The Royal Wedding - a preparation for enjoying the pageantry.

By Blue Badge Tour Guide - Anne Bartlett


The west end of Westminster Abbey

 I had a very enjoyable visit to London just before the Royal Wedding.  Friends and I went to explore Westminster Abbey and other places that would be seen on the television on the morning of the 29th April.
Once inside the Abbey, we broke away from the congested north transept and made our way to the west door (normally the exit) and started our audio tour of the Abbey from the back of the nave.  This would be the view that the TV cameras would have of the bridal procession as they made their way towards the high altar.  So, in effect we worked backwards through the official tour of the Abbey and in so doing found it to be a more logical route.


The Royal Mews

The nave was almost empty because the visitors were so engrossed in finding out about the magnificent chapels behind the high altar. I suspect they were confused by the detail, they had forgotten the geography of a church, so by the time they came through the cloisters into the nave, they were ready for the exit.

After spending hours enjoying the architecture and the treasures of the Abbey, we went on to the Royal Mews to see the carriages and the cars that are used for state occasions such as state visits, royal weddings, state openings of parliament and official engagements.



A state landau

I was allowed to take photographs so can show you the carriages that were used in the procession: This one on the left is one of 7 state landaus in the Royal mews, and there are a further 5 semi-state ones in the collection.  The one that Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, travelled back from Westminster Abbey after their wedding was a 1902 landau, the newest one in the mews and was especially built for Edward VII's coronation, however not used. For Prince William's wedding it was pulled by 4 Windsor Grey horses with a Captains escort of 12 troopers of the Lifeguard and 12 troopers of the Blues and Royals.


The Scottish State Coach

This is the Scottish State Coach that the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh used, to travel back from the Abbey.  It was drawn by four Windsor Grey horses.  The coach was specially commissioned by the Duke of Cambridge in 1830 and first used for King William IV's coronation.  It is a light bright coach with large glass windows and a transparent roof so the crowds have a good view of the occupants. It has a Scottish crown on top with a gilded frieze of thistles round the edge of the roof. For the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh there was a sovereign's escort of the Household Cavalry.  The 1st and 2nd divisions were provided by the Lifeguards consisting of twenty five men. The 3rd and 4th divisions, again consisting of twenty five men followed, provided by the Blues and Royals.

The Australian State Coach

This is the Australian state coach, the coach that Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and Mr and Mrs Middleton used to travel to Buckingham Palace from the Abbey.  It was drawn by two Cleveland Bay horses.  This coach was presented to the Queen in 1988 when she was in Canberra for Australia's bicentennial celebrations.  On the door is the coat of arms of Australia; a shield representing the six states - New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania. Above, is a seven point star over a blue and gold wreath.  The shield is supported by a red kangaroo and an emu and they are surrounded by a wreath of wattle the official Australian national floral emblem.