The
Royal Mews is the
mewsMews is a chiefly British term formerly describing a row of stables, usually with carriage houses below and living quarters above, built around a paved yard or court, or along a street, behind large London houses of the 17th and 18th centuries. The word may also refer to the lane, alley or back...
(
stableA stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
s and in recent times also the
garageright|thumb|200px|A garage in [[Belo Horizonte]], [[Brazil]].A residential garage is part of a home, or an associated building, designed or used for storing a vehicle or vehicles...
) of the
British Royal FamilyImage:Roy-fam-2007.jpg|right|500px|thumb|Members of the Royal Family gathered for a dinner celebrating the 60th wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh Image:Roy-fam-2007.jpg|right|500px|thumb|Members of the Royal Family gathered for a dinner...
in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
. They have occupied two main sites, formerly at
Charing CrossCharing Cross denotes the junction of the Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in Westminster within Central London, England. It is named after the site of a long demolished Eleanor cross located at the former hamlet of Charing, at this point...
, and since the 1820s at
Buckingham PalaceBuckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
.
Charing Cross
The first set of stables to be referred to as a mews was at
Charing CrossCharing Cross denotes the junction of the Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in Westminster within Central London, England. It is named after the site of a long demolished Eleanor cross located at the former hamlet of Charing, at this point...
at the western end of
The StrandThe Strand is a street in the City of Westminster, London, England. It currently starts at Trafalgar Square and runs east to join Fleet Street at Temple Bar, which marks the boundary of the City of London at this point, though its historical length has been longer than this...
. The royal hawks were kept at this site from 1377 and the name derives from the fact that they were confined there at
moultIn biology, moulting signifies the manner in which an animal routinely casts off a part of its body , either at specific times of year, or at specific points in its life-cycle.Moulting can involve the epidermis , pelage In biology, moulting (or molting, also known as sloughing, shedding or for...
ing (or “mew”) time.
The building was destroyed by fire in 1534 and rebuilt as a stables, keeping its former name when it acquired this new function. On old maps of Westminster, such as those by
Ralph AgasRalph Agas , English land surveyor, was born at Stoke-by-Nayland, Suffolk, about 1540, and entered upon the practice of his profession in1566....
(also known as Aggas), the Mews can be seen extending back onto the site of today's
Leicester SquareLeicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
.
This building was usually known as the
King's Mews, but was also sometimes referred to as the Royal Mews, the Royal Stables, or as the Queen's Mews when there was a woman on the throne. It was rebuilt again in 1732 to the designs of
William KentWilliam Kent was an eminent English architect, landscape architect and furniture designer of the early 18th century.-Education:...
, and in the early 19th century it was open to the public. It was an impressive classical building, and there was an open space in front of it which ranked among the larger ones in central London at a time when the Royal Parks were on the fringes of the city and the gardens of
London's squaresSloane Square is a small hard-landscaped square on the boundaries of the fashionable London districts of Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Chelsea, located southwest of Charing Cross. The square is part of the Hans Town area designed in 1771 by Henry Holland Snr. and Henry Holland Jnr...
were open only to the residents of the surrounding houses.
Buckingham Palace
The present Royal Mews is in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, to the south of
Buckingham Palace GardensThe Garden at Buckingham Palace is situated at the rear of Buckingham Palace. It covers much of the area of the former "Goring Great Garden", named after Lord Goring, occupant of one of the earliest grand houses on the site...
, near Grosvenor Place.
In the 1760s
George IIIGeorge III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
moved some of his day-to-day horses and carriages to the grounds of Buckingham House, which he had acquired in 1762 for his wife's use, but the main royal stables housing the ceremonial coaches and their horses remained at the King's Mews. However when his son
George IVGeorge IV was the king of Hanover and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
had Buckingham Palace converted into the main royal residence in the 1820s the whole stables establishment was moved. The old Mews at Charing Cross was demolished and
Trafalgar SquareTrafalgar Square is a square in central London, England. With its position in the heart of London, it is a tourist attraction; and one of the most famous squares in the United Kingdom and the world. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base...
was built on the site. The current Royal Mews was built to designs by
John NashJohn Nash was an Anglo-Welsh architect responsible for much of the layout of Regency London.-Early life:Born in Lambeth, London, as the son of a Welsh millwright, Nash trained with architect Sir Robert Taylor, but his own career was initially unsuccessful and short-lived...
and were completed in 1825. They have been modified extensively since.
The Royal Mews is open to the public on certain days. The
Gold State CoachThe Gold State Coach is an enclosed, eight horse-drawn carriage used by the British Royal Family. It was built in Dublin in 1762 and has been used at every coronation of the British monarch since George IV...
and other carriages are kept there, along with about 30 horses.
There is also a Royal Mews overlooking Hampton Court Green near Hampton Court, but it is not open to the public. The old stables of St James's Palace, which stood where
Lancaster HouseLancaster House is a mansion in the St. James's district in the West End of London. It is close to St. James's Palace and much of the site was once part of the palace complex...
is now, were also sometime referred to as the Royal Mews.
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