Construction of the Golden Coach

Construction challenges

The commission was a tremendous challenge to the builders, for there were many problems to be solved in the design. The coach had to be constructed in such a way as to afford the Queen a clear view of her people and the people a clear view of their Queen. The roof had to be high enough to allow the Queen to stand up in the coach, but low enough for it to pass through low, narrow gateways such as the entrance to the Binnenhof in The Hague.

Horses

The Golden Coach was designed to be drawn by eight horses. This explains the unusually high box, constructed to enable the coachman to see the whole team. The foremost horse was ridden by a postillion.

Tradition and innovation

The Spyker brothers based their design on the traditional ceremonial state coach common in the nineteenth century, but at the same time incorporated the latest carriage-building techniques. Thus the Golden Coach was fitted with heavy rubber tyres and electric lighting.

Materials

The name of the Golden Coach is somewhat misleading. It is in fact built of teak from Java, the wood being partly painted and partly coated in gold leaf. It is to this gold leaf that the coach owes its name. Other materials used in its construction were deliberately sourced from different parts of the Kingdom and its overseas territories: flax from Zeeland, leather from Brabant and ivory from Sumatra.

Ornamentation

The coach is decorated in Dutch Renaissance style reminiscent of the Golden Age. Professor Nicolaas van der Waay of the National Academy of Art oversaw the painting, and Pierre van den Bossche and Willem Crevels designed the groups of sculpted figures. The coach was to be rich in ornamentation and symbolism. Plants, animals, emblems and symbols from antiquity and legend were used for the allegorical representation of the good wishes and blessings bestowed by the Dutch people on their sovereign. Each element was to convey its own message, while forming a harmonious whole.

The wheel hubs are decorated with painted suns representing the illustrious yet benevolent monarchy, with the spokes like shining rays ending in the heavens, portrayed by the signs of the zodiac on the wheel rims. The hinges and handles of the doors are decorated with emblems of dogs and owls, symbols of loyalty and vigilance. The steps are painted with water lilies to symbolise prudence, while the water birds which support the coachman’s box represent swiftness.

Further imagery is provided by the four panels of the carriage: the front panel symbolises the future. On the right is a painting representing ‘education for the people’ and on the left a depiction of ‘justice protecting the needy’, showing an injured labourer, an old, blind man, a widow and orphans. The painting clearly reflects the hope of improvements in the inadequate social provisions of the time. Below these pictures is a bas-relief representing ‘life insurance’.

The side panels of the coach depict ‘Tribute of the Netherlands’ on the right, and ‘Tribute of the Colonies’ on the left. The back panel of the coach portrays ‘History’. It shows a view of Amsterdam in the background, with the Royal Palace and the Nieuwe Kerk, and in the distance shipping on the river IJ and the Amstel. In the foreground the Muse of History immortalises in the book of Time the nation’s homage to Queen Wilhelmina on the occasion of her investiture.

On the roof of the coach a group of allegorical figures, representing the four activities on which the prosperity of the nation depends, support the crown resting on a cushion with the sceptre and sword of state. These activities are Commerce, symbolised by a mace and a lion; Labour, with a hammer and a salamander, the symbol of fire; Agriculture, represented by a sheaf and sickle and a sheep for animal husbandry; and Shipping, symbolised by a sextant and a dolphin.

At the four corners of the roof are miniature figures of children wreathing the Royal Arms with laurel, while cherubs plait triumphal wreaths round the Royal initials above the doors.

The cornice bears the coat of arms of the eleven (nowadays twelve) provinces. As the proud donor of the coach, Amsterdam saw to it that the arms of North Holland and the city itself were larger than the rest.

The corners of the cornice are supported by four mythical figures holding lanterns surmounted by a crown. These lanterns were designed in such a way that they could also be used for electric lighting, still a rarity at the end of the nineteenth century.

A frieze runs under the windows with symbolic figures in relief, representing Religion, the Army, Justice, Art, Science and Labour.

Further ornamentation includes cornucopias, ivory door handles held by figures of court jesters, lilies and roses - symbols of Loyalty - and a cartouche with the year 1898.

The interior

The upholstery of the coach was embroidered entirely by hand. Fifteen million tiny stitches went into the pattern of orange blossom and cherubs on an ivory‑coloured background. The roof-lining was divided into sections to give as many women as possible the opportunity to contribute their skills. The sections are enclosed in gilded arches converging to a centrepiece formed by the initials of Queen Wilhelmina surrounded by a laurel crown and illuminated by a matt gold sun. The lining of the coach walls is embroidered with the arms of the Provinces and the State, and with the present and former coats of arms of the city of Amsterdam.

The carpet has a pattern of tulips, narcissi and hyacinths symbolising the path of the young Queen strewn with flowers typical of her country. The elegant lines, uniform golden background, delicate colours and light paintwork bring harmony to the whole design.