Gold State Coach: The King's grandest coronation carriage - which is apparently very uncomfortable
Very few modes of transport have given the royal bottoms of Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III a bumpy ride - but The Gold State Coach has.
The glittering carriage will take centre stage during the coronation, as its shimmering exterior will trundle King Charles and Camilla from Westminster Abbey back to Buckingham Palace on Saturday.
It has been the mode of transport for multiple monarchs, but while it may look beautiful, many royals have said the coach is very uncomfortable.
The late Queen rode both ways in The Gold State Coach for her 1953 coronation and famously described the bumpy experience as “horrible”.
Here is everything you need to know about The Gold State Coach - including if it is actually made of real gold.
What is the coach's history and is it really as uncomfortable as the royals say it is?
Over the years, the coach has taken some very important people to some very important events but they did not seem to enjoy the experience.
It was built in 1762 and the carriage has been used at every coronation since 1831.
The then-monarch William IV – who was known as the Sailor King – likened it to “being aboard a ship tossing in a rough sea”.
Queen Victoria was not a fan and complained of its “distressing oscillation”.
Elizabeth II once described her journey to and from the coronation in the bumpy Gold State Coach as “horrible”.
She even had a hot water bottle strapped under her seat to keep her warm during the unseasonably cold day in June 1953.
Even Martin Oates, who is in charge of the coach's coronation restoration, said:" When you’re following it, you can hear it creaking so it sounds like an old galleon going along.
“It’s not quite a washing machine, but where other vehicles just go from back to front, this is moving from side to side.”
Has the coach had a coronation transformation?
Yes, the coach has had a few modern updates to help it run a lot smoother than it used to, according to the man in charge of its care.Martin Oates, senior carriage restorer at the Royal Mews, will walk behind the four-tonne carriage in the King’s coronation procession and act as the “brake man” pulling the hand-held T-bar at the back to secure it in place when it stops.
Mr Oates said the four original leather straps which support the body of the Gold State Coach, which dates from 1762, were replaced 15 years ago.
“When we actually took them off, they were different sizes,” he said.
“Now they’re all the same size so that could actually help towards the fact that it actually runs a lot better.”
But that still has not stopped Charles and Camilla breaking with tradition and only using the elaborate 260-year-old Gold State Coach one way – on their return.
They have decided to make the 1.3 mile outward journey from Buckingham Palace – known as the King’s Procession – in the more modern Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which has shock absorbers, heating and air conditioning.
The Gold State Coach quick facts
The royal coach is made of giltwood, a thin layer of gold leaf over wood,
It was first used by George III
It weighs four tonnes, is 3.6 metres tall and seven metres long
Eight horses are needed to pull it
Only a sovereign and their consort are permitted to travel in the historic Gold State Coach.
There are three cherubs on the roof representing England, Scotland and Ireland
It will take 20 people to push it out of its permanent home in the Royal Mews into the courtyard ready for the coronation
A window and a door will have to be removed to create enough space for the huge carriage to pass through into the open air
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