If you think your car isn’t regal enough and should not be petrol driven Bonhams has the answer. A reproduction of Britain’s gold state coach comes up at The Crown auction in London on February 7. Used in Season 3 episode 10 the coach is inspired by the 1760 commission by Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings for King George III. The repro is approximately 74 inches wide, 220 inches deep and 124 inches high. One of the more challenging and expensive props of the series it is estimated at £30,000-£50,000 (€35,000 – €58,000).
Built in 1762 for King George III, the real coach has been used at every coronation since 1831 when King William IV succeeded to the throne. A rococo masterpiece, it was designed by architect Sir William Chambers, best known for Somerset House in London and the pagoda at Kew Gardens, and was constructed in the workshop of coachbuilder Samuel Butler. The coach is made of gilded wood with elaborate carvings by sculptor Sir Joseph Wilton, who, like Chambers, was a founding member of the Royal Academy. Upholstered in velvet and satin, the interior also features wonderful illustrated panels, painted by Giovanni Battista Cipriani, depicting Roman gods and goddesses.
The auction of sets, costumes and props from Series 1-6 of The Crown will be toured to New York, Los Angeles, Paris and London ahead of two auctions in February, an online sale from January 11-February 8 and the sale on February 7. Proceeds from the live auction will go towards establishing the Left Bank Pictures – The Crown Scholarship programme at the National Film and Television School, allowing the next generation of film and television makers to receive world-renowned training.