A visit to the Royal Mews is fascinating because the stables are still in use today.
Until the 1820s the horses and hawks were kept at Charing Cross, before being moved to Buckingham Palace.
You may be wondering where the word "mews" comes from. The Royal hawks were confined at moulting or "mew" time to Charing Cross from 1377, but kept the name when it was turned into stables. They were rebuilt again in 1732 with William Kent as the architect, and then opened to the public in the 19th century. They were known as the Royal Mews, or the King's Mews.
In 1760s George II moved some of his horses and carriages to the grounds of what was then Buckingham House, but the main royal stables remained at Charing Cross. However when Buckingham House was converted into a Palace, the entire stables were moved. Trafalgar Square was then built on the site of the old mews.
The Royal Mews are now at Buckingham Palace, to the south of the Gardens, near Grosvenor Place. On your visit to the vast stable yard you will see the horses in their stalls and a wonderful collection of horse-drawn carriages which have been used for coronations, state visits, royal weddings, the State Opening of Parliament and official engagements. The gold state coach which was last used during the Golden Jubilee is breathtaking.
Royal Mews
Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0QH