The United Kingdom is preparing for the coronation of Carlos III, which will be held on May 6. Buckingham Palace has not neglected any detail for the historic event, which will be attended by more than 2,200 guests, including a hundred heads of state, members of the Royal Family and young representatives of non-governmental organizations appointed by the monarch.
Carlos III has decided to maintain several traditions: he will be crowned on the same throne made of Baltic oak wood that was used for the first time in the coronation ceremony of King Edward II (1307-1327) and he will use the same carriage that his mother used in his day. , Queen Elizabeth II.
As reported by the British Royal House, the king and queen consort will use the Gold State Coach, an eight-horse carriage commissioned by George III, to travel from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. It is the most “grandiose” vehicle of the English monarchy, 260 years old.
The Gold State Coach was designed by William Chambers and built by coachbuilder Samuel Butler. It is a classic of British coronations, because it has been used in all of them since William IV's in 1831. Queen Elizabeth II also used it to travel on her coronation day in 1953, as well as for the Platinum Jubilee, in celebration of his reign of seventy years.
This carriage is characterized by its splendor. It is seven meters long, 3.6 meters high, weighs four tons and needs eight horses to pull it. Its decoration is also striking: it has magnificent painted panels of Roman gods and goddesses, rich golden sculptures including three cherubs on the ceiling representing England, Scotland and Ireland, and four huge mermen figures on each wheel.
From Buckingham Palace, they clarify that the carriage is actually made of gilded wood, which is a thin layer of gold leaf on the wood. There is also no lack of detail inside, lined and upholstered with velvet and satin.
Another curious fact about the Gold State Coach, the carriage that will transport Charles III and Queen Camilla from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace, there are only two oldest in the United Kingdom: the Speaker of the House of Common's Coach, the oldest old, dating from 1698; and the Lord Mayor of London's Coach, which was built in 1758.
Half a century after the last ceremony of this type, the United Kingdom will once again experience another coronation. Carlos and Camila will get into the carriage after being officially proclaimed as King and Queen of the United Kingdom, a ceremony that will take place next Saturday, May 6 at Westminster Abbey.
