The Coronation of our King, Charles 111

[hdtrust]

The Coronation will be soon upon us, so how about showing machines with a known history to the Royal family.
To start the ball rolling.
This is a Patent Motor Mower of 1904 purchased new by King Edward V11 for use at Balmoral Castle Scotland, he also purchased a 36 inch ride-on for Buckingham Palace London, but only the engine is left, which can be seen in the Science Museum London. Edward V11 was known to be an early petrol head! This machine is now owned by The Hall & Duck Trust

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[alan]

Not a mower but a few newspaper adverts which are quite interesting. There seems to be some swapping about regarding which mowers were best for a Royal garden. I have added the newspaper adverts.

In 1867, an advert said that R Brown’s ‘…New Patent B.B. Lawn mower has already been patronized by Her Majesty the Queen, for the Royal Gardens at Windsor Castle, Osborne, Kew, and Hampton Court; by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, for Sandringham…”. But, in 1869 the Sandringham gardener was said to favour a model by Ransomes. The 1869 advert by Ransomes, Sims and Head, Ipswich, stated that Mr W Carmichael, gardener to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, Sandringham, said that “The [Automaton] Lawn Mower works most satisfactorily. I have tried the most approved models, but have no hesitation in giving yours the first place.”

In 1894 an advert stated that Thomas Green & Son were “…the only makers of lawn mowers appointed by Royal Warrant Makers to H.M. the Queen and his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales”.

How did they get this Royal Warrant? Was it by providing the royal residences with mowers over a period of time?

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[hdtrust]

The Royal Warrant, is not what it seems, just by selling a product or working within the Royal family will not cut it.
For a start you have to pay for it! So you could say a money spinner, but the fore’s out way the losses.
Obviously there are rules, the office which deal with it, is called the Board of the Green Cloth and has offices in Palace Street London.
Your paragraph with Greens and 1894 is interesting as the warrant for the Queen would have course been Queen Victoria and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales would have been Prince Edward, who later would have become King Edward V11.
The Hall & Duck Trust also houses a Green’s Silens Messor which was given to Queen Victoria for her Golden Anniversary, and was used at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

[alan]

Many thanks for the information.

I have found an 1866 advert for Browns New Patent Mower that caught the eye of Royalty and was subsequently used at Windsor Castle, Hampton Court, Sandringham and others.

Another mower: In 2013, Zara Phillips MBE was heavily photographed by the press on a restored 1963 John Deere 110 garden tractor at the Chelsea Flower Show on the JD stand. (Cannot put a photo as they all seem to be under copyright).

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[alan]

I also found an 1891 article regarding the Silens Messor.

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[Author]

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