Scottish State Coach
Encyclopedia
The Scottish State Coach is an enclosed, four horse-drawn carriage used by the British Royal Family
.
The coach
was built in 1830 for Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
and his family used it for many years until they sold it to William Keppel, 7th Earl of Albemarle
, who converted it into a semi-State landau
. In 1920, the Keppel family returned the coach to the Royal Family by presenting it as a gift to Queen Mary
.
Between 1968 and 1969, the coach was extensively remodelled and restored to its original enclosed state. Large glass windows and transparent panels in the roof were added, as well as the Royal Arms and the insignia of the Order of the Thistle
being emblazoned onto it and a model of the Crown of Scotland
was added on top of the roof.
The coach was used for the first time by The Queen during the opening of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
in 1969 and then by The Queen Mother
in 1977 during the Silver Jubilee
Thanksgiving celebration and also in 1979 during her installation as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
at Dover
. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh
also used it at Windsor
during the Queen's sixtieth birthday celebrations in 1986. The carriage was used for the Order of the Thistle service on at Edinburgh
in 1994 and then as a reserve carriage for the State Visit of Harald V of Norway
and Queen Sonja of Norway
at Holyrood the following day. The carriage saw use again in 2011, at the wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton.
The Coach is now stored at the Royal Mews
, London
, where it can be seen by the public.
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
.
The coach
Coach (carriage)
A coach was originally a large, usually closed, four-wheeled carriage with two or more horses harnessed as a team, controlled by a coachman and/or one or more postilions. It had doors in the sides, with generally a front and a back seat inside and, for the driver, a small, usually elevated seat in...
was built in 1830 for Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
The Prince Adolphus, 1st Duke of Cambridge , was the tenth child and seventh son of George III and Queen Charlotte. He held the title of Duke of Cambridge from 1801 until his death. He also served as Viceroy of Hanover on behalf of his brothers George IV and William IV...
and his family used it for many years until they sold it to William Keppel, 7th Earl of Albemarle
William Keppel, 7th Earl of Albemarle
William Coutts Keppel, 7th Earl of Albemarle KCMG, PC , styled Viscount Bury between 1851 and 1891, was a British soldier and politician. He served in the British Army before entering parliament in 1857...
, who converted it into a semi-State landau
Landau (carriage)
A landau is a coachbuilding term for a type of four-wheeled, convertible carriage. See also Landau .It is lightweight and suspended on elliptical springs. It was invented in the 18th century and was named after the German city of Landau in the Rhenish Palatinate where they were first produced...
. In 1920, the Keppel family returned the coach to the Royal Family by presenting it as a gift to Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
.
Between 1968 and 1969, the coach was extensively remodelled and restored to its original enclosed state. Large glass windows and transparent panels in the roof were added, as well as the Royal Arms and the insignia of the Order of the Thistle
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
being emblazoned onto it and a model of the Crown of Scotland
Crown of Scotland
The Crown of Scotland is the crown used at the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland. Remade in its current form for King James V of Scotland in 1540, the crown is part of the Honours of Scotland, the oldest set of Crown Jewels in the United Kingdom...
was added on top of the roof.
The coach was used for the first time by The Queen during the opening of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body[1] An Introduction to Practice and Procedure in the Church of Scotland, A Gordon McGillivray, 2nd Edition .-Church courts:As a Presbyterian church,...
in 1969 and then by The Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
in 1977 during the Silver Jubilee
Silver Jubilee
A Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, ruling anniversary or anything that has completed a 25 year mark...
Thanksgiving celebration and also in 1979 during her installation as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is a ceremonial official in the United Kingdom. The post dates from at least the 12th century but may be older. The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports was originally in charge of the Cinque Ports, a group of five port towns on the southeast coast of England...
at Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
also used it at Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
during the Queen's sixtieth birthday celebrations in 1986. The carriage was used for the Order of the Thistle service on at Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in 1994 and then as a reserve carriage for the State Visit of Harald V of Norway
Harald V of Norway
Harald V is the king of Norway. He succeeded to the throne of Norway upon the death of his father Olav V on 17 January 1991...
and Queen Sonja of Norway
Queen Sonja of Norway
Queen Sonja of Norway is the wife of King Harald V of Norway.-Prior to marriage:Sonja was born in Oslo on 4 July 1937 as the daughter of clothing merchant Karl August Haraldsen and Dagny Ulrichsen .Queen Sonja grew up in the district of Vinderen in Oslo and completed her lower secondary schooling...
at Holyrood the following day. The carriage saw use again in 2011, at the wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton.
The Coach is now stored at the Royal Mews
Royal Mews
A Royal Mews is a mews of the British Royal Family. In London the Royal Mews has occupied two main sites, formerly at Charing Cross, and since the 1820s at Buckingham Palace....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where it can be seen by the public.