Speaker's State Coach
Encyclopedia
The Speaker's State Coach is the oldest of the three great State Coaches of the United Kingdom. Like the Gold State Coach
and the Lord Mayor of London
's Coach it is elaborately carved and gilded, and is decorated with allegorical paintings by G. B. Cipriani (see below for details).
The coach was originally designed for King William III
in 1698 by Daniel Marot
. William's successor Queen Anne
then passed it on to the Speaker of the House of Commons, in whose charge it remains to this day.
It is seldom seen in action except at Coronations
, when the Speaker customarily uses it for the short journey from the Palace of Westminster
to Westminster Abbey
before the service, and then in the carriage procession following the service.
On State occasions such as these, the Speaker is accompanied in the coach by his usual retinue of Secretary, Chaplain and Serjeant-at-Arms
, together with the House of Commons Mace, which is positioned so as to be clearly visible from outside. The Speaker's Train-bearer is also accommodated, on a stool in the centre.
A Coachman and two Footmen are employed, in distinctive livery, and the Speaker has the special privilege of being escorted by a single Household Cavalry
man, who rides alongside the carriage. Since the Speakership of Mr Shaw-Lefevre
the coach has always been pulled by a pair of Whitbread
Shire horses (Shaw-Lefevre having been a partner in Messrs Whitbread & Co.).
When not in use, the Speaker's State Coach used to be kept on display at Whitbread's Brewery in Chiswell Street, London EC1. When Whitbread's sold the building, they relinquished their custody of the coach; since then it has occasionally been displayed in Westminster Hall.
On 4 March 2011, Speaker Bercow
announced that the coach would go on display at the National Trust
’s Arlington Court
Carriage Museum in Devon.
.
Gold State Coach
The Gold State Coach is an enclosed, eight horse-drawn carriage used by the British Royal Family. It was built in the London workshops of Samuel Butler in 1762 and has been used at the coronation of every British monarch since George IV...
and the Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
's Coach it is elaborately carved and gilded, and is decorated with allegorical paintings by G. B. Cipriani (see below for details).
The coach was originally designed for King William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
in 1698 by Daniel Marot
Daniel Marot
Daniel Marot was a French Protestant, an architect, furniture designer and engraver at the forefront of the classicizing Late Baroque "Louis XIV" style....
. William's successor Queen Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
then passed it on to the Speaker of the House of Commons, in whose charge it remains to this day.
It is seldom seen in action except at Coronations
Coronation of the British monarch
The coronation of the British monarch is a ceremony in which the monarch of the United Kingdom is formally crowned and invested with regalia...
, when the Speaker customarily uses it for the short journey from the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
to Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
before the service, and then in the carriage procession following the service.
Use in the 20th century
The coach was used on the following occasions in the last century:- The Coronation of Edward VIIEdward VII of the United KingdomEdward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
- The Coronation of George VGeorge V of the United KingdomGeorge V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
- The Silver JubileeSilver JubileeA Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, ruling anniversary or anything that has completed a 25 year mark...
of George V - The Coronation of George VIGeorge VI of the United KingdomGeorge VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
- The Coronation of Elizabeth IICoronation of Queen Elizabeth IIThe Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was the ceremony in which the newly ascended monarch, Elizabeth II, was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ceylon, and Pakistan, as well as taking on the role of Head of the Commonwealth...
- The Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer
On State occasions such as these, the Speaker is accompanied in the coach by his usual retinue of Secretary, Chaplain and Serjeant-at-Arms
Serjeant-at-Arms of the British House of Commons
The Serjeant at Arms of the British House of Commons is an official responsible for the security of the House of Commons. The offices dates to 1415.The House of Lords also had a Serjeant-at-Arms...
, together with the House of Commons Mace, which is positioned so as to be clearly visible from outside. The Speaker's Train-bearer is also accommodated, on a stool in the centre.
A Coachman and two Footmen are employed, in distinctive livery, and the Speaker has the special privilege of being escorted by a single Household Cavalry
Household Cavalry
The term Household Cavalry is used across the Commonwealth to describe the cavalry of the Household Divisions, a country’s most elite or historically senior military groupings or those military groupings that provide functions associated directly with the Head of state.Canada's Governor General's...
man, who rides alongside the carriage. Since the Speakership of Mr Shaw-Lefevre
Charles Shaw-Lefevre, 1st Viscount Eversley
Charles Shaw-Lefevre, 1st Viscount Eversley GCB, PC , was a British Whig politician. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1839 to 1857...
the coach has always been pulled by a pair of Whitbread
Whitbread
Whitbread PLC is a global hotel, coffee shop and restaurant company headquartered in Dunstable, United Kingdom. Its largest division is Premier Inn, which is the largest hotel brand in the UK with around 580 hotels and over 40,000 rooms. Its Costa Coffee chain has around 1,600 stores across 25...
Shire horses (Shaw-Lefevre having been a partner in Messrs Whitbread & Co.).
When not in use, the Speaker's State Coach used to be kept on display at Whitbread's Brewery in Chiswell Street, London EC1. When Whitbread's sold the building, they relinquished their custody of the coach; since then it has occasionally been displayed in Westminster Hall.
On 4 March 2011, Speaker Bercow
John Bercow
John Simon Bercow is a British politician who has been the Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom since June 2009. Prior to his election to Speaker he was a member of the Conservative party....
announced that the coach would go on display at the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
’s Arlington Court
Arlington Court
Arlington Court is an English country house designed in a severe neoclassical style circa 1820, situated in Arlington, near Barnstaple, north Devon, England....
Carriage Museum in Devon.
Carvings
- The body of the coach is supported by 'naval and military figures'.
- The coachman's box rests on two large figures of Plenty, and the footboard on a pair of lions.
Painted panels (by Giovanni Cipriani)
- Nearside door: seated figure of BritanniaBritanniaBritannia is an ancient term for Great Britain, and also a female personification of the island. The name is Latin, and derives from the Greek form Prettanike or Brettaniai, which originally designated a collection of islands with individual names, including Albion or Great Britain. However, by the...
with assorted women bringing her fruit. - Offside door: King William III, seated, accompanied by figures of Liberty, Fame and Justice. He is being presented with two scrolls inscribed 'Magna CartaMagna CartaMagna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
' and 'Bill of RightsBill of Rights 1689The Bill of Rights or the Bill of Rights 1688 is an Act of the Parliament of England.The Bill of Rights was passed by Parliament on 16 December 1689. It was a re-statement in statutory form of the Declaration of Right presented by the Convention Parliament to William and Mary in March 1689 ,...
'. - The other four side panels depict personifications of Literature, Science, Plenty and Architecture respectively.
- The back panel depicts William and MaryWilliam and MaryThe phrase William and Mary usually refers to the coregency over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, of King William III & II and Queen Mary II...
together with Britannia, and a ship in the background.
External links
- http://whitbreadshires.moonfruit.com/#/speakers-coach/4535688687 - Photo of the Speaker's Coach prepared for the Coronation of Elizabeth II
.