George III's Procession to the Houses of Parliament

The Gold State Coach was first used by George III for the State Opening of Parliament in 1762. In this painting the coach is coming out of St. James’s Palace and turning into the Mall. The King is sitting in the forward-facing seat, and a coachman drives the four pairs of horses from the box seat. As the coach weighs tons, eight horses are required, travelling at walking pace. The box seat was removed in preparation for Edward VII’s Coronation in 1902 to enable the public to better see the monarch. The Gold State Coach was in regular use during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. During Queen Elizabeth II's reign it has been used at her Coronation in 1953 and Jubilees including the 2022 Platinum Jubilee celebrations.