Gold coach

Several monarchs have used golden coaches. These horse-drawn coaches were made of wood and covered with gold leaf, a solid golden coach would be very expensive and so heavy that it would be a practical impossibility.

Although a gilden coach with or without painted panels was a sign of high social and governamental status, the position of the occupants of the coach determines the nummer of horses that draw the vehicle. Monarchs have the right to be drawn by eight horses. A prince of the blood royal uses six horses, a nobleman four.

Golden coaches in use today

The British Gold state coach

The Dutch Gold state coach

The Russian Gold state coach in miniature

• The Gold State Coach of the British monarchs built for George III.^[1]
• The Golden Coach (Dutch: Gouden Koets) of the Dutch monarchs, built for Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands^[2]
• The Golden Coupé (Danish: Guldkareten) of the Danish monarchs. A small and elegant coach, often called "the coach of Christian VIII", is gilded with 24 carat gold leaf and is drawn by eight horses ridden à la Deaumont. It was built in 1840 by the British coachbuilder Henry Fife for the Danish King Christian VIII^[3] The coach is still used on important occasions.^[4]

Golden coaches in musea

Several relics of abolished monarchies are stored or exhibited in European or Asian musea.

• The Coronation Coach of Charles X in the Grand Stables in Versailles^[5]
• The court of the Russian czars used several golden coaches, last used when Nicholas II was crowned emperor of Russia in 1896. A miniature of one of them is placed inside the Imperial Coronation Egg.
• The gilded coronation Coach of Sweden has last been used in 1970. It is on display in the King's stables in Stockholm.
• The Prince of Liechtenstein owns a Golden Carriage. It was built for Prince Joseph Wenzel von Liechtenstein and the panels were painted by François Boucher and Hyacinthe Rigaud.^[6] It is on display in Vienna.
• The National Coach Museum (Portuguese: Museu Nacional dos Coches) in Lissabon houses several golden coaches of the defunct Portuguese monarchy.
• The Wagenburg in Vienna houses the collection of coaches of the former Austro-Hungerian monarchs. There are several gilded coaches on display.
• The Nymphenburg Palace in Münich contains the golden coaches of the Bavarian Dukes and Kings.
• The golden Coach of the King of Spain is on display in Madrid.

References

1. Description of carriages (including the Gold State Coach) at Royal.gov.uk Retrieved 5 July 2014
2. Laparlière, Maurice (2010-09-17). "Dutch royal extravagance: the queen in the golden coach". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
3. Danish Royal Collection. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
4. Photograph on Danish Royal Watchers. Retrieved 5 July 2014
5. Roulez carrosses! Retrieved 5 July 2014
6. Kugler, Georg The Golden Carriage of Prince Joseph Wenzel von Liechtenstein MetPublications (1985)