Royal Mews facts for kids

The Royal Mews is a special place where the British Royal Family keeps their horses, carriages, and fancy cars. It's like a big stable and garage for the King or Queen! It has been in two main spots in London. First, it was near Charing Cross. Then, in the 1820s, it moved to the grounds of Buckingham Palace.

The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace is open to visitors for most of the year. You can see many amazing royal carriages and other cool items there. But it's also a busy, working part of the palace. Horses and people live and work there every day. Carriages and cars are used often to help the monarch (the King or Queen) do their job as the head of the country.

The main person in charge of the Royal Mews is called the Master of the Horse. The person who actually runs everything day-to-day is the Crown Equerry. They live right there and look after the Royal Mews Department, which is part of the Royal Household.

History of the Royal Mews

The First Mews at Charing Cross

"The mewes" (top right) at Charing Cross in 1593. This map shows north-west at the top.

The very first stables called a "mews" were at Charing Cross. This is at the west end of a street called The Strand. From 1377, royal hawks (birds used for hunting) were kept here. The name "mews" comes from the French word "muer," which means "to moult." This is when birds shed their old feathers.

Later, the main royal stables were in a different area called Lomesbury (now Bloomsbury). In 1534, these stables burned down. King Henry VIII decided to rebuild the Charing Cross mews as a stable for horses instead. The hawks were moved somewhere else. But the place kept its old name, "the Mews." Old maps, like the "Woodcut" map of London from the 1560s, show the Mews stretching back towards where Leicester Square is today.

The 'Royal Stables in the Mews, Charing Cross' in 1793.

The building was rebuilt again in 1732. This time, William Kent designed it. In the early 1800s, people could even visit it. This building was usually called the King's Mews (or Queen's Mews if a woman was on the throne). Sometimes, it was also called the Royal Mews or Royal Stables.

The King's Mews in 1809 (an etching by Rowlandson and Pugin).

Kent's new design was a grand building. It had a large open space in front of it. This was one of the few big open areas in central London back then. Most other squares were private gardens only for the people living nearby.

In 1820, some soldiers at the Royal Mews had a protest. They supported Caroline of Brunswick, whom King George IV wanted to divorce.

The whole area was cleared in the late 1820s. This was to make way for Trafalgar Square, which was built between 1837 and 1844. The National Gallery also opened there in 1838.

The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace

Stables in the Royal Mews

The Royal Mews you see today is inside the grounds of Buckingham Palace. It's south of the palace gardens, close to Grosvenor Place.

In the 1760s, King George III moved some of his everyday horses and carriages to Buckingham House. He had bought this house in 1762 for his wife. The Riding School, designed by William Chambers, was built around this time (finished in 1764).

The main royal stables, where the grand ceremonial coaches were kept, stayed at Charing Cross. But when King George IV turned Buckingham Palace into the main royal home in the 1820s, all the stables moved there.

The Riding School, seen from Buckingham Palace Road.

The current Royal Mews was designed by John Nash. It was finished in 1825, though the buildings have been changed a lot since then. The main courtyard had coach houses on the east side. On the west side were stable blocks, with rooms for harnesses and horse food in between. Beyond this, there was a "back mews" with a place for a horse doctor.

The Main Quadrangle in 2015.

When Queen Victoria became Queen in 1837, Buckingham Palace became the main home for the monarch. Prince Albert used the back mews for his own horses. By the 1850s, almost 200 people worked at the mews. Most of them lived there with their families. There were official homes for important staff, and other workers lived in rooms above the stables. In 1855, Queen Victoria even started a school at the Royal Mews for the workers' children.

When King Edward VII became King, motor cars started to be used. In 1904, the Crown Equerry asked for two small coach-houses to be turned into a "Motor House." This new garage had heating and electric lights. Rooms were also made nearby for the chauffeurs (drivers).

The Royal Mews Today

Windsor Greys at the Royal Mews.

