After the coronation in Westminster Abbey on May 6, the monarch and his wife Camilla will first drive past Parliament in the more than 260-year-old carriage, which weighs several tons, then patrol Trafalgar Square and drive back to Buckingham Palace via the magnificent avenue The Mall. They will greet a number of onlookers along the way. A number of members of different regiments of the armed forces will also take part in the procession.
After her coronation in 1953, Queen Elizabeth II made a tour of the city in a carriage that was more than twice as long, so that as many citizens as possible could take part. However, she was 27 years old at the time – nevertheless she later described the ride in the state carriage as “terrible”.
The historical wooden vessel is held together by leather straps and “squeaks like an old galley”, as the responsible restorer Martin Oates revealed to the British news agency PA.
The current royal couple have decided – also deviating from tradition – to only complete the official coronation procession in the golden carriage. The two will travel the same way to Westminster Abbey, where the ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. local time (12:00 p.m. CEST), in the much more modern Diamond Jubilee carriage.
Built in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th jubilee in 2012, the PA says it has heating, air conditioning and better vibration dampening. Both Charles (74) and Camilla (75) have had back problems in the past.
“The carriages chosen reflect the fact that the procession to the Abbey is kept small and the procession back to Buckingham Palace is much larger,” a palace spokesman said.
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