State Coach Britannia

The State Coach Britannia is an enclosed, four horse-drawn carriage. The carriage was built in 2007 by coachbuilder W. J. "Jim" Frecklington, renowned for having built the Australian State Coach. As with the Australian State Coach, the carriage construction was overseen by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, himself a renowned coach driver. Part of the costs were covered by the Australian Government. After its completion the coach was flown from Sydney to London, to be formally presented to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. As with other state coaches of the British monarch, the State Coach Britannia is kept at the Royal Mews. Frecklington's vision was to create a coach that would encapsulate the entire royal history and heritage of the United Kingdom. This was achieved by incorporating material from Britain’s historic buildings, ships and other artifacts. Frecklington mortgaged his house to pay for the estimated £ 620,000 building costs. The Australian Government has also loaned financial assistance. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1550097/Britannia%2C-the-time-machine-fit-for-a-Queen.html] The coach weighs 2.75 tons and is more than 20ft long and 11ft high. Like the Australian State Coach, the Britannia also has electric windows and air conditioning.

Material used

The crown atop the roof has been carved from timber taken from Lord Nelson’s flagship, HMS "Victory". Timber segments from The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, Edinburgh Castle, Henry VIII's flagship the "Mary Rose", the "Mayflower", Balmoral Castle, Blenheim Palace, Caernarfon Castle, Canterbury Cathedral, Carlisle Cathedral, Chichester Cathedral, Durham Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, Hampton Court, Holyrood Palace, Kensington Palace, Lincoln Cathedral, Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, Osborne House, Salisbury Cathedral, St George's Chapel, Stirling Castle, The Palace of Westminster, The Royal Pavilion, the White House at Kew, Wells Cathedral, Westminster Cathedral, Winchester Cathedral, Windsor Castle, York Minster and others are inlaid into the interior lining of the coach. [http://www.british-monarchs.com/coaches.html] The two door handles are individually decorated with 24 diamonds and 130 sapphires. The lamps were hand made by Edinburgh Crystal.

ee also

*State opening of Parliament
*Royal Mews

References

External links

* [http://www.downau.com The State Coach Britannia at downau.com] (with image)
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1550097/Britannia%2C-the-time-machine-fit-for-a-Queen.html A report by the telegraph]
* [http://www.british-monarchs.com/coaches.html State Coach Britannia at british-monarchs.com]