Chungsen Leung, Willowdale’s new member of Parliament, recently got the opportunity to play the bagpipes for William and Kate, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, at a Rideau Hall tree-planting ceremony. Someone from the Governor General’s office caught wind of his talent and invited him to perform. The MP has played the bagpipes since 2000.
Leung selected two songs for the occasion. “Maple Leaf Forever” is the march pass for the Royal Canadian Legion and “Scotland the Brave” was a nod to Will’s Scottish lineage. Leung was introduced to the newlyweds by Governor General David Johnston, at which point he got the opportunity to chat with them. He said the duke and duchess were “extremely cordial and very personable.”
It’s not Leung’s first brush with royalty, though. He also performed for Queen Elizabeth, Will’s grandmother, back in 2003 and 2004.
In spite of all the excitement around the young royal couple’s visit, he was modest about his most recent gig.
“It was no performance. It was just being the duty piper to hike them from the front of Rideau Hall down to their tree-planting ceremony,” he said.