Golden Coach

Use

The Golden Coach was first used by Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Hendrik on the occasion of their wedding, on 7 February 1901. It was also used for the weddings of Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard (1937), Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus (1966) and Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Máxima (2002), and the christenings of Princess Juliana (1909) and Princess Beatrix (1938). With very few exceptions, it could be seen annually from 1903 on Prinsjesdag (the State Opening of Parliament). Since restoration work on the Golden Coach began in 2016, the Glass Coach has been used instead.

In a video message on 13 January 2022, King Willem-Alexander announced his decision to stop using the Golden Coach.

The Golden Coach on show

The Golden Coach is kept in the coach house of the Royal Stables, and is only rarely on public view. From 18 June 2021 to 27 February 2022, the restored Golden Coach was the centrepiece of an exhibition on the carriage’s history, craftsmanship and symbolism in the Amsterdam Museum. It was previously on show from 17 November 2001 to 20 January 2002 in an exhibition on royal marriages in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam, and from 27 to 30 August 2015 at an event showcasing royal carriages and motor vehicles at Het Loo Palace museum in Apeldoorn.

Restoration

After Prinsjesdag in 2015, a start was made on the preliminary research necessary for the restoration of the Golden Coach. The restoration work began in 2016 and was completed in 2021.