Royal horses and carriages gleam for Prince William and Kates wedding

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Royal horses and carriages gleam for Prince William and Kates wedding

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Prince William and Kate Middleton are getting married on April 29.

22 March,2011 07:34 pm

Britains Prince William and Kate Middleton will leave Westminster Abbey by horse and carriage in a royal procession through the streets of London to Buckingham Palace. With the wedding just six weeks away, stablehands, coachmen and carriage restorers are hard at work at the Royal Mews to prepare for the big day.Prince William and Kate will travel to the Abbey in separate cars and will depart together in a glittering calvalcade five horse-drawn carriage. Other members of the wedding party will travel in lesser carriages. Tens of thousands will line the streets of the capital to cheer and scream as the royal procession makes its way through London. Only the most well behaved horses will be trusted to pull the carriages.The size and noise of the well-wisher crowds, expected to come from all over the world, will be a major challenge for the horses. If the weather is fine, William and Kate will use the 1902 State Landau, which was specifically built for King Edward VII. It is the carriage in most general use at the Royal Mews and is usually used to carry the Queen when she meets foreign leaders in state visits to Britain. Its the same carriage used by Prince Charles and Diana when they married at St Pauls cathedral in 1981.If its raining the couple will travel in the Glass Coach, built in 1881 and was used to carry Lady Diana to her wedding. Williams brother and best man, Prince Harry will travel with the young bridesmaids in an Ascot Landau and Kates sister and maid of honour, Pippa Middleton, will travel in another Ascot with the page boys.State cars will be travelling along the route as well, just in case disaster strikes and the carriage fails. The Royal Mews houses 30 carriage horses and has 38 staff. There are two breeds of horses at the Royal Mews, Windsor Greys and Bays. There are over 100 carriages in the collection, although not all of them are kept at Buckingham Palace.