The Royal Mews Buckingham Palace

One of the finest working stables in existence, the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace provides a unique insight into the department of the Royal Household that provides transport by road for The Queen and other members of the Royal Family.  

The Carriage Horses

During your visit to the Mews, you may see some of The Queen’s horses that draw the coaches and carriages in the Mews.  

The Cleveland Bays are used to escort newly appointed High Commissioners and Ambassadors to their audience with The Queen, when they present their formal credentials from their country’s Head of State.  You may also see the famous Windsor Greys, so called because they were kept at Windsor during the reign of Queen Victoria and drew the private carriages of the royal family. They are at least 16.1 hands (1.65 metres) high and are chosen for their steady temperament and stamina.  

Coaches & Livery

The Royal Mews houses the royal collection of historic carriages and coaches, which you may see in use during your visit. Among the vehicles on display are the Irish State Coach, in which The Queen travels to the State Opening of Parliament, and the Australian State Coach, which combines traditional craftsmanship with 20th-century technology to provide heating and remote-controlled windows.  The most dazzling vehicle of all is the Gold State Coach, which was built for George III in 1762.  Weighing almost four tonnes and requiring eight horses to pull it, it has carried every monarch to their coronation since 1821.  

Visitors to the Royal Mews can also see some of the fine livery worn by The Queen’s coachmen. Apart from a few small details, it remains much the same as it was in Victorian times.  Remarkably, some of the tailors used for production of liveries today are the same companies employed during the reign of George III in the 18th century.