King Charles' two coronation carriages: An air-conditioned wonder …

A tale of two carriages: How King Charles will travel to his coronation in modern, air-conditioned coach... but return to Buckingham Palace in age-old golden carriage his mother branded 'horrible'

King Charles and Queen Camilla will arrive at Westminster Abbey in the sleek Diamond Jubilee State Coach
The royals will head back to Buckingham Palace after the ceremony in the 260-year-old Gold State Coach
The late Queen Elizabeth II said the Gold State Coach 'not very comfortable' because it is 'sprung on leather'

Published: 03:00, 3 May 2023 | Updated: 03:00, 3 May 2023

King Charles III will travel to his coronation on Saturday in a sleek, air-conditioned coach - but will return to Buckingham Palace in its 200-year-old counterpart, which was branded 'horrible' by his mother.

Charles and Camilla will arrive at Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach.

This modern coach was originally meant to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's 80th birthday, but its construction was delayed and so it was instead made to mark 60 years of her reign in 2012.

The newest coach at the Royal Mews, it was first used during the State Opening of Parliament in 2014.

The coach is more than 16feet (five metres) long, weighs more than three tons and needs six horses to pull it.

However, the King and Queen Consort will make the return journey to Buckingham Palace in the even grander Gold State Coach, used at the coronation of every monarch since William IV in 1831.

The iconic gilded carriage, which is 23feet long (seven metres) weights almost four tons and is pulled by eight horses.

At 260 years old, however, it is 'not very comfortable', according to the late Queen.

Elizabeth II spoke candidly about the coach in 2018, saying: 'Horrible. Not meant for travelling in at all.

'I mean it's just not... it's only sprung on leather.'

She described how, at her coronation in 1953, they travelled 'half way around London' in the carriage during the royal procession, covering around five miles at a walking pace.

Due to its age and weight, this carriage only ever travels at walking pace.

It has been reported that Royal Mews staff strapped a hot water bottle under the seat on the day of the Queen's coronation, because the day was unseasonably cold and wet.

King Charles's decision to choose the Diamond Jubilee State Coach for the procession up to Westminster Abbey is a break from tradition but is thought to be a nod to his late mother because it was the last coach made during her reign.

The Diamond Jubilee State Coach is the newest carriage in the Royal Mews, having being completed in 2010 and only arriving in the UK in 2014

The Gold State Carriage is the oldest in the Royal Mews at 260 years old, and arguably the most splendid with its enormous gilded sculptures and painted panels

The Gold State Coach, built in 1762, was most recently used during Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022 and was fitted for the day with a hologram of the monarch in the coach windows.

Queen Elizabeth was not the only monarch to not be particularly fond of this coach - Queen Victoria was also not a fan and, after the death of Prince Albert in 1861, did not make use of it again.

Designed by William Chambers and made by Samuel Butler, the coach is made of giltwood, which is a thin layer of gold leaf over wood.

It features gilded sculptures including three cherubs on the roof, which represent England, Scotland, and Ireland, and above each wheel there is a massive triton figure.

Also decorating the outside are incredibly ornate panels of Roman gods and goddesses painted by Giovanni Battista Cipriani.

The Gold State Coach is the third oldest surviving coach in the UK, coming only after the Speaker of the House of Common's Coach, dating from 1698, and the Lord Mayor of London's Coach, built in 1758.

While its unrivalled in how rich and beautiful it looks, the newer Diamond Jubilee State Coach combines traditional craftsmanship with the benefits of modern technology.

Said to be one of the most comfortable royal coaches, it has an aluminium body, electric windows, air-conditioning and it is upholstered in yellow silk.

What's more, it is prevented from swaying by six hydraulic stabilisers, while the gilded crown on top, carved from the oak of HMS Victory, can hold a camera to film journeys.

The interior wooden panels of the coach are made from objects donated by more than 100 historic sites and organisations from across Britain.

The window frames and interior panels include material from the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Balmoral, Kensington Palace Caenarfon Castle, Canterbury Cathedral, the Mary Rose (Henry VIII's flagship), 10 Downing Street and the Antarctic bases of Captain Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton.

The seat handrails are from the Royal Yacht Britannia, the vessel that was beloved by the Queen until it was retired from royal service in 1997.

The coach also incudes a fragment of the bronze cannon from which every Victoria Cross is cast, and a piece of metal from the wreckage of a 617 Squadron Dambuster.

Queen Elizabeth II in the Gold State Coach on the day of her coronation in 1953, a journey she described as 'horrible' in 2018

Her Late Majesty is seen smiling in the Gold State Coach as it leaves Westminster Abbey after her Coronation in 1953

The Queen was joined by Prince Philip for the journey to Westminster Abbey. They are seen above as the coach neared Trafalgar Square on its journey

The King and Queen Consort will use the opulent Gold State Coach for the first time on May 6 to make their journey back to Buckingham Palace after being crowned. Above: The Gold State Coach during last year's Platinum Jubilee celebrations

A hologram of Queen Elizabeth II in the Gold State Coach during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in front of Buckingham Palace, London, on day four of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Picture date: Sunday June 5, 2022

The Gold State Coach, built in 1762, was most recently used during Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022 and was fitted for the day with a hologram of the monarch in the coach windows

The Gold State Coach was last seen on the streets of London for the Platinum Jubilee pageant, when it travelled empty - aside from projected images of the Queen's coronation

The beautiful carriage, built in 1762, is made of wood, with a layer of gold leaf painted over the top. Above: The carriage on display at the Royal Mews

It features painted panels of Roman gods and goddesses, while three cherubs on the roof symbolise England, Scotland and Ireland

Charles and Camilla will arrive in the modern Diamond Jubilee State Coach. The late Queen is pictured in the coach in October 2019

The Diamond Jubilee State Coach was first used at the State Opening of Parliament in 2014.

