The Gold State Coach, a symbol of British monarchy and tradition, will carry King Charles III during his coronation procession. AP
The Gold State Coach, a symbol of British monarchy and tradition, will carry King Charles III during his coronation procession. AP
The Gold State Coach, a symbol of British monarchy and tradition, will carry King Charles III during his coronation procession. AP
The Gold State Coach, a symbol of British monarchy and tradition, will carry King Charles III during his coronation procession. AP

The Gold State Coach and Diamond Jubilee State Coach: King Charles's coronation carriages


Marwa Hassan
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Follow the latest news from the coronation of King Charles here

King Charles will travel in two state coaches during the coronation celebrations.

He will travel to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond State Coach before returning in the Gold State Coach.

What is the Diamond Jubilee State Coach?

On the morning of May 6, King Charles will travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which was created for Queen Elizabeth II's 60th anniversary.

The coach weighs more than three tons, stands more than three metres tall - taller than most coaches so the monarch can be seen), and is almost five and a half metres long.

The coach was built 11 years ago. It is made of aluminium to give it strength and stability without adding excessive weight. It is drawn by six Windsor Grey horses - Icon, Shadow, Milford Haven, Echo, Knightsbridge and Tyrone.

The procession, accompanied by the Sovereign's Escort of the Household Cavalry, will pass through the streets of London before arriving at the Sanctuary of Westminster Abbey for the 11am coronation service.

What is the Gold State Coach?

Following the service, a grander coronation procession will take place, with the king and queen consort travelling in the Gold State Coach.

Pulled by eight Windsor Greys, the coach will make its way from Westminster Abbey back to Buckingham Palace, where a Royal Salute from the UK and Commonwealth Armed Forces will honour King Charles and the Queen Consort on their special day.

The Gold State Coach, a stunning eight-horse-drawn carriage steeped in history, will once again grace the streets of London for King Charles III's coronation.

Commissioned in 1760 by Francis Rawdon-Hastings for King George III and designed by Sir William Chambers, this 4.4-tonne wooden masterpiece is covered in gold leaf and adorned with intricate sculptures and ornamentation.

Measuring seven metres long and 2.1 metres wide, the Gold State Coach has been used for every coronation since William IV, as well as other significant royal occasions.

The carriage is now postilion-ridden in four pairs, as its weight allows it to move only at a walking pace.

The gilded brakes are operated by the grooms, ensuring safe and smooth travel.

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go

The flights 

Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.

The trip

The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore  offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.

The hotel

There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.

 

 

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“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.

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  • Washington issued formal waivers to eight buyers of Iranian oil, allowing them to continue limited imports. Iraq did not receive a waiver.
  • Iraq’s government is cooperating with the US to contain Iranian influence in the country, and increased Iraqi oil production is helping to make up for Iranian crude that sanctions are blocking from markets, US officials say.
  • Iraq, the second-biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, pumped last month at a record 4.78 million barrels a day, former Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said on Oct. 20. Iraq exported 3.83 million barrels a day last month, according to tanker tracking and data from port agents.
  • Iraq has been working to restore production at its northern Kirkuk oil field. Kirkuk could add 200,000 barrels a day of oil to Iraq’s total output, Hook said.
  • The country stopped trucking Kirkuk oil to Iran about three weeks ago, in line with U.S. sanctions, according to four people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified because they aren’t allowed to speak to media.
  • Oil exports from Iran, OPEC’s third-largest supplier, have slumped since President Donald Trump announced in May that he’d reimpose sanctions. Iran shipped about 1.76 million barrels a day in October out of 3.42 million in total production, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
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Updated: May 06, 2023, 9:31 AM