The Royal Mews

Royal Mews Tours for 2026

The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace remains one of the finest working stables in the world. It supplies King Charles III with carriage horses and manages the official fleet of state motor cars used by His Majesty and members of the Royal Family. Every historic coach—from the glittering Gold State Coach to the everyday landaus—is housed here, lovingly preserved by master coachbuilders, wheelwrights and harness-makers. Many are on public display, including the Diamond Jubilee State Coach and the carriages used at coronations and royal weddings.

Creation of the Royal Mews

The first stables were West of The Strand at Charing Cross. Royal Hawks were kept there from 1377 and the name is derived from their moulting time or ‘mews’ time. Knowledge of the mews goes back to the reign of Richard II. Sadly, a fire in 1534 destroyed the mews. It was rebuilt as stables but retained the name which had become established.

In 1732, William Kent designed another rebuild, opened to the public in the early 19th century. An impressive building, with a large space to the front. Royal Parks at this time were on the outskirts and gardens were enjoyed only by those owning the houses surrounding them. Known as the King’s Mews it was also called Royal Mews, Royal Stables or if there was a female monarch, the Queen’s Mews. The old Mews was demolished making way for Trafalgar Square between 1834 -1837.

King George III Buys Buckingham House

In 1762, King George III bought Buckingham House. He transported some of his horses and carriages, but the ceremonial coaches remained with their horses at Charing Cross. Architect, Sir William Chambers was commissioned to create a riding school at the new house.

George III also commissioned the huge Gold State Coach in this year. 7m long and 3.6m tall, coated in gold leaf, it is the grandest of the coaches housed at the Royal Mews. From 1821 it has been used for Royal Coronations. Eight horses are required for the weight of almost 4 tonnes.

King George IV Brings in John Nash

The Royal Mews as we know them today were built in the gardens of Buckingham Palace in 1825. John Nash was already heading the rebuilding of the palace, so it was logical for him to complete the new buildings. Stables for 100 horses were erected around the riding school.

The quadrangle of the mews is reached through a Doric-style arch. A clock tower, coach houses and harness rooms were included in the £65,000 plus price tag, a vast cost at the time.

Queen Victoria and the Small Village

In 1837, Queen Victoria was the first monarch to call the new redesigned Buckingham Palace home. The Royal Mews took on a new life, becoming an active community when Queen Victoria created a school in the Mews for the families working there. All the Queen’s children learned to ride at the Mews riding school.

Queen Elizabeth II and the Modern Era

Throughout her remarkable 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II maintained a deep personal interest in the Royal Mews. She regularly visited the stables to inspect the horses and carriages, and took particular pride in the Cleveland Bays and Windsor Greys that draw the state coaches. It was during her reign that the magnificent Diamond Jubilee State Coach – commissioned to mark her Diamond Jubilee in 2012 – was completed and first used in 2014. Incorporating fragments of wood from historic royal ships, buildings and even the Stone of Scone, the coach stands as a lasting tribute to Her late Majesty’s dedication to tradition, craftsmanship and the enduring role of the Mews in royal ceremony.