It is seen above on display at the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace

The black Diamond Jubilee carriage with its gilded decorations is the newest coach in the Royal Mews

An interior door panel of the ornate and comfortable Diamond Jubilee State Coach is seen above last month at the Royal Mews

The Diamond Jubilee State Coach on display at the Royal Mews in Buckingham Palace, London, ahead of King Charles III's Coronation on May 6

The door panels include homages to the likes of Westminster Abbey, HMS Victory and Kensington Palace

They are also inlaid with relics from every chapter in British history and include fragments of the Mary Rose, a Lancaster bomber, a Waterloo musket ball, Sir Isaac Newton's apple tree and timber from the Western Front

The Diamond Jubilee State Coach was built in Australia by Jim Frecklington and then bought by the Royal Collection Trust.

Rehearsals are already in full-swing in preparation for Charles and Camilla's coronation, with military drills perfecting all aspects of the procession.

The three-day coronation extravaganza will kick off at 6am on Saturday morning, when the viewing areas open along the procession route.

Between 7.15am and 8.30am, Westminster Abbey guests will start to arrive at checkpoints in Victoria Tower Gardens, before being seated at 9am.

The most important members of the congregation, including heads of state, foreign royals, members of the British Royal Family, overseas government representatives, UK Government ministers, First Ministers and former Prime Ministers will arrive between 9.30am and 10.45am.

Meanwhile, the Sovereign's Escort of the Household Cavalry will begin to gather ready for the King's Procession from Buckingham Palace at 9.45am.

The King's procession will start at 10.20am, with Charles and Camilla travelling from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, around 1.3miles, with thousands of well-wishers lining the procession route waving flags and trying to catch a glimpse of the royals.

They will travel down The Mall via Admiralty Arch, take the south side of Trafalgar Square, then go along Whitehall and Parliament Street, take the east and south sides of Parliament Square to Broad Sanctuary, before arriving at the Abbey.

Rehearsals for the King Charles' coronation by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in preparation for May 6

Equine rehearsals outside Buckingham Palace are essential for making sure the day goes as smoothly as possible

The coronation ceremony will start at 11am and last for around three hours.

During the coronation, Charles will take his oath and will be anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Crown of St Edward, which is made of solid gold and decorated with more than 400 gemstones, including rubies and sapphires, will be placed on his head.

However, he will swap this for the Imperial State Crown before the end of the ceremony.

The King will sit in the coronation chair, holding his sceptre and rod, and the sovereign's orb, which represent his control of the nation and the Christian world.

After the ceremony, Charles and his Queen Consort Camilla, will take the same route back to Buckingham Palace, where the Royal Family will gather on the balcony.

Thousands will gather along the King's Procession to watch as Charles and Camilla drive by in their horse-drawn carriage

There will be around 2,000 guests at the coronation, including members of the British Royal Family like Charles' sons Prince William and Prince Harry, his daughter in-law Catherine, Princess of Wales, his sister Princess Anne and brother Prince Edward.

His grandson Prince George will be page of honour at the coronation.

There will also be members of Camilla's family there including her son Tom Parker Bowles, her daughter Laura Lopes and their families, her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles, her sister Annabel Elliot, her nieces and nephew, three grandsons and one grandnephew.

Many foreign royals are expected to attend too, such as Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monoco, King Filipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and Queen Anne-Marie and Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak - attending with his wife Akshata - will lead politicians who are attending.

Also among them will be Sunak's seven surviving predecessors - Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and John Major.

First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf, First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford, the mayor of the City of London Nicholas Lyons and Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), will also be there.

Several members of the aristocracy will be in attendance including the event organiser Edward Fitzalan-Howard, the 18th Duke of Norfolk, the current Lord Lyon King of Arms, Joseph Morrow, who will take part in the King's procession, and Rupert Francis John Carrington, the 7th Baron Carrington, who will take part in investing King Charles with regalia.

A number of foreign political leaders will also attend including French President Emmanuel Macron, US First Lady Jill Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Australian Governor-General David Hurley, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and New Zealand Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel.

There will also be a number of religious leaders present, including Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury who will conduct the ceremony, Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York and Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, chief rabbi of the UK.

Several celebrities will also be in attendance including Rowan Atkinson, Joanna Lumley, Bear Grylls and Stella McCartney.

Around 850 representatives of charities that Charles and Camilla support are also expected to be there, as well as 450 recipients of the British Empire Medal.

The day after the coronation itself will be the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle, starting at 8.30pm and running for 90 minutes.

The concert will feature "music icons and contemporary stars" including Take That, Lionel Ritchie and Katy Perry.

Various parts of the UK will then be lit up by drone displays, illuminations and projections and lasers in a feat named Lighting up the Nation.