Royal Mews

Mews is the official term for a place that houses hunting birds. The King's Mews was originally used to house the king's falcons. By the 16th century, it was being used to stable horses.

The present location for the Royal Mews near Buckingham Palace was never used for falcons. It has always been a working stable. Today, some of the Queen's cars are also on display here.

This picture shows the Gold State Coach. It has been used for every coronation since 1821 when George IV became king. The last time this coach was used was 2002 for the Queen's Golden Jubilee. Eight horses are used to pull this carriage.

The Royal Mews is open to the public. We saw several other carriages, a limo and two of the Queen's horses.