The Royal Mews is a working stables attached to the back of Buckingham Palace, with rooms for all the grooms, coachman and chauffeurs who work on the King’s horses, carriages and cars.
Richard II’s original Mews at Charing Cross
Richard II was more interested in his hawks than his horses so that’s why it he called it the Mews (mews means moulting). He built it at the top end of Whitehall Palace which once stretched all the way from Admiralty Arch past Banqueting House and Downing Street.
Photo: Craig CrossWhen George III bought Buckingham House he started moving the horses over there and when George IV converted it into a palace he transferred all of the coaches as well. The old Mews was then knocked down to make way for Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery.
Windsor Grey & Cleveland Bay horses
After you’ve made your way through security and picked up your headphones you’re straight into the stables and a strong smell of horses. If you’re lucky then you might see a few of them being trotted around the interior quadrangle but most of the time it seems to double up as a staff car park for all the flats and balconies around the top.
Photo: Craig CrossThe monarch has two types of horses at the Mews: Windsor Greys and Cleveland Bays. Windsor Greys get all the plum jobs carrying the King and Queen, Prince and Princesses, and Duke and Duchesses during the big parades.
Cleveland Bays get lumbered with the day-to-day duties and other ceremonial roles. If you don’t mind getting up early then you can usually see a few of them leaving the Mews at 6 AM for their early morning ride around Hyde Park or St. James’s Park.
You might also see them delivering the post between Buckingham Palace and St. James’s Palace. (This antiquated practice has been going on since at least 1843, and is supposed to help train them in the art of pulling carriages.) If you ever see them carrying a passenger up The Mall then they’ll probably be taking a newly appointed ambassador to the palace to present their credentials to the King.
Photo: Craig CrossJust after the stables you can peer into a big window and watch somebody polishing hundreds of buckles and belts with a big bottle of Brasso.
Landau carriages, sledges, sleighs and charabancs
Photo: Craig CrossThe carriages are kept in the stalls around the quadrangle. Pick of the bunch is the 1902 State Landau, the Glass Coach (which carries Royal brides to their weddings) and Queen Alexandra’s State Coach (which carries the Imperial Crown on State occasions). They’ve also got the Irish State Coach, Scottish State Coach and King Edward VII’s Town Coach.
Photo: Craig Cross
Photo: Craig CrossAlso on display are a couple of sleighs, sledges, drags and charabancs, and some miniature kids carriages that are pulled by ponies, goats and dogs.
Obviously you’re not allowed to get close to any of them – you’re just peering in and seeing them from the side, but imagine how much money they could make if they tied a couple of horses to the front and allowed tourists to ride them down The Mall wearing the Crown Jewels. They could charge 20p a go. They’d make a fortune!
Australian Diamond Jubilee State Coach
Australia’s Diamond Jubilee State Coach is the first one that will really knock your socks off. The window frames and handrails are infused with slivers of wood from 100 different locations including a piece of Henry VIII’s flagship the Mary Rose, Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite boat Britannia, Balmoral, Blenheim and Kensington Palace, Canterbury Cathedral, Caernarfon Castle and Windsor, Osborne House, Holyroodhouse and Downing Street, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Hampton Court and St. Paul’s.
Photo: Craig CrossIt even has pieces from a Dambusters Lancaster, a Battle of Britain Spitfire, and a musket ball from Wellington’s Waterloo. And the whole thing is topped off with a crown that was carved from the oak of HMS Victory. It must be the most condensed collection of historical objects in Britain.
The Gold State Coach used on Coronation Day
Photo: Craig CrossThen comes the Gold State Coach that’s been used at every coronation since William IV. The late Queen famously complained that it’s a bumpy ride but just look at it… it’s a four-wheel fairytale with painted panels of Roman gods and goddesses, six-foot triton figures towering over the wheels, lions, laurel leaves and cherubims sitting on the roof. And the whole thing has been set dressed with four waxwork horses (eight if it was real life) and riders wearing their white wigs and finery.
Photo: Craig CrossMonarch’s State Cars & Horse Riding School
The Royal Mews is also home to the monarch’s motors, including two maroon coloured Bentley limousines, a Rolls-Royce Phantom IV, a Phantom VI, and the Queen Mother’s old Daimler Landaulet.
Photo: Craig CrossAs you exit the building you can peer into the Riding School where the horses are trotted around a dusty parade ground, but it’s really just a quick glimpse through an open door and I’ve never once seen anyone in there.
If you enjoy this then try Household Cavalry Museum (walk it in 18 mins or travel from Victoria to Westminster by tube). If you want to see some of the coaches in an actual parade then you’ll have to visit Trooping the Colour or the State Opening of Parliament
The author Craig Cross owns londondrum.com and has spent the last decade reviewing the capital’s landmarks, attractions and hotels. His guidebook London Squire is available from Amazon
Your comments and questions
Susan Have to disagree that it is not 'starred' for children. We took our grandsons aged 12 and 9 there last summer, and they loved it. They listened to the audio guide and didn't want to leave until they had completed it.
Bianca Just call me confused. I think I've been reading too much and trying too hard to design the perfect tour of my lifetime! These questions may seem really simplest and obvious, but are the Royal Mews and Sentry Boxes at the same general location as Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guard? Or at least in the same general area? Is it convenient to combine the two on the same day? Or, are they too far apart in time? Is the Yeoman Warder Tour conducted by the Beefeaters? Is that the same as the Tower of London tour? Thanks for your patience and help!
Craig Hi Bianca. Changing the Guard takes place on the red forecourt outside the front of Buckingham Palace. The Royal Mews is a quick 5-min walk around the corner. When you say the sentry boxes I'm guessing you mean the ones outside Horse Guards. They are halfway up Whitehall (opposite Banqueting House), which is about a 10-15 minute walk from Buckingham Palace. The best way is to walk straight up the Mall and then go across the Horse Guards parade ground and through the central arch. You can definitely do all three together. Beefeaters is just another name for the Yeoman Warders - they are exactly the same people.
Bianca Thank you so much for simplifying it all. I am so excited about this trip! It is the one thing I've always wanted to do and it may actually become reality.
Novic Can you just buy tickets for the Royal Mews or do you have to do it with Buckingham Palace as well. My girlfriend only wants to do Royal Mews because she's a rider
Craig Hi Novic. It's a totally separate attraction so you can just do it on its own if you want. You can either buy tickets on the door or book in advance on their website. They offer joint tickets with the palace and Queen's Gallery included called a 'Royal Day Out', but they do Royal Mews tickets on their own as well
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