In the inner courtyard of Buckingham Palace eight beautiful horses champed impatiently at their bits. The royal state coach—the magnificent guilded vehicle, built in 1761, with its red plush lining and its three genii of England, Scotland and Ireland supporting the imperial crown and holding the sword of state, the sceptre and the emblems of knighthood—stood under the portecochère. Postilions were mounted, and the twelve powdered footmen, dressed in the royal livery, were at their posts. A sudden bustle, the opening of doors, the trampling of...
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