At precisely 1:00 p.m. on May 19, a newlywed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will take a carriage ride through the streets of Windsor. But they won’t be sitting in just any carriage—it’ll be an Ascot Landau carriage, drawn by six Windsor Grey Horses named Plymouth, Londonderry Milford Haven, Sir Basil, Tyrone, and Storm. For royal watchers, the Ascot Landau carriage is a familiar sight: It’s used every year for the Queen’s procession during the royal meeting at Ascot. And it’s not Harry’s first time in riding in it: Back in 2011, Prince Harry took it through London for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding.
With an arsenal of carriages to choose from, why this one?
Since the announcement of their engagement, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have said they want the public to be part of their big day. Picking the Landau carriage further proves that: In a statement, the Crown Equerry Toby Browne explained that it’s a “wonderfully bright, small, lovely carriage, very easy for people to see—the passengers can sit up quite high. So there’s lots of visibility for everybody.”
Another possible reason? The aesthetic value. The Ascot Landau, with its wicker-like interior, is a quintessential springtime carriage, fitting in with the English countryside vibe of Harry and Meghan’s May nuptials.
It’s quite a different carriage than the one used for Kate Middleton and Prince William’s wedding. They chose the ornate 1902 State Landau, a red, gold, and black carriage with a plush, vibrant interior. Built for King Edward VII, the State Landau is mostly used by the Queen during state visits. As the future heir to the British throne, it was a fitting choice for William: Prince Charles, too, used the Landau during his wedding to Princess Diana.
The Queen herself arrived to her wedding at Westminster Abbey in the Irish State Coach. Unlike the Ascot Landau and State Landau, the Irish State Coach is enclosed, which made sense given the season. William and Kate’s wedding was in late April, and Harry and Meghan’s wedding is in late May; Queen Elizabeth’s was in the chilly month of November, making an open-air carriage less of a possibility.
The grandest carriage of all is the Gold State Coach, which is only used for occasions of utmost importance (like coronations). The gilded, eight-horse-drawn carriage, which was commissioned for £7,562 (about $1.9 million in today’s money), is adorned with three rooftop cherubs, four tritons, and a velvet and satin interior. It’s so heavy that it can only be pulled at walk, which translates to a rough trip: The Queen described the journey to her coronation as “horrible,” King George VI said it was “one of the most uncomfortable rides I have ever had in my life,” and William VI compared it to “tossing in a rough sea.” A carriage seems to conjure a fairy tale, but in reality? You’d be better off going by car.