The October Meeting 2011
The Royal Mews – a talk by David Charleston
The Royal Mews house both horse drawn carriages and the cars which provide transport for the Queen and other members of the Royal Household.
The Royal working horses are Cleveland Bays especially bred as carriage horses and Windsor Greys which were brought to London in the 1930’s and which are selected for their colour, temperament and strength.
The Royal Mews also provides a riding school in which to train the horses and riders and accustom the horses to the noises of the street and ceremonies.
The word Mews derives from the time when falconry was a popular sport among Monarchs and noblemen. When the falcons changed their feathers they were kept in cages and this was called being ‘mewed’. These cages and the accommodation for the falconers became known as ‘Mews’. In the 14th century a Royal Mews for falcons was built at Charing Cross. In 1537 a fire destroyed King Henry VIII’s stables in Bloomsbury and he decided to add stables at the Royal Mews and moved his horses and stable staff to Charing Cross to be near the house he had just acquired from the Duke of Buckingham and the birds were moved elsewhere. From this time onwards the word ‘Mews’ was associated with horses rather than birds.
In 1820 King George 1V commissioned his favourite architect John Nash to redesign Buckingham House and its working stables. He rebuilt the stables around the existing riding school creating two sets of stables to house 54 horses as well as accommodation for carriages a forage and harness rooms. The buildings, constructed around a quadrangle, were completed in 1825 and the Royal Mews at Charing Cross was moved here.
In 1837 Queen Victoria became the first monarch to live in Buckingham Palace and use the Royal Mews. She made some additions in the Mews which included a school for the children of the staff who worked there and improved their living accommodation. Her husband Prince Albert installed a new forge and added sheds to keep a cow which provided fresh milk for the family.
The oldest coach in the Royal Mews is the Gold State Coach which has been used for every coronation since 1821. It was commissioned by King George 111 in 1760 for his coronation and wedding to Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg – Strelitz. However it was not ready for either of these occasions and the first time it was used was for the State opening of Parliament in 1762. It is the largest of the coaches being over 12 feet high, 8 feet wide and 24 feet long. Held in place by leather braces the body is supported by four mythical creatures called tritons. The 2 tritons in the front are blowing their trumpet like ‘conches’ to announce the arrival of the Monarch of the ocean in the coach. There is a throne inside the coach. The 2 tritons at the rear carry imperial symbols representing Britain’s maritime traditions and status as a dominant sea power. The three cherubs at the top of the coach represent the unification of England, Scotland and Ireland. They carry the Imperial Crown and hold the sword, sceptre and the badge representing Knighthood. The coach weighs 4 tons and requires the pulling power of eight horses which are postillion driven.
The Scottish State Coach is enclosed and is drawn by four horses. It is the lightest and brightest coach in the Royal Mews. It was built in 1830 for the Duke of Cambridge to attend the coronation ceremony of his brother King William 4th. In the 1960’s the Queen agreed to attend the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. This was the first time that a Monarch had attended since the union of England and Scotland in 1707. To honour this occasion the Cambridge coach was converted into the Scottish State Coach. The coach bears the Royal Arms of Scotland on the doors and the insignia of the Order of the Thistle on each of the side panels. A model of the Crown of Scotland is placed on the roof.
The Irish State Coach is enclosed and drawn by four horses and is used by the Monarch when travelling from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster to open Parliament.
It was originally built in 1851 by Hutton and Sons of Dublin who were the coach builders for Queen Victoria. After the death of Prince Albert in 1861, Queen Victoria would not use any other coach but this for the few State ceremonies that she attended. The gilded frieze around the roof of the coach was added when Queen Victoria became Empress of India in 1876. The design shows the rose of England, the thistle of Scotland, the shamrock of Ireland and a palm tree to represent India. The woodwork was extensively damaged by fire in 1911 but was rebuilt in time for the Coronation procession of King George V. The coach was completely restored in 1988 by the Royal Mews Carriage Restorers.
The Glass Coach was built in1881 for the Lord Mayor of London. In 1911 it was purchased by King George V for his Coronation. The term "Glass coach" refers to any coach where the upper panels are made of glass instead of being filled with wood or leather. This coach is often referred to as the wedding or bridal coach. Many Royal brides have travelled to the church in this coach. The central panel on the carriage bears the Royal Arms of England while the 2 quarter panels are painted with the collar of the Order of the Garter from which hangs St George and the Dragon.
The State Landau, built in 1902 is open topped and was purpose built for the Coronation celebrations of King Edward V11. This coach was used for the weddings of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York. On 29th April 2011, the carriage was used for the Royal Wedding to take The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Buckingham Palace after the ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
The Australian State Coach is the most recent addition to the Royal Mews. It was presented to the Queen from the people of Australia to celebrate their Bicentenary in 1988. It was built by W.J. Frecklington, a former employee of the Royal Mews, who was working for a coach company in New South Wales. The cost was borne by donations from the people of Australia. The main frame bears the colours of Australia and shows the Australian coat of arms on the doors which also feature the Kangaroo and the Emu. The coach is modern, constructed in Aluminium and Steel and has an under seat generator which powers electric windows, heating and the hydraulic stabilizers.
Although Queen Victoria said she wanted no horrible cars in the stables there are now 5 resident state limousines made by Rolls Royce and Bentley. All are painted in Royal Claret and Black and all fly the Royal Standard when conveying the Queen. The Queen has her own mascot for the official cars. It is a silver statuette of St George and the dragon.
Michael Frazer warmly thanked David Charleston, a member of the Club, for his excellent presentation which was very well illustrated and had generated much discussion. All members of the Club had thoroughly enjoyed the talk.
The occasion also marked the conferring of Life Membership on Willie Turner who had celebrated his ninetieth birthday the day before the meeting.