US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania began their state visit to the UK on 17/9 and were welcomed by King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Victoria House in Windsor Castle.
The King and the US President then boarded the Irish State Coach for a procession through the castle grounds. A second carriage, carrying Queen Camilla and the US First Lady, followed.
Trump, who typically uses his armored vehicle "The Beast" for international travel, appeared to enjoy the carriage ride with King Charles. The procession was part of an "unprecedented" welcome from the British Royal Family.
The Irish State Coach is the primary state carriage of the British monarch and is used to transport the head of state from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament. It is also used for special occasions such as birthdays and weddings.
The Irish State Coach was built in 1851 by John Hutton in Ireland, who later became Queen Victoria's coachmaker. After completing the carriage, Hutton displayed it at the Great Industrial Exhibition in Dublin in 1853, hoping to attract the attention of Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert.
The royal couple were impressed with the carriage and purchased it. It became one of Queen Victoria's favorite modes of transport, and she continued to use it after her husband's death.
The Irish State Coach has a dark brown body adorned with gilded swirling patterns. Its most prominent feature is the ornate gilded roof.
From a gold crown resting on a red cushion in the center of the roof, four gilded swirls extend to each corner, each culminating in a smaller gold crown.
Connecting these crowns along the roof's edge is an intricate band of interwoven details: roses for England, thistles for Scotland, shamrocks for Ireland, and palm trees for India. The Indian emblem was added in 1876 after Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India.
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King Charles III and President Trump in the Irish State Coach on 17/9. Photo: AFP |
In 1911, a fire at Barker & Co.'s repair shop in Notting Hill, London, almost completely destroyed the Irish State Coach. The fire consumed the wooden body and many decorative elements, leaving only the iron frame intact.
Over the next 19 weeks, Barker & Co. restored the coach to its original design in time for the coronation procession of King George V. This was the most extensive restoration of the Irish State Coach until another major overhaul in the late 1980s.
The Irish State Coach was recently repainted. Its exterior is now blue and black with gold detailing, and the interior is upholstered in blue damask. It is currently housed and on display at the Royal Mews.
Pham Giang (According to Coachmaker, Royal Collection Trust)
