Annotation:Princess's Court
X:1 T:Princess's Court M:C| L:1/8 N:”Longways for as many as will.” B:John Walsh – Complete Country Dancing-Master, Volume the Fourth B: (London, 1740, No. 106) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G G2|G2d2d2g2|f3e d2e2|d2g2e2a2|(f3 e/f/) g2G2| G2d2d2g2|f3g a2 (gf)|e2 (fg) e3d|d6|| G2|G2d2 dedc|B3A G2B2|e3f g2 (fe)|^d6f2| g2f2g2f2|g2^d2e3f|g2 ag f3e|e6 ef| g2d2d2e2|d6 ed|cdcB ABAG|F3E D2 de| d2G2G2ef|e2d2d2g2|e2a2 (f3 e/f/)|g6||
PRINCESS'S COURT. English, Country Dance Tune (cut time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. The melody with directions for a country dance was first printed in Henry Playford's Dancing Master, twelfth edition, 1703. It was retained in subsequent editions through the 18th and final edition of 1728 (published by John Young, heir to the Playford publishing concerns). It was also printed in John Walsh's Complete Country Dancing Master, editions of 1718, 1731 and 1754, and in Complete Country Dancing-Master, Volume the Fourth (London, 1740, No. 106).
The title probably refers to Anne (1665-1714), born to James Stuart, younger brother of Charles II, and sister of Queen Mary. When Mary died in 1694 her spouse, King William, continued to govern until his death in 1702, after which Princess Anne became Queen of England.