The first member of the Royal Family to ride in a motor car was Queen Victoria's son, the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), who rode in a Daimler belonging to Lord Montague.
Not unnaturally, when the Prince ordered his first car it was a 1900 Daimler Tonneau, with a registration plate marked A7, and a 6hp twin-cylinder poppet valve engine.
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King Edward VII behind the wheel of a 24-horse-power Daimler of 1901, pictured in April 1902, the year of his coronation
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King Edward VII was not the only auto enthusiast. In 1901 Queen Alexandra was relishing the sensation of travelling at high speed. She wrote excitedly in a letter to the Prince of Wales:
"... I did enjoy being driven about in the cool of the evening at 50 miles!! an hour! - when nothing in the way of course only! - & I must say I have the greatest confidence in our driver - I poke him violently in the back at every corner to go gently & whenever a dog, child or anything else comes in our way!"
Although it is unlikely that she herself could drive, a list of Royal cars in 1908 showed that Queen Alexandra had two cars, both Siddeleys. In January 1913, she even bought a miniature Cadillac car for her grandson, Prince (later King) Olav of Norway; the car is now on display in the Norsk Teknisk Museum in Oslo.
There is no proof that King Edward VII or King George V could drive, but later monarchs King Edward VIII and King George VI certainly could. The Queen learned to drive on an ATS driving and vehicle maintenance course at No. 1 Mechanical Transport Training Centre, near Camberley, in 1945. And, like any other drivers, The Queen and members of the Royal Family hold driving licences.
Some of the most interesting historic Royal cars can be viewed today at Sandringham Museum. Items include the 1900 Daimler bought by Edward VII, and a half-scale Aston Martin given to Princes William and Harry in 1988.
The museum is open until the end of October 2004, reopening in spring 2005. View visitor information.
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