What’s in the Royal Family’s Garage?

The Discovery has always been a favourite of the royal family. It’s a big, capable and imperious vehicle that can slip by without attracting too much attention. The Discovery is also hugely practical and very handy for growing families, which is ideal. Last year Prince James, the 11-year-old son of Prince Edward, was spotted driving the family Discovery on the private grounds of Windsor Castle with his 15-year-old sister, Lady Louise Windsor, onboard.

The Bentley State Limousine was built as a gift for Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate her Golden Jubilee in 2002. Only 2 were ever built and, as you’d expect for a vehicle built for state visits, they are both extremely secure. The tyres are Kevlar-reinforced, the body and glass are armoured and blast proof at the push of a button the car will become airtight to protect the occupants from gas attacks. Interestingly, the State Limousine uses the basic platform of the Bentley Arnage but under the hood lies an uprated 6.75 litre V8 Rolls Royce Engine.

The Range Rover seems to be the vehicle of choice for Prince William. Prince George was driven home from St Mary’s Hospital in London in a top-of-the-range Range Rover Vogue SE which was gifted to the royal couple by Land Rover’s VIP department. Prince William also drove the family Range Rover SDV8 Autobiography following the birth of Princess Charlotte in 2015.

In production from 1973 to 1990, the Rolls Royce Phantom VI is an ultra-exclusive limousine recognised globally as one of the most stylish, classic and regal of vehicles. Despite being in production for 22 years, only 374 models were ever produced. They were usually shaped as limousines however there were also a few landaulette body produced. Notably, Catherine Middleton was chauffeured to her wedding with Prince William in the Rolls Royce Phantom VI in April 2011.

Perhaps one of the Royal families less ostentatious vehicles, Queen Elizabeth acquired a 2009 top of the range Jaguar X-Type Estate in British racing green. The X-Type featured the 288bhp 3.0 litre V6 petrol engine and it was used primarily for scooting around the Windsor estate whenever the Queen deemed the Land Rover Defender workhorse to be unnecessary. Elizabeth sold the X-Type in 2016 to a buyer who (apparently) was unaware of its previous ownership. Interestingly, the car only had 7,600 miles on the clock and it fetched an agreeable £15,000. 

Following Diana’s divorce from Prince Charles, she was gifted an Audi A4 convertible from a dealership in North London in 1994. At the time this was somewhat controversial as British royals typically opted for British-built vehicles, but Diana was apparently extremely fond of her smart little cabriolet. The car was in the typically British colour scheme though, a dark metallic green exterior with a lush, cream leather interior. Diana put over 4,000 miles on the clock while scooting around the London city streets, often with the roof down and her two sons, Harry and William, in the back.

The Audi sold for a massive £58,000 at auction in July 2017.

Prince Charles is the owner of a gorgeous Aston Martin Volante DB6 which was a gift for him on his 21st birthday from Queen Elizabeth. Interestingly, and in line with Charles’ environmentally conscious lifestyle, the DB6 was eventually converted to run on bioethanol in 2008. The DB6 sits within a fleet of Jaguars, Land Rovers and Audis owned by Charles which also run on alternative fuels. This car also went on to feature as the wedding car used by Will and Kate to return from the chapel to Buckingham Palace via the Mall in April 2011.

When the Bentayga finally went on sale back in 2016, it was a car that the world had been waiting for with bated breath. Bentleys first-ever SUV, priced from £140,000, which had seemingly been in the works for decades, was finally being launched. But if that wasn’t enough to arouse interest, then Bentleys decision to gift the very first model to Queen Elizabeth II certainly helped. It’s powerful and one of the most exclusive SUVs in the world and the interior is more than fit for a queen. It’s simply gorgeous.