during his four years living at Buckingham Palace.

Describing her character as “easy-going and funny”, Methven said that he struck up a great relationship with the Queen during his time working for her.

The 48-year-old described his move from the army to live in the Palace in 2015 as “surreal”. He remained there until 2019.

"She had really a quick wit as is well-documented. It was just always one-liners, I had so much sort of banter with the Queen, it was great,” he said.

"The first time when I was appointed, she turned around and said to me ‘Look, the only reason you got this job is because you’re the same height as me’ and then she just walked away.

"I didn’t expect it from the Queen if that makes sense. She set the bar so I continued with it and we just used to have a laugh. She was just the most easy-going person to work for,” he continued.

"I think that is one thing I loved about the Queen, she was so easy-going and funny."

David Attenborough, pictured here with the Queen in 2019, shared similar sentiments about the late royal (Getty Images)

Methven also told how the Queen was supportive and understanding when he lost his mother and wife to terminal illness and then subsequently his father, all in the space of eight months.

"I was standing with the Queen and she said ‘If you’re not here in the morning and you don’t play the bagpipes, then I know you’re away. Don’t wait to ask anyone, just go home if your family need you because it’s family first,’ Mr Methven recalled from the time prior to the death of his wife.

"She grabbed me by the arm again and said ‘you know Pipes if anyone has a problem with that you tell them that I said it was okay to go.’

"That’s the type of person she was. She was the best employer I’ve ever had, just fantastic.

"She didn’t make you feel like she was your boss. We’re talking about the best-known women of the last century and she was just a great person."

"It was just a great relationship. She made you feel like she was just your granny,” he added.

Queen Elizabeth II, takes to the floor with the Duke of Edinburgh during the Centenary Ball of the Scottish Pipers’ Society at the Assembly Room, Edinburgh (PA) (PA Archive)

Methven had called the Palace to check if everything was okay after seeing the frail pictures of the Queen shaking the hand of Prime Minister Liz Truss.

Upon hearing the news of the Queen’s death Methven said: "I was devastated. It was my daughter who phoned me and she was crying. As my daughter put it, it felt like she (the Queen) was the only one who cared about our family.”

"She was the one who said I could leave my kids in Balmoral Castle, she said go and sit in the hospital with your wife.

"I was devastated, it feels like I have lost a member of my family,” he said.

"I think she cared more about other people than herself and that’s quite a thing to say about anybody."

Follow the latest updates following the death of Queen Elizabeth II here.