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Who cares about the crown? We want to see the King’s cars! When their Majesties King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla traveled to Westminster Abbey for the coronation last weekend, they and the royal family traveled in an impressive collection of cars including Bentleys and Rolls-Royce Phantoms. We had to do some research to find out what kinds of cars, both horse-driven and petrol-powered, are literally fit for a king.

The Diamond Jubilee State Coach has electric windows and A/C

When the royal couple traveled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, the did so  in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach. It has six horsepower and was commissioned for Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee. Unlike coaches of old, this one has electric windows, a heater and air conditioner, and it has hydraulic suspension.

While it’s not exactly a car, it’s a carriage, we think it’s cool. It was carved from oak from Lord Nelson’s HMS Victory, according to UK’s Express newspaper. The whole carriage is made up of pieces of the Tower of London, wood from Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle, St. Paul’s Cathedral and even Henry VIII’s flagship boat, the Mary Rose.

What kind of car does King Charles III ride in?

King Charles III's Bentley State Limousine
The Bentley State Limousine carrying Britain’s King Charles III and Britain’s Queen Consort Camilla | Paul Ellis via Getty Images

For the Queen’s jubilee in 2022, Bentley made two special limousines for the occasion to carry the royal family. They’re burgundy and black and look like very large versions of the Arnage with elements of the Continental GT sports car thrown in. They’re not pretty, but they are certainly impressive and are fully armoured. According to Bentley:  The car is so tall, Her Majesty could literally walk in and out of the car without the need to stoop. The doors are hinged at the rear and open to a ninety-degree angle, making it that much easier to get in and out.

The cars were designed so specifically for the queen that Bentley used a model the same size as the queen to design the seats, and it has bag storage based around the dimensions of her favorite purse.

The three Rolls-Royces are all Phantoms

The British royals' fleet of Rolls-Royce limousines
The fleet of Royal-Rolls Royce Phantom cars | Rasid Necati Aslim via Getty Images

The rest of the family had to make due in the Royal Collection’s fleet of vintage Rolls-Royce limousines.  In 1978 the Queen was given a Rolls-Royce Phantom IV limousine to celebrate her silver jubilee. The Phantom IV, too, has a raised roof and doors that open wide. It can be assumed that it, too, has armor and other safety features for the royals. The family has a 1950 Phantom IV, a 1978 Phantom VI and a 1987 Phantom VI.

The Phantom is Rolls-Royce’s top of the line large car. Interestingly, you can pick up fine examples in the U.S. of these cars from collector sites. You can buy a similar Phantom VI in the Queen’s favorite black and purple, however, for a cool $139,500 at Hemmings. We’d be tempted to add a royal crest to the roof and tool around in style, but we’d have to find a suitable chauffeur, first.

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Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.