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New royal coach marks state opening

Written By blogger on Tuesday, June 3, 2014 | 6:07 PM

The Queen will travel to the State Opening of Parliament in a new coach marking hundreds of years of history.

The bodywork of the carriage features fragments of Henry VIII's warship the Mary Rose, Sir Issac Newton's apple tree and the Stone of Destiny.

The Diamond Jubilee coach is only the second state carriage to be built in more than 100 years.

Wednesday's Queen's Speech will set out the government's legislative programme for the next year.

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Queen's carriage by numbers

3: Weight, in tonnes

5.5: Length, in metres

6: Number of horses needed to draw carriage

400: Books of decorative gold leaves used

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The handrails inside the Diamond Jubilee state coach are made from Royal Yacht Britannia timber and a wooden crown covered in gold leaf - which forms the centrepiece of the roof's decorations - was carved from oak from Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory.

Many of the historical items are pieces of wood which have been fashioned into small varnished squares used to decorate the interior walls and door panels.

The coach has modern features, however, such as six hydraulic stabilisers - covered in gold leaf - fitted to the carriage to ensure a smooth ride, as well as electric windows and heaters.

The coach was conceived and created by Jim Frecklington in his workshop in Manly, a suburb of Sydney, Australia.

He has spent the last decade building the majority of the royal carriage, with the help of a host of artisans and craftsmen and women.

Jim Frecklington with carriage Mr Frecklington used to work for the Royal Household, looking after the Queen's show horses
'Very special'

Mr Frecklington, who has travelled to London for the occasion, said: "I wanted to create something very special to mark the Queen's reign.

"Our present Queen will go down in history as one of the greatest monarchs that's ever lived and I thought something very special, a tangible item, should be produced."

Mr Frecklington received initial funding from the Australian government but also used his own money to construct the carriage.

He added: "It will be a very special day to see this coach being used.

"This new coach will give me a lot of pleasure and also give a lot of Australian and British people pleasure because there are so many people, especially living here in Britain, who have so much connection with it."


New royal coach marks state opening

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