CARRIAGES

Housed in the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace is the collection of historic carriages and coaches, most of which are still in use to convey members of the Royal Family in State ceremonial processions or on other Royal occasions.

There are over 100 coaches and carriages in the Royal Collection.

The remarkable Gold State Coach has been used for every coronation since George IV’s in 1821.

As its name implies, it is covered with gold leaf all over and the exterior is decorated with painted panels. It weighs four tons and requires eight horses to pull it.

It was built for George III (r. 1760-1820). When he first became king, he wanted something special to travel to Westminster Abbey in for his Coronation, and for his wedding to Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

It is enormous: 3.6 metres high, over 7 metres long and 4 tonnes in weight. It is decorated with cherubs, crowns, plam trees, lions’s heads, faces, tritons and dolphins.

In the end, the coach was not ready in time for the Coronation of George III. The first time he used it was when he travelled to Westminster to open Parliament on 25 November 1762.

The coach often used by The Queen at the State Opening of Parliament is known as the Irish State Coach because the original was built in 1851 by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, who was also a coachbuilder.

The exterior is blue and black with gilt decoration and the interior is covered in blue damask. It is normally driven from the box seat using four horses.