Buckingham Palace isn’t all gilded halls. Visit the Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace to the Coronation Coach. Sit in a Landau. See behind the scenes in getting the carriages road ready.
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What to see at the Royal Mews Buckingham Palace
All the King’s horses, well some of them, plus the his carriages and cars too are what you get to see at the Royal Mews. Even better these coaches are not museum pieces but living history ready to spring into action at a moments notice.
Gold State Coach
Eight life-size horse models and attendant grooms are deployed to display the Gold State Coach in all its golden glory. Weighing in at an impressive four tons it is now so old, fragile and heavy that it only gets wheeled out for events like coronations, royal weddings and jubilees. Paintings adorn its side panels and gilded cherubs burst out all over the place. Such visual magnificence is not matched by comfort. Queen Victoria went to great lengths to avoid riding in it and King George VI described the ride as the most uncomfortable of his life.
Irish State Coach
Imagine for a moment that you are an Irish coach maker and you get wind that Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are going to pop over to Dublin to check out the Great Industrial Exhibition. Wouldn’t you be a tiny bit tempted to build a coach on spec, just on the off chance that Her Majesty was in the market for a new set of wheels and might take a fancy to yours. Well that is just what did happen and very fine the Irish State Coach is. Unfortunately when it was being prepared for the coronation in 1911 it was destroyed by fire, so the one still in service today is largely reconstructed.
Australian State Coach
Do you think that coach making is a forgotten art? Think again, the most recent coach in the collection was built by Australian coachbuilder W J Frecklington for the Queen’s 80th birthday but didn’t actually arrive in the mews until 2014. To look at, the coach looks much like many of the others on display but this one boasts electric windows, heating and lighting as well as decent suspension making for a far more comfortable ride.
What is a Landau and how does it differ from a Semi-State Landau?
You needn’t just look at the coaches there is one that you clamber in a practice your Royal wave. Well actually not a coach but a semi-state Landau. What is a Landau and how does a semi-state one differ from a full state one? Landau basically means convertible, just like a soft top Porsche but slower. Semi-state Landaus do not have a coachman on board but are driven by a postillion who sits on the front left hand side horse of the team pulling the carriage. Why Landau? Well that is the name of the German city where they were first made. Here I am looking regal.
Or you can dress up as a postillion, thankfully the costumes come in grown up sizes too.
Visiting the Royal Mews Buckingham Palace … what you need to know
- Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace
- Open: Daily 10am – 5pm until 31 August 2024, then closed Tuesday and Wednesday until 3 November 2024 when the mews close until Spring 2025
- Admission: Adult £17 in advance £19 on the day, Child and family tickets available
- The Mews are closed on some days during State visits and royal events so check before you set off
- You can buy combined tickets to visit the Buckingham Palace State Rooms and the Queen’s Gallery as well
- Tickets convert to a 1 year pass, make sure you remember to get yours stamped as you leave
Check out my guide to visiting Buckingham Palace State rooms or if you are venturing outside London take a look at my guide to St George’s Chapel, Windsor resting place of Queen Elizabeth II. For more Royal London places take a look at my guide to Queen Victoria’s London, take a look inside Kensington Palace and the Queen’s House in Greenwich
Lovely to read that coach making is still going on today and fascinating to see the Royal coaches. #BritMumsRoundup
Love the fact that it has electric windows
looks great! I did a coach museum in Vienna:) #city tripping
We are off to Vienna in the Summer
great!:)
I’d love to visit the Mews one day just to see the golden coach. I don’t know how I’ve missed it after living in London all these years.
Well worth a visit
I’ve never been to the Mews either. What stunning coaches…from the outside anyway..clearly not comfy to ride in. Glad to see the art of coach making hasn’t died out and has modernised! Thanks for linking to #citytripping
I’ve never been to the Mews but the coaches look amazing – I love the stories behind them and how the ride doesn’t quite live up to the glorious exteriors… #citytripping
Our whole family loves the Royal Mews! It’s so thrilling to see all the coaches up close. It’s great that the ticket lasts for a whole year so that you can go back more than once. #citytripping
The one year pass thing is fantastic, true of rest of the Royal residences and Shakespeare’s Birthplace.
I am so embarrassed I have never been to Buckingham Palace despite living in this country on and off for 7 years and visiting regularly. Must rectify that! The mews look great.
No queues either
Nice, I dislike queues intensely. I use up all the patience I have with other activities these days ?
This sounds like a unique day out. I had no idea there was such a thing. Great thinking by the Irish coach maker!
Thanks for linking up to #BloggerClubUK :)
Debbie
I had no idea some of the carriages would be so uncomfortable. Imagine sitting in them for a length of time and having to wave to visitors! I’d choose the modern one with the decent suspension and heating.
#CulturedKids
Wonderful detail on these carriages which I never appreciate at a distance – I’m usually looking at the person waving from the carriage! #culturedkids
How interesting that coachmaking is an art still practised today! These look beautiful – such craftsmanship. Thanks for linking up with #CulturedKids.