Today, the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace is a busy working place. It is also often open to the public. The grand state coaches and other carriages are kept here. About 30 horses live here too. And, of course, there are modern cars: the state motor cars. The coachmen, grooms (people who look after horses), chauffeurs, and other staff live in flats above the carriage houses and stables.

Royal Carriages

Here are some of the carriages kept at the Mews. Some are shown in use, and others have their own pages for more details.

Here is a list of some of the vehicles cared for at the Royal Mews. Many are on display, but not all are in London. Most are used regularly. Some, like the broughams, are used daily. Others, like the Gold Coach, are only used for very important and rare state events. The list includes carriages for personal use, fun, sports, and state occasions:

A Royal Mews Brougham on display at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh.

A charabanc (given by Louis Philippe of France to Queen Victoria) at Windsor Castle in 1844.

Brakes are often used to train and exercise the carriage horses in Hyde Park.

• The Gold State Coach
• The Irish State Coach
• The Scottish State Coach
• The Australian State Coach
• The Diamond Jubilee State Coach
• Queen Alexandra's State Coach
• The Glass Coach
• King Edward VII's Town Coach
• Many landau carriages, including:
  • The 1902 State Landau
  • Seven other state landaus
  • Five semi-state landaus
  • Five Ascot landaus
• Barouches and sociables
• Broughams and clarences
• Phaetons and victorias
• Sports carriages, like a rare curricle
• Fun vehicles, such as the Louis-Philippe charabanc (shown in the picture)
• Different pony carriages, drags, and exercise vehicles

Also on display are beautiful, well-kept uniforms and harnesses. These are used regularly. They range from simple items for exercising horses to very fancy ones for state coaches.

Carriage Horses

The horses at the Royal Mews today are mostly Windsor Greys or Cleveland Bays. The horses are trained often to pull carriages. They are used for competitive driving, fun driving, and for royal duties. The horse manure is used in the nearby Buckingham Palace Garden.

Royal Motor Vehicles

The Royal Mews also takes care of and provides modern motor vehicles. King Edward VII first set up a garage here in the early 1900s.

The main official cars are all painted in a special black and dark red color, called Royal Claret. Chauffeurs (drivers) who work at the Mews drive, care for, and maintain these cars. The head chauffeur is mainly responsible for driving the monarch.

State Cars

The five main state cars do not have number plates. They include:

• Two Bentley State Limousines (given to Queen Elizabeth II in 2002 for her Golden Jubilee).
• Two Rolls-Royce Phantom VI limousines: one from 1978 and one from 1986. They look very similar, but the 1978 one has a slightly higher roof.
• A rare 1950 Rolls-Royce Phantom IV limousine. This was the first car of its kind ever built. It got an automatic gearbox in 1955.

Other Official Vehicles

The following vehicles are used for less formal events and as support cars. They are also painted in the royal claret and black colors:

• Three Daimler DS420 limousines, two from 1992 and one from 1988.
• Two 2012 Jaguar XJ limousines.
• At least two 2022 Range Rovers.
• A State Hearse

Land Rovers, luggage cars (called luggage brakes), and people carriers are also kept at the Royal Mews. Since 2012, several electric vehicles have been added. These include a BMW i3, a BMW 7 Series hybrid, a Nissan van, and a Renault Twizy.

Other Royal Mews Locations

Entrance to the Royal Mews, Windsor Castle

The Royal Mews at Hampton Court Palace is not open to the public. It still provides homes for royal staff, and horses are sometimes kept there.

There is also a working Royal Mews at Windsor Castle. This is where the Ascot carriages are usually kept, along with vehicles used in Windsor Great Park. Some horses for riding are also stabled here.

At Holyrood in Edinburgh, the Royal Mews is one of the oldest parts of the Palace. It is still used when royal carriages are needed in Edinburgh.

In the past, the old stables of St James's Palace were also sometimes called the Royal Mews.

See also

• Japan state carriages
• Royal Stables (Denmark)
• Royal Stables (Sweden)