The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-19
i: X X + i I
81 THE ENGLISH
* ROYAL COACH
x Magnificent Vehicle Cost $685. i:
X 600 In l7el-Weighs Four Tons X
x !: x X X X X X X X :: X X $: X

x !: X X X X X X X X * X X = Il
(The oueen.)
the roNa state carriage used by
the more recent English sovereigns
was built about 1861. and was first us.
cd for the coronation of George Ill.
1t was designed by Sir William Cham.
hers and was considered a magnificent
piece Of state furniture. 1t cost $4,000
pounds and weighed four tons.
Three boys adorned with flowers.
representing The United Kingdom,
stand on the roof. supporting tho I'M
perial crown on their heads and hold
ms the scepter, sword OF state and
other insignia Of ROYALTY in their
hands. The panels of the upper por.
ton Of the coach are OF bcveled glass
and the four lower are of corner
painted in enamel.
me wheels are copied from those
o! me trlufnphal chariots used in an
cient times by the Romans, the har.
ness is made Of red morocco leather.
with ornaments Of, silver gilt. the reins
are OF crimson silk and the saddles Of
crimson velvet embroidered with rold.
The speakers state coach is prob-
AMY the oldest carriage in England
Whlch is still in a condition to he Of
use. 1t was made in the middle Of
ahe seventeenth century. and there is
rode in it. The carving on it ia Very
fine and is of glided oak relieved with
a little black. The seat opposite the
speaker is occupied by the chaplain
ana train bearer. Each speaker has
MS coat OF arms and crest inserted
among the details Of the side panels.
Recently a fire broke out at the
WORKS of some we'll known coach
builders and the glass coach which is
s ,tsh 10 nave been used by many Eng
llsh sovereigns was destroyed. The
vehicle had been sem in to be dec.
Grated. for it had been arranged. so
the story goes. that the king should
ride in il 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 ct 1t and 1t was considered to he
a II specimen of the coach build-
er's art.
State carriages, which came to he
uscd IN England about the middle of
tne sixteenth century, We're introduced
from Germany and the first coach
ever made in England was ordered by
the Duke OF Rutland in 1855. Sixty
years later they were in general use
n much rivalry existed with regard
10 their splendor and the number of
celebrated Duke Of R~uckinrham cleo.
trifed London by appearing in a
coach drawn by six horses, and the
Earl Of Northumberland. partly not to
he outdone and partly. from the pleas.
ure OF making his rival look ridicu.
lous Immediately started a coach
drawn by eight horses.
reward the, end of the seventeenth
century the decoration Of stage coach
es reached its highest pitch. The in
side was lined. with brocade. silk or
velvet: the wheels also were very or
nate. the nav was thickly embossed.
the spokes We're shaped and curved
and rims carved or painted. Such
coaches are rarely met with now. They
have mostly been destroyed either to
save room or because portions of
them were required for other pur-
poses.
AS might he expected. the carriages
all others in magnifcence. One OF
the most magnificent state carriages
on record was built in 1920 for the
marriage oftthe reigning Duke OF
Farnese with Princess Margaret OF
TUSCANY.
was covered with chased and emboss.
ed silver and the inside was lined with
crimson velvet and gold thread. The
roof was supported. by eight silver
columns and or it were eight vases,
also in silver: containing lilies Of the
same metal in full relief. In the cen
ter Of the roof was'a huge rose with
silver leaves. on the sides and back
hung curtains of crimson velvet en-.
broidered with silver lilies and gold
leaves. while on the. top Of the stand
ards from which the body of the car
riage was hung were silver vases with
festoons Of silver fruit.
The wheels and the pole were ALSO
plated with silver. The harness for
the six horses was covered with crin1-
son velvet and embroidered with gold
gold and silver thread. 1t is said this
coach took $4,000 ounces Of silver and
that twenty-five of the best Italian
wnrkmen were ernployedonitfor hrd h
workmen were employed on 1t for two
years.