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CRUISING TO ENGLAND:


VISITING
THE
ROYAL MEWS 
by
Richard H. Wagner
page two

Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace, London
Buckingham Palace series

Buckingham Palace
The State Rooms
Changing of the Guard
The Queen's Gallery
The Royal Mews

A Look At Some of the Coaches

One of the first coaches you see at the Royal Mews is the Irish State Coach. Purchased by Queen Victoria in 1852, it was extensively damaged by a fire in 1911. However, it was restored at the Royal Mews and returned to service in 1989. Drawn by four horses, it has been used by Queen Victoria, George VI and Queen Elizabeth II for the State Opening of Parliament.

Irish State Coach, Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace, London
Scottish State Coach, Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace, London
The Scottish State Coach was built in 1830 for Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, the 10th child of George III. It was later sold and remained out of the Royal Family's possession until 1920 when the owner gave it to Queen Mary, who was a grand-daughter of Prince Adolphus. The coach has been restored to its original state and was first used by the Queen in 1969 for the opening of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Newest of the coaches housed in the Royal Mews. The Diamond Jubilee State Coach was first used to take the Queen to the State Opening of Parliament in March 2014. It was built in Australia by W.J. Frecklington. The theme of the coach is 1,000 years of British history and it incorporates artifacts from Henry VIII's Mary Rose as well as wood from Admiral Lord Nelson's flagship HMS Victory.  

Diamond Jubilee State Coach, Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace, London
Gold State Coach, Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace, London
The highlight of a tour of the Mews is the Gold State Coach. Completed in 1762, this coach has been used in the coronation of every monarch since George IV. The body of the coach is gilded and is covered by sculptures and paintings. It is impressively large, weighing some four tons.

While the great coach succeeds in its mission of conveying an aura of power and wealth, apparently it is not a very good ride. Numerous kings and queens have complained of being bounced and jarred. Consequently, it is only used for the grandest of state occasions.

The Gold State Coach is housed by itself in one of the stables. Life-size figures of eight Windsor Grey horses who pull the coach along with the four postilions who drive the coach, make for a vivid display.

The Royal Mews is located on Buckingham Palace Road, not far from the Queen's Gallery. For more information, see the Royal Mews website.

Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace, London
Click here to return to page one of this article


For more about cruising to England:

Click here for our index of England travel features
Click here for a walk through Whitehall and Westminster
Click here for our feature on Kensington Palace
Click here for our article on Maritime Greenwich
Click here for our page on the City of London
Click here for our article on the Tower of London
Click here for our article on the Changing of the Guard
Click here for our article on the Banqueting House
Click here for our article on Windsor Castle
Click here for our article on Leeds Castle
Click here for our article on the New Forest
Click here for our article on visiting Exbury Gardens
Click her for our article on The Beatles' Liverpool
Cruise destination guide - England - London - Buckingham Palace - The Royal Mews - page two
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