Speaker's State Coach

The Speaker's State Coach, built in 1698, is the oldest of the state coaches of the United Kingdom. It is decorated with elaborate gilded carvings and allegorical paintings by Giovanni Cipriani. The coach was originally designed for King William III by Daniel Marot. Around 1702, William's successor, Queen Anne, gifted it to the Speaker of the House of Commons. It has been used in processions on state occasions such as coronations and jubilees, when the Speaker would ride the short journey from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey before the service, and then in the carriage procession following the service. The coach was retired from use in 2005, extensively restored, and remains on display for the public as a historical work of art with the Parliamentary Art Collection.

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