Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-07-20
The ENGLISH RoYAL coach.
Magnificent Vehicle Cost $4,000 i
f761 and Weighs Four Tons.

. - D.
The royal state carriage used by the
more recent English sovereigns was
built about 1851, and was first used for
designed by Sir William Chambers and
was considered a magnificent piece or
state furniture. 1t cost 5000 and
weighed four tons. ss&sss
The wheels are copied from those OF
the triuhphal chariots used in ancient
times by the Romans, the harness is
made OF red nioroeeoT- ieathere@ awtth
ofhdm2nfsH of SILVER giif.. the 9r9ihs are
of crimson silk and the saddles of
crimson velvet embroidered with gold
The Speakers state coach is prob
ably the oldest carriage in England
which is stifl in a condition to he or
use. IL was made in the middle OF
the seventeenth century, and there is a
ira aition that Oliver Cromwell once
rode In it. The carving on it lis very
fine and is of gilded oak relieved with
a little black. The seat, opposite the
Speaker is occupied by the chaplain
and train bearer. Each Speaker. has
his coat of arms and crest inserted
among the details of the side panels.
Recently a fire broke out. at she
works of some weu-known coach
builders and the glass coach which is
said to have been used by many Eng
lish soVereigns was destroyed The
vehicle had been sent in to be deco
rated, for IL had been arranged so
the story goes, that the King should
ride in it on the day of his approach
ing coronation. The coach was ia
miliar to Londoners, for both Queen
Victoria and King Edward had made
use of it, and il was considered to be
a fine specimen of the coach builders .
art. State carriages which came to /;
be used in England about the middle
of the sixteenth century, We're intro .
duced from Germany and the first
coach ever made in England was or
dered by the Duke of Rutland in 1855.
Sixty Years later they were in general
use and much rivalry existed with re-
gard to their splendor and the num-. :
her of horses drawing thefna I'm; 1919
the celebrated Duke of Buckingham
electrified London. by. appeAripg in a
coach drawn by six horses. and the
Earl of northumberland, partly not
to be outdone and partly from the
pleasure OF making his rival look ride.
ulous, Immediately started a coach
drawn by eight horses.
Toward the end of the seventeenth.
century the decoration of stage coaches,
reached it's highest pitch. The inside
was lined with brocade silk or yelvets
the wheels also We're very ornate, the
nave was thickly embossed. the ;
spokes were shaped and curved and :
rims carved or painted Such coaches
are rarely met with now. They haHs
mostly been DESTROYED seitl1er to save
room or because portioifs of them were
required for other purposes. - -
As might be expected. the car
riages used for marriage ceremonies
outvied all others in fnagnificenetS.
One of the most magnificent state car 2
riages on record was built int 1920 Tor
the marriage of the reigrling Duke of
Farnese with Princess Margaret 81 =
Tuscany ts' IS
The entire woodwork of the carriage
was covered with chased and EN-
bossed silver and the inside was lined
with crimson velvet and gold thread
The roof was supported by eight sill
yer columns and on it were eight
vases, also in silver: containing lilies
OF the same metal in fun relief In
the center of the roof WAS a huge
rose with silver leaves, on the sides
and back hung curtains of crimson
velvet embroidered with silver lilies
and gold leaves. while on the top or
the standards from which the body Of
the carriage was hung were silver -
vases with festoons of silver fruit.
The wheels and the pole we're also
plated with silver. The harness for the
six horses was covered with crimson
velvet and embroidered with gold and ,
silver thread. 1t is said this coach Il
took 2s,e0o ounces of silver and that y
rs OF the best Italian worknen wers i
employed on il for two yearH--The
Queen