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A landau (pronounced ''LAN-dow'') is a four-wheeled
carriage A carriage is a two- or four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle for passengers. In Europe they were a common mode of transport for the wealthy during the Roman Empire, and then again from around 1600 until they were replaced by the motor car around 1 ...
with a cover that can be let down. It was a luxury carriage. The low shell of the landau provides maximal visibility of the occupants and their clothing, a feature that makes a landau a popular choice for ceremonial occasions.


History of landau carriages

A landau is lightweight and suspended on elliptical springs. It was invented in the 18th century; ''landau'' in this sense is first noted in English in 1743. It was named after the German city of
Landau Landau (), officially Landau in der Pfalz (, ), is an autonomous (''kreisfrei'') town surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße ("Southern Wine Route") district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town (since 1990), a long ...
in the Rhenish Palatinate where they were first produced. In the 1830s, Luke Hopkinson, a celebrated coach-maker in Holborn, introduced the Briska Landau, which led to subsequent improvements to the popular landau.


Description and development

A landau, drawn by a pair or four-in-hand, is one of several kinds of vis-à-vis, a social carriage with facing seats over a dropped footwell (''illustration''), which was perfected by the mid-19th century in the form of a swept base that flowed in a single curve. The soft folding top is divided into two sections, front and rear, latched at the center. These usually lie perfectly flat, but the back section can be let down or thrown back while the front section can be removed or left stationary. When fully opened, the top can completely cover the passengers, with some loss of the graceful line. The landau's centre section might contain a fixed full-height glazed door, or more usually a low half-door. There would usually be a separate raised open coachman's upholstered bench-seat, but a landau could be postilion-driven, and there was usually a separate groom's seat, sprung above and behind the rear axle, saving the groom from having to stand on a running board. A five-glass landau was fitted with a front glass windscreen and two windows on each side (including retractable windows on the doors). The landau reached its full development by the mid-19th century. It was purely a city carriage of luxury type. The low shell of the landau made for maximum visibility of the occupants and their clothing, a feature that makes a landau a popular choice for ceremonial occasions.


Landaulet

A landaulet carriage, also landaulette or demi-landau, is a cut-down (
coupé A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and typically with two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the Fr ...
) version of a landau. The landaulette retains the rear half of the landau's two-part folding top. The earliest use of the word shown in the ''
Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...
'' is in a patent of 1771, using the former spelling landawlet. The name landaulette was also used for the landaulet car body style, where the passengers are covered by a removable top and the chauffeur is usually covered and separated from passengers by a division.


State coaches

Numerous countries have used landaus as their state coach. Some reside in museums and others have been meticulously maintained and are still used in parades and ceremonies. Landaus used as state coaches were often constructed with a removable driver's seat so they could be guided by postilion (riders) instead of a
coachman A coachman is a person who drives a Coach (carriage), coach or carriage, or similar horse-drawn vehicle. A coachman has also been called a coachee, coachy, whip, or hackman. The coachman's first concern is to remain in full control of the hors ...
.


Canada

The monarch of Canada has a state landau available in
Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
for ceremonial processions from Rideau Hall to
Parliament Hill Parliament Hill (), colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern bank of the Ottawa River that houses the Parliament of Canada in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. It accommodates a suite of Gothic revival buildings whose ...
. The State Landau was given to Canada in 1911 and was formerly used by the Governor General of Australia. For the King's Plate in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, the monarch and the royal family have a private landau owned by the Ontario Jockey Club and gift from E.P. Taylor.


Japan

A number of horse-drawn carriages, known in Japan as ''zagyoshiki'', are maintained by the Imperial household and regularly used when new ambassadors present their credentials to the emperor as well as for royal weddings and coronations.


United Kingdom

The Royal Mews maintains several different types of landau: several state landaus are in regular use (dating from between 1838 and 1872), plus five semi-state landaus, and several Ascot landaus. The semi-state landaus have less ornamentation, and
livery A livery is an identifying design, such as a uniform, ornament, symbol, or insignia that designates ownership or affiliation, often found on an individual or vehicle. Livery often includes elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or ...
is less elegant than full state livery. The Ascot landaus are lighter, have basket-work sides, and are used at the Royal Ascot. The 1902 State Postillion Landau was built for the coronation of
Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...
in 1902. The Royal Mews also retains a miniature landau made for the children of
George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...
and designed to be pulled by ponies. Landaus make for a striking display as long as the weather is fine, and they are used on occasions ranging from
state visit A state visit is a formal visit by the head of state, head of a sovereign state, sovereign country (or Governor-general, representative of the head of a sovereign country) to another sovereign country, at the invitation of the head of state (or ...
s and the
State Opening of Parliament The State Opening of Parliament is a ceremonial event which formally marks the beginning of each Legislative session, session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. At its core is His or Her Majesty's "Speech from the throne, gracious speech ...
, to royal weddings, jubilees and other celebrations. They also play a regular part in the welcoming of new
ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...
s to the
Court of St James's The Court of St James's serves as the official royal court for the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The court formally receives all ambassadors accredited to the United Kingdom. Likewise, ambassadors representing the United Kingdom are formally ...
: soon after arriving in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, foreign ambassadors have an audience with the monarch in which they present their Letters of Credence or Letters of High Commission. The ambassadors are collected from the embassy or residence by a state landau from the Royal Mews, and escorted by the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, who is based at
St James's Palace St James's Palace is the most senior royal palace in London, England. The palace gives its name to the Court of St James's, which is the monarch's royal court, and is located in the City of Westminster. Although no longer the principal residence ...
. The ambassador's entourage follows in another state landau.


See also

* Barouche * Steering undercarriage


References


Further reading

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Landau (Carriage) Carriages History of road transport Horse transportation