The Speaker's State Coach is the oldest of the three great State Coaches of the United Kingdom. Like the

Gold State Coach The Gold State Coach is an enclosed, eight-horse-drawn carriage used by the British Royal Family. Commissioned in 1760 by Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings for King George III, it was built in the London workshops of Samuel Bu ...

and the

Lord Mayor of London's State Coach The Lord Mayor of London's State Coach is, along with the Queen's Gold State Coach and the Speaker's State Coach, one of the three great State Coaches of the United Kingdom. Unlike the other two (which are only used on rare occasions such as Co ...

it is elaborately carved and gilded, and is decorated with allegorical paintings by G. B. Cipriani. The coach was originally designed for King

William III William III or William the Third may refer to: Kings * William III of Sicily (c. 1186–c. 1198) * William III of England and Ireland or William III of Orange or William II of Scotland (1650–1702) * William III of the Netherlands and Luxembourg ...

in 1698 by

Daniel Marot Daniel Marot or Daniel Marot the Elder (1661–1752) was a French-born Dutch architect, furniture designer and engraver at the forefront of the classicizing Late Baroque Louis XIV style. He worked for a long time in England and the Dutch Republic ...

. William's successor Queen

Anne Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

then passed it on to the

Speaker of the House of Commons Speaker of the House of Commons is a political leadership position found in countries that have a House of Commons, where the membership of the body elects a speaker to lead its proceedings. Systems that have such a position include: * Speaker of ...

, in whose charge it remains to this day. It is seldom seen in action except at

Coronations A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a coronation crown, crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the ...

, when the Speaker customarily uses it for the short journey from the

Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

before the service, and then in the carriage procession following the service.

Use in the 20th centuryFell,B.H.(1930), revised Mackenzie,K.R.(1965) ''The Houses of Parliament: an Illustrated Guide to the Palace of Westminster'' p.63, Eyre & Spottiswoode, London

The coach was used on the following occasions in the last century: :The Coronation of Edward VII :The

Coronation of George V The coronation of George V and his wife Mary as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Emperor and Empress of India, took place at Westminster Abbey, London, on Thursday 22 June 1911. This was the second of fou ...

:The

Silver Jubilee of George V The Silver Jubilee of George V on 6 May 1935 marked 25 years of George V as the King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India.Harold Nicolson, ''King George V'' (1953) pp 510–532online/ref> The Jubilee was marked ...

:The

Coronation of George VI The coronation of George VI and his wife, Elizabeth, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and as Emperor and Empress of India took place at Westminster Abbey, London, on Wednesday 12 May 1937. ...

:The

Coronation of Elizabeth II The coronation of Elizabeth II took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. She acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, being proclaimed queen by her privy and executive ...

:The

Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer The wedding of the Prince of Wales (future King Charles III) and Lady Diana Spencer took place on Wednesday, 29 July 1981, at St Paul's Cathedral in London, United Kingdom. The groom was the heir apparent to the British throne, and the bride was ...

On State occasions such as these, the Speaker is accompanied in the coach by his usual retinue of Secretary, Chaplain and

Serjeant-at-Arms A serjeant-at-arms, or sergeant-at-arms, is an officer appointed by a deliberative body, usually a legislature, to keep order during its meetings. The word "serjeant" is derived from the Latin ''serviens'', which means "servant". Historically, s ...

, 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 The Household Cavalry (HCav) is made up of the two most senior regiments of the British Army, the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons). These regiments are divided between the Household Cavalry Regiment st ...

man, who rides alongside the carriage. Since the Speakership of Mr Shaw-Lefevre the coach has always been pulled by a pair of

Whitbread Whitbread plc is a multinational British hotel and restaurant company headquartered in Houghton Regis, England. The business was founded as a brewery in 1742, and had become the largest brewery in the world by the 1780s. Its largest division ...

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 The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

’s

Arlington Court Arlington Court is a neoclassical style country house built 1820–23, situated in the parish of Arlington, next to the parish church of St James, miles NE of Barnstaple, north Devon, England. It is a Grade II* listed building. The park and ...

Carriage Museum in Devon.

Decorative details

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

Britannia Britannia () is the national personification of Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used in classical antiquity, the Latin ''Britannia'' was the name variously applied to the British Isles, Great ...

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 Carta (Medieval Latin for "Great Charter of Freedoms"), commonly called (also ''Magna Charta''; "Great Charter"), is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the ...

' and '

Bill of Rights A bill of rights, sometimes called a declaration of rights or a charter of rights, is a list of the most important rights to the citizens of a country. The purpose is to protect those rights against infringement from public officials and pri ...

'. :The other four side panels depict personifications of Literature, Science, Plenty and Architecture respectively. :The back panel depicts

and

Mary II Mary II (30 April 166228 December 1694) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, co-reigning with her husband, William III & II, from 1689 until her death in 1694. Mary was the eldest daughter of James, Duke of York, and his first wife ...

together with Britannia, and a ship in the background.

References

{{Reflist

External links

- Photo of the Speaker's Coach prepared for the Coronation of Elizabeth II
Arlington Court and the National Trust Carriage Museum information
at the National Trust 1698 works Coaches (carriage) Road transport of heads of state Vehicles of the United Kingdom William III of England