Royal Caravan returns to Buckingham Palace
31/07/2014
The child-sized Royal Caravan was presented by The Caravan Club to the young Prince Charles and Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace in 1955. A tow hitch was specially fitted to a Hillman Husky from the Royal fleet and, shortly after the caravan’s presentation, the Royal children were towed around the Palace grounds by their father.
In recent years the caravan has been on display at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu. However, today it was reinstalled at Buckingham Palace, where it will be one of the highlights of the highly anticipated exhibition – ‘Royal Childhood’. The exhibition opens to the public on Saturday 26July.
Fully roadworthy and functioning (apart from the hotplate!) The Royal Caravan was first built by Rollalong Limited of Ringwood, Hampshire. It was fully restored by the same company during The Caravan Club’s Centenary year in 2007 and visited the Palace again for The Club’s Centenary celebratory Royal Garden Party.
More recently, it has been a popular exhibit at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, and formed part of a prestigious display celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2012.
Director of Membership for The Caravan Club, Brian Savage, says, “The Caravan Club is Europe’s largest touring organisation. It represents over one million caravanners, motorhomers and trailer-tenters and owns the largest network of privately owned sites, with His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh Patron since 1952.”
Angela Willis, Curator of The Caravan Club Collection at The National Motor Museum, adds, “The pastime of caravanning is seen as a national institution and part of Great British heritage, with The Caravan Club a testament to the popularity of this pastime, being 107 years old and an integral part of UK tourism today. The Royal Caravan is a very popular attraction with visitors at the museum and it is truly wonderful that it will, once again, be in the Palace for even more people to see.”
Contact information
Nikki Nichol
Head of Publicity
nikki.nichol@caravanclub.co.uk
07771 834443 / 01342 336797
Maxine Soghmanian
PR Manager
maxine.soghmanian@caravanclub.co.uk
01342 336768
Angela Willis
Curator of The Caravan Club Collection at The National Motor Museum
01950 614762
angela.willis@beaulieu.co.uk
caravanclub@beaulieu.co.uk
Notes to editors
Champions of the great outdoors, The Caravan Club represents the interests of over one million caravanners, motorhomers and trailer tent owners across the UK.
The Caravan Club offers its members over 200 Club Sites and 2,500 privately owned places to stay, and provides all members with expert advice, overseas travel services, financial services and exclusive member offers and discounts.