The sun., 1909-11-21
THE ROYAL NEWS IN LONDON
STATE EQUIPAGES kEPT AT
RICKINGHAM PALACE.

The Cream COIOred Ponies Repr resentins
the white Horse of HanoVer-Bright
BAY Horses Used for Semi-state
OccaaOns|rhe Coronation Coach.
LONDON, Nov, I0.-Since King Edward
came to the throne ono OF his greatest
pleasures has been to rouovate the various
royal palaces neglected curing Queen
Victoria's reign. Nor has he devoted his
attention exclusively to the palaces theuf-
selves; the outbuildings and stables have
also received their share Of improvements.
Nowhere have greater changes taken
place than In the royal stables adjoining
Buckingham Palace.
This autumn the news have been en-
larged and improved. so that now accom-
mediation is provided for a stud OF over
200 horses. or course IL is only on very
rare occasions. such az a coronation. that
so many horses would have to be kept
there. just now owing to the increasing
use OF motor cars by the royal family
there are only fifty horses.
The establishment includes repairing
shops. forges. forage and other store
houses. a brand new motor garage and an
elaborate Office OF the Master OF the
Horses department. The carriage houses
contain some fifty carriages, AZ II is neces-
sary on state and semi state occasions to
employ horse drawn vehicles of various
types. and all these are kept at Bucking-
ham Palace
On the occasion of a court, a levee. q
state ball or the formal opening Of Par
lament the coaches. landaus and
broughams are sent from the palace to
bring high court officials who are to at
| tend upon the King and Queen, and the
royal scarlet and gold hveries are aSamil-
lar sight in London. An American. the
Countess Granard, made her first public
appearance in England last winter in one
of the Kings carriages. when she and
Lord Granard, who is the present Master
OF the Horse. drove to the opening Of
Parliament.
Ambassadors and Ministers desiring to
present themselves to the King and sub
init their credentials on fret arriving in
the country also go to the palace not in
their own carriages but in those sent by
the King.
The chief item of interest in the royal
stables 10 the old state coach, heavily gilt
and ornamented. in which the King and
Queen travel from the palace to the
Houses Of Parliament This carriage
is very old and Ia an excellent speci-
men Of its class. The panels were painted
by an Italian artist. Cipriani. and the cost
OF the coach was $4,000 originally. II
has a special department to itself when
not in use.
The sleek well groomed ponies which
London expects to see in all state pro-
cessions used to be kept at Windsor.
where they could roam about at will in
the shady paddocks Of the home farm.
Now the King hes had his stables so ar
ranged that there is plenty OF room for
them in London. so they have been moved
permanently to the city.
They are beautiful little creatures Of
a delicate cream color with long flowing
names and tails They are OF the pure
Flemish breed that is rapidly becoming
extinct. and were originally brought into
England by George |. as emblematic of
the sign OF his house. the White Horse of
Hanover. Ever since that time they have
been employed To draw the state carriages
of the British sovereign.
Unfortunately they have been inbred
at Windsor to 50 great an extent since
they were first imported that they have
greatly deteriorated in both size and
strength. Some years ago il was de-
cIded to try to improve them by the
importation OF new stock and annually
representatives Of the royal stables have
been sent To Holland and Belgium to seek
young horses and mares OF the necessary
purity Of blood to add to the stud farm at
Windsor.
Next in importance to the cream ponies
in the royal news come the bright bay
i o fI..N Il
occasions and to draw the carriages OF
the royal fsmily when private visits are
made to friends or relatives. Most OF
the other horses have also been bred by
the King at Windsor and Hampton Court.
All his home bred horses are renowned
Europe, and upon the rare
occasions when any of them are offered
in open market the competition TO secure
them Is very keen.
The officers Of the department OF the
Master Of the Horse are carefully chosen
men. One OF their most important tasks
is rehearsing and training the horses for
any state procession for several days
before it takes place. The rehearsals are
out in exactly the same manner |
as the procession itself. The whole of |
turns and places OF waiting for the horses !
and carriages are examined and tested !
80 that all possibility Of a h1tch is reduced |
10 a minimum.
II is highly important that the horses
should he trained to ignore the cheering |
Of the crowds in the streets, SO yery
early in the morning a battalion OF Foot |
Guards from Wellington barracks is
marched down TO the exercising ground
of the royal horses and the animals are
I'D slowly by while the men cheer at the
top OF their voices at irregular intervals.
Any horse that shows fear or a tendency
70 shy is at once put back for further