Here's a closeup look at Glenn Williams' model of Queen Elizabeth II’s Gold State Coach. Built in 1762, the Gold State Coach has been used at every Coronation since George IV. It was most recently used for the Queen's Silver Jubilee in June 1977. The Gold State Coach weighs four tons and is 24 feet long and 12 feet high. The coach is gilded and features painted panels by Giovanni Cipriani and rich gilded sculpture including three cherubs on the roof and four tritons, one at each corner. The body of the coach is slung by braces covered with morocco leather and decorated with gilt buckles. The State Coach is pulled by a team of eight horses wearing the Red Morocco harness. Originally driven by a coachman, now the horses are ridden by postillion riders. Also shown in Photo Gallery 248.

Posted February 20, 2005