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The Royal Mews are the stables at Buckingham Palace in London, England. Many historic royal carriages and coaches are kept there.
Visiting
The Royal Mews are open to the public from February to November. Combination tickets are available, including the State Rooms and Queen’s Gallery, depending on the time of year. Tickets are not on a timed entry as in the State Rooms and Queen’s Gallery. See my main Buckingham Palace page for more info on pricing and ticket packages.
An excellent multimedia guide is available free of charge, and photos are allowed. Allow about an hour to visit.
Horses
The first section of the Royal Mews takes visitors past a couple horses in service of the Royal Family. One was Riga, a Cleveland Bay, and another was Rui, a Windsor Grey. Cleveland Bays and Windsor Greys make up most of the horses used to pull carriages at the Royal Mews.
Courtyard
Next, we walked through the courtyard, which is used as a parking lot. Around it, we were able to see the buildings that make up the Royal Mews. They were designed by architect John Nash and completed in 1825.
Carriage House
Along one side of the courtyard is the carriage house, where several state coaches are on display.
Semi-State Landau
The first coach we saw was one of five Semi-State Landaus. Landaus became popular in the 19th century and could be used with the hood open or closed. They were a favorite of Queen Victoria. Semi-State Landaus are used by newly-appointed High Commissioners, who ride in them to present their credentials to the Queen.
Queen Alexandra’s Coach
Next was Queen Alexandra’s Coach. It was built around 1865 as a normal coach, and converted into a glass State Coach in 1893 for Princess (later Queen) Alexandra. She used it for social events until her death in 1925. Since 1962, it has carried the Imperial State Crown, Sword of the State, and Cap of Maintenance, traveling in front of the Queen’s carriage on the way to the State Opening of Parliament.
Diamond Jubilee State Coach
The Diamond Jubilee State Coach was made for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. It was built by Australian coach maker W.J. Frecklington and completed in 2010. It didn’t arrive in London until March 2014, and was first used for the State Opening of Parliament on June 4, 2014.
The Diamond Jubilee State Coach includes material from some of Britain’s most historic buildings and ships, and items directly related to 30 kings and queens and influential British citizens. Some of the buildings represented are the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Windsor Castle, the Palace of Westminster, Canterbury Cathedral, and Edinburgh Castle. Items directly related to William Shakespeare, Isaac Newton, Florence Nightingale, Charles Darwin, and many others were also used.
Glass Coach
Continuing along is the Glass Coach, built in 1881 by Peters & Sons of London. It was purchased by the Crown for the Coronation of King George V in 1911. The Glass Coach has most notably been used for royal weddings. It carried Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother) to Westminster Abbey for her wedding to the future King George VI; the future Queen Elizabeth II to her wedding with Prince Philip in 1947; and Diana Spencer to her wedding with Prince Charles in 1981.
Scottish State Coach
The Scottish State Coach was built in 1830 for Prince Adolphus and acquired by Queen Mary in 1930. It was converted into the Scottish State Coach in 1968, and is adorned with the Royal Arms of Scotland and the Order of the Thistle. A model of the Crown of Scotland sits on top. It was first used in Edinburgh in 1969, carrying Elizabeth II to the opening of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. It’s frequently used during state processions in London.
2002 Bentley State Limousine
Finally, we were able to see one of two 2002 Bentley State Limousines. It was used for the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2002.
Gold State Coach
From there, we walked into the stables where we could admire the highlight of the collection, the Gold State Coach. It has been used in every coronation ceremony since George IV on July 19, 1821. It was commissioned by King George III in 1760 and built by Samuel Butler.
The Gold State Coach weighs four tons and is completely gilded. It features panels painted by Italian artist Giovanni Battista Cipriani. When in use, it’s pulled by a team of eight Windsor Grey horses. The royal coachmen are traditionally clean-shaven.
Stables
The next section of the stables contains a carriage visitors can climb into for photos as well as a few broughams, phaetons, and sleighs often used by the Royal Family. At the very end of the stables is the harness maker’s workshop.
Riding School
After turning in my audio guide and exiting the Royal Mews, I was able to peek into the Riding School. It was built in the 1760s, predating the Royal Mews, and was probably designed by William Chambers. All of the horses at the mews are trained there. They learn how to deal with crowd noise and other situations they’ll encounter along royal procession routes.
