A Break In The Royal Trad if ion Of Motorina

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29227, 10 June 1960, Page 13

A Break In The Royal Trad if ion Of Motorina

TSE recent Royal wedding raised one serious doubt in a questioning mind. Following the proceedings intently on television, a flveyesrold boy puckered his Itww and asked: “Mummy, why is it that everyone else * car “d the Princess has only got a horse and esrt?”

The car's position as a status jymbol is merely relative, writes t C. Bowman, in “The ScotsFor this grand occasion eve n the most beautiful and powerful of limousines had to give pride of place to what young eyes might regard as an antiquated vehicle of two horsepower. Even for the Queen’s Coronation, the State coach had no more than eight horsepower, and it was certainly not a current model, yet It won universal admiration. For colour, spectacle, and perhaps, most of all, as a reminder of great traditions, the carriages of the Royal household .have a place all of their own.

Tradition But there is tradition, too, in the motor-car and in its connexion with Royalty. The delivery recently of a new Rolls-Royce phantom V to the Queen draws attention to the fact that Her Majesty is the first British reigning monarch to give her patronage to the Rolls-Royce company. Sixty years ago, the then Prince of Wales ordered his first car—a Daimler—having tried out one two years earlier. A little later he became Britain’s first motoring monarch, Edward VII, and continued to give his patronage to Daimlers—an example followed by his descendants for more than half a century.

VII: no-one did more to make it respectable. At the turn of the century the automobile was still regarded as an object of derision; a rather unpleasant phenomenon with no future. “Punch” of the time reflected the popular attitude in the comment of a cartoon character staring in distaste after a retreating horseless carriage. “After all this ’ere fuss,” he said, “agetting rid of the chap as went in front with a flag—bah! Wot they wants is a cove to go behind ’em to pick up the bits.” Having bought his Daimler in 1900, King Edward learned to drive it and proceeded to use the car on a great many occasions. His first order was followed by another two years later, and in

1904 he ordered one with a body which incorporated his own ideas. It was of the limousine type, with two revolving seats in the rear for the King and any guest who might be travelling with them. Royal Interest The fact that the King was visiting his friends by car put motoring in a new light. It was mainly to this that the Automobile Association attributed a rise in membership from 300 to 3000 in 1906; but it was to the Automobile Club that he awarded the prefix “Royal.”

By 1910, Edward VII had purchased 10 Daimlers in all. He also had a 65 h.p. Mercedes landaulette which he used frequently and a Serpollet steam car.

George V did not share his father’s enthusiasm for motoring as a sport, but when he came to the throne* he ordered several new cars. The Royal Mews behind Buckingham Palace were converted into garages, and it was there that the first fleet of Daimler cars was housed. Many Cara When King George died there were as many as 10 Daimlers in active service. They consisted of five for His Majesty’s use on important occasions, a private brougham, a State limousine for Queen Mary, a private car for Her Majesty’s personal use, and two cars for the use of the Royal household. All the cars built for George V had specially high bodies that allowed the King to wear a top hat or a Guard’s bearskin without difficulty.

He frequently travelled by road, his longest journey being during the coal strike in 1926 when he was spending a holiday at Balmoral and felt that his presence was needed in London. He was taken by Daimler from Deeside to Buckingham Palace, the 500-mile journey going smoothly and without incident. During the slump of 1931, when the motor industry was beginning to be seriously affected by the falling off in world demand, the King gave it a boost by ordering five new Daimlers to replace those he had used previously. Duke of Windsor The Duke of Windsor has been a very keen motorist, particularly in his younger days when he almost invariably drove himself. One of his cars, a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, purchased when he was Prince of Wales, is now part of the John Sword collection of veteran and vintage cars. When George VI came to the throne, he owned three Lanchester cars, one being a sports model which he always drove himself. It was in this car that he used to take Queen Elizabeth and the two Princesses from 145 Piccadilly to his country house at Royal Lodge, Windsor, every week-end. Shortly after becoming King, he ordered certain additions to the existing fleet of cars.

His first new Daimler was delivered at the end of April, 1937, and was specially designed to be both a means of transport and a travelling office. It contained elaborate reading lamps and a small writing desk fitted into the centre arm of the back seat.

Something like 1000 Daimlers took part in the Coronation celebrations of 1937, including 150 of the “straight eight” type specially chartered for the use of Empire Prime Ministers and other distinguished guests.

Daimlers are still very much in evidence on Royal occasions. It was a Daimler that got Mr Armstrong-Jones to the church on time, and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother continues to run one. The company, however, has now nothing like a monopoly. As Princess Elizabeth, the present Queen owned a Rolls-Royce and she continued to patronise the Rolls-Royce company after her accession to the throne. Her Majesty uses Rolls-Royces for ceremonial occasions and one of the latest Rovers for her private use. She also has a Renault Dauphine, presented to her by the French Government, and a Canadian Ford shooting brake. Driving Verve The Duke of Edinburgh enjoys driving. Journalists on the Royal tour of the Highlands and Western Isles in 1956 recall that he drove a Hillman Minx with such verve that the official party of limousines had the greatest difficulty in keeping up with him. He now has a Lagonda for his private use, and has recently been testing some small cars at Windsor. It is reported that even Princess Anne has taken up driving —though not, of course, on the open road. Having received as a Christmas present a scaled-down version of a bubble car, she was recently given lessons in handling it by Mr Armstrong-Jones. The light blue car has been seen to reverse into the daffodil beds at Windsor, but considerable progress has been made.

With the rising generation taking auch an interest in motoring, there is little fear that the automobile will, in our lifetime, be ousted by the horse and cart