London still................
Category:
My latest Europe trip | Posted:
Wed Dec 07, 2005 1:05 pm
Then we decided, because rain was imminent, that we should do something under cover. So it was off to the Royal Mews.
The Mews are where the Royal Carriages and horses are kept.
5 families live at the Mews, actually inside Westminster Palace.
(So their address is actually Westminster Palace. Very prestigious, even though they are stablehands!)
The following are some pics of the various carriages. I have not put all the carriages on here. If you would like to see the others let me know and I will post them.
All of the carriages are very ornate, some more so than others.
This is the Scottish State Coach. It is the lightest and brightest of the coaches. The lower half was originally part of the Glass Coach built in 1830. Later it was sold to the Earl of Albermaire and was subsequently given back to Queen Mary in 1920. In 1969 it was refurbished where large glass windows were fitted, allowing viewers to see who was inside.
Also, the Rolls Royce is housed here as well. This is the Rolls Royce Phantom VI. Today there are 8 State limosuines at the Mews, 5 of which are Rolls Royces. They are all painted Royal Claret & Black. They do not have number plates as they are only used for state business. They are simply called Rolls Royce number 1, number 2, number 3, etc.
The most important is the Rolls Royce VI, presented to the Queen in 1978 for her Silver Jubilee. The Queens mascot, on the front, is a silver statuette of St George and the Dragon. The Duke of Edinburgh has his own mascot, an heraldic lion wearing a crown.
All the cas are modified with fluorescent lighting inside and a raised roof to allow for ease of movement.
But the one most come to see is the State Coach. Covered in gold leaf and ornate in the extreme, this coach is used for very special occasions and needs 4 horses to pull it.
When it is required the stablehands have to actually dismantle the wall to get it out. It will not fit through any of the doors, so, down comes the side wall. This takes around 6 hours, so pleanty of notice needs to be given.
More later on London.......
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