State coach
Wikimedia disambiguation page
A state coach, also known as a gala coach, is a highly decorative ceremonial coach used in Europe by a monarch or head of state on state occasions. A four-wheeled vehicle for four passengers, it may be drawn at a walk by six or more horses with postilions, or be driven by two or more horses. The term is also used to indicate a formal town coach used by nobility and the wealthy for formal occasions, drawn by a pair of matching horses.
A state chariot, also called a gala chariot or dress chariot, is an elaborately decorated four-wheeled vehicle for two passengers for ceremonial occasions; often the front panel is replaced by a glass panel or windscreen. The word chariot was used in England, and coupé in France.
Overview
The first state coach was built in the mid-1500s by Walter Rippon for the State Opening of Parliament, and most had been built by 1840. State coaches are still used for royal weddings and other state ceremonial events.
State coaches were built by coachbuilders with excellent craftsmanship and the finest finishes. Most state coaches have large glass windows so passengers can be seen by spectators. The interiors are trimmed in silks and the exteriors decorated with elaborate paintings, figures, coats of arms, gilt-work, and hammercloths.
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This entry incorporates text from “State coach” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.