 |
| Zeno – one of the Royal horses |
On our last trip to London, we wanted to see London at night and the Royal Mews. We took the train to London and got off right next to Buckingham palace.
 |
| Harnesses used with the carriages |
This is where the Royal Mews are located. The history behind the mews is Richard II was the first king known to have established a permanent home for his hunting falcons and hawks at Charing Cross, one mile from the Royal Mews.
 |
| The stables were nice and clean (today) |
The birds were kept there while they were “mewing” or losing their feathers, which happened naturally with the changing seasons but made them temporarily unable to hunt.
 |
| Uniforms as required by the Queen |
Henry VII was probably the first monarch to combine the hunting birds’ accommodation with horses, and after this the name stayed although the falcons and hawks are long since gone. This day, there were only 3 horses in the stables.
 |
| Carriage, called the Glass Coach, used to transport the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth I, her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana to their weddings. Princess Kate broke tradition and rode in a Rolls Royce Phantom VI |
 |
| Queen Alexandra’s State Coach – Built in 1865 and converted to a glass coach for Queen Alexandra for social events. Since 1962, it has been used to carry the Imperial State Crown, the Sword and Cap of Maintenance in its own procession. The Crown sits in the coach on a crimson cushion and is lit by electric light. |
They were in the process of being fed so all their heads were down in the hay and buckets.
 |
| Golden Jubilee Coach |
 |
| The details on the Golden Jubilee Coach were amazing. |
One horses head did pop up. His name is Zeno. He was a beauty!
 |
| A photo of the actual coach and procession during the Golden Jubilee Celebration in 2002 |
We weren’t able to get close to them so just viewed from a distance.
I was hoping their would be more about the horses but it appears its more about the carriages!
 |
| Golden Jubilee Coach with staged mannequin horses and rider |
We saw the carriage’s of Diana and Charles and William and Kate’s weddings as well as the Golden State Coach used at Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee.
 |
| Crown above the Scottish State Coach |
All the carriages were beautiful and elegant. It was a short tour but nice. I enjoyed the smell of the horses again!
 |
| Scottish State Coach, built in circa 1830 and was acquired by Queen Mary in 1930 – Used at Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday celebration |
After the tour we walked around the city and waited for nightfall. Stay tuned for the London at night photos.
 |
| 1950 Rolls Royce Phantom IV ordered by the Queen after her marriage to Prince Phillip. The state cars used by the Royals are three Daimler’s and two Bentley’s all painted in maroon and black. For non formal events, there are also two green Jaguar limousines. It is also known that the queen is the only person in the United Kingdom not required to have a drivers license. |
I hope we can give you a sense of how we experienced the beauty as the sun set and the darkness fell over the sky. It was amazing!
 |
| A riding arena used for the Royal Mews Riding School established in 1764. |
May God Bless you always!
Chuck & Lea Ann
WorldTravelReynolds 