On May 19, 2018, all eyes will be on St. George’s Chapel when Prince Harry marries Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle. The newlyweds are expected to take a two-mile carriage tour of Windsor before arriving for the first of two receptions at St. George’s Hall.
But while a carriage sounds romantic, we’re more interested in the cars used to bring guests to and from the ceremony. Here are some royal wedding cars from around the world.
Aston Martin DB6 Mk2 Volante
Forget Pippa Middleton’s dress, that was the star of William and Kate’s wedding. The happy couple drove the Aston Martin DB6 Mk2 Volante – complete with the rear license plate “JU5T WED” – from Buckingham Palace to Clarence House. The DB6 was a 21st birthday present from the Queen to Prince Charles, and it was William’s idea to evict his bride from the official reception at the old Aston.
Rolls-Royce Phantom VI
The Rolls-Royce Phantom VI was presented to the Queen for the silver jubilee. The seven-seat roller features tempered glass and a custom-made silver model of St. George slaying a dragon in place of the Spirit of Ecstasy. It was used by Kate and her father to travel to church.
Bentley State sedan
The Bentley State sedan was presented to the Queen in 2002 on the 50th anniversary of her succession to the throne. It’s based on the Arnage, but Mulliner lengthened the wheelbase to allow more space for passengers in the rear, and is wider and taller than a stock Arnage to allow the Queen to get in and out of the vehicle with dignity. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh used the cosmetically challenged Bentley for William and Kate’s wedding.
Volvo XC90
We continue our royal world tour in Sweden, especially the wedding between Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist in 2015. Guests were chauffeured from airports and hotels to the ceremony in Slottskyrkan in a fleet of Volvo XC90 replacement vehicles, each completed in Luminous Sand color.
Volvo XC90
Prince Carl Philip is an avid racing driver who inherited his love for cars from his great-uncle and godfather, Prince Bertil. According to Royal Central, he has been known to drive his cars at such high speeds that his security detail struggles to keep up. For its wedding to Sofia Hellqvist, Volvo delivered 35 XC90 D5s with special badges for the occasion. After the event, the cars were offered for sale.
Volvo S80 and V70
Volvo has delivered cars to the Swedish royal family in the past. In 2010, guests attending the wedding between Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling traveled in specially designed S80 and V70 models, each finished in sparkling white paint.
Volvo S80 and V70
Once again, Volvo marked the occasion with the royal wedding badges on the side of the cars, which could also be found on the leather upholstery embedded in the numbered headrests. The design – which was approved by the royal couple – was repeated on a number of other details, such as: B. on the rocker panels.
Lexus LS 600h L Landaulet
Lexus built a unique LS 600h Landaulet with a one-piece transparent polycarbonate roof as the official royal wedding car of Prince Albert of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock. The conversion was carried out by the Belgian coachbuilder Carat Duchatelet, and the project took more than 2,000 hours to complete. According to Lexus, the roof was the biggest challenge as it was made in one piece with no reinforcements or pillars.
Lexus LS 600h L Landaulet
The hybrid powertrain enabled the happy couple to float through the streets of Monte Carlo fully electric and with zero exhaust emissions. Prince Albert and his bride sat in the back of the Midnight Blue Lexus under an 8 mm thick roof weighing only 26 kg.
Lincoln Continental
The Lincoln Continental is more associated with presidential motorcades than wedding anniversaries, but the plush American car carried more happy couples than you might think. As early as 1968, a Continental was the means of transport of choice when the Norwegian king and his future daughter-in-law Sonja Haraldsen arrived at Oslo Cathedral. A 1961 Lincoln Continental was also used by Crown Prince Hamzah of Jordan and his bride at their 2012 wedding. The picture shows one for Pope Paul VI. Adapted Continental and Chicago’s parade vehicle for the Apollo 8, 11, 13, and 15 astronauts. In 2011, it sold for £ 155,167 at a Bonhams auction.
Lincoln Continental
Amazingly, the Norwegian royal family has remained loyal to the Lincoln Continental. Here we see the Norwegian king returning to the Royal Palace from a visit to parliament in 2011. Incidentally, the Lincoln Continental used for the 1968 royal wedding in 1966 was reused when Crown Prince Haakon married Mette-Marit in 2001.
Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit
It was one of the most famous events of 1956. When the sun was shining in Monaco, Hollywood icon Grace Kelly arrived in a Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith to marry Prince Rainier III before going on a tour of Monte Carlo in an open car .
Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud
Needless to say, gifts from all over the world were showered on the Prince and Princess of Monaco. “Gifts from kings and queens, presidents and citizens, film magnates and millionaires,” reported British Pathé. But this was arguably the best gift of all: a silver cloud presented by Rolls-Royce.
Citroen CX Prestige Landaulet
This Chapron-built CX Prestige Landaulet was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 1980 and ordered by Citroen for VIP use. It was used for the wedding between Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. In 1991 it was sold to a Parisian Citroen dealer and in 2018 it was sold at an Artcurial auction for 95,360 euros.
Cadillac Series 62
In 1960 King Baudouin married Dona Fabiola de Mora y Aragón in Brussels. The bride drove in a Series 62 Cadillac from 1955 from the Royal Palace to the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, similar to the car shown here, but without a transparent roof.
Fiat 2300 S Coupe
Not exactly a royal wedding car, but a similar Fiat 2300 S Coupé was presented to Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands and Prince Claus after their wedding in 1966.
Rolls-Royce Silver Spur Sedan
Famed for his love of automobiles, the Sultan of Brunei claims a collection worth more than $ 4 billion. Priced at $ 14 million, this bespoke Silver Spur sedan is one of the most eye-catching and expensive cars in the Sultan’s collection. And yes, that’s 24 carat gold plating. When his son, Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, married in 2014, he began a five-mile parade through Brunei’s capital.
Rolls-Royce Phantom IV
Former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco ordered three armored Phantom IV models from Rolls-Royce: two sedans and a drophead. The cars are now owned by the Spanish Army and are used for ceremonial purposes such as the wedding of Princess Infanta Cristina and Inaki Urdangarin in 1997. In 2017, Urdangarin, the king’s brother-in-law, was found guilty of fraud and corruption and sentenced to six years and three months in prison.
Rolls-Royce Phantom III sedan with 40/50 hp
In 1949 the Earl of Harewood, the Queen’s cousin and a grandson of King George V, married Miss Marion Stein, an Austrian Jew who had fled to England in 1938. The King and Queen descended from Balmoral to attend the Mayfair ceremony. Miss Stein and her father arrived in a Rolls-Royce Phantom III 40/50 hp sedan which sold for just £ 25,606 at a 2014 Bonhams auction.
Rolls-Royce at the Royal Mews
We conclude with a selection of Rolls-Royce automobiles parked in front of the Royal Mews. Now it’s up to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to add to the list of cars for royal weddings.
