The word Mews is derived from the French word, mue, meaning a changing of the coat or skin. Once referred to as the place where the king's falcons were kept during their "mewing" or changing of plumage, the term Mews now means a set of stables, often converted into dwellings. Up until the reign of Henry the VIII, the Mews at Charring Cross did indeed house the "royal falcons", so to speak, until the royal stables were destroyed by fire in 1537. Henry then had the falcons removed and his stud of horses had a new home. In 1762 George III bought Buckingham Palace and installed stables there as well as those at Charring Cross. In 1824 George IV re-designed the stables and other rooms and together they became the Royal Mews as we know it today.
The Royal Mews comprises a four-sided courtyard with stables and carriage houses occupying three sides. A Doric archway welcomes visitors in to the courtyard from Buckingham Palace Road. State coaches occupy the east side of the Mews and the west and north sides contain the very best in stables. State and private motorcars are also kept here. Above these storage buildings exist the flats of coachmen and chauffeurs.
Without question, the thing to see here is the Gold State Coach, the most elegant means of travel used by the Royal Family. The coach would be worth the admission alone, but the rest of the carriages and autos on display often trap transport buffs for hours. Horse lovers are torn between the wonderful Cleveland Bays, the unique British carriage horses that took Princess Dianna to be married, and the perfection of the Windsor grays that draw the monarch's coach.
The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace is open to the public on a regular basis throughout the year, save when official duty calls. However, such closings are included in the daily newspapers.
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