Driver Hire Cambridge has – very quietly – been playing a vital role in preparations for the Coronation of King Charles the Third. A longstanding Cambridge customer is a manufacturer of the uniforms and robes used at major formal events – from university graduations, military investitures to state occasions such as the opening of Parliament.
“Last year we were called on to deliver tabards for the Knights of Chivalry at the late Queen’s funeral,” says Driver Hire’s Cambridge’s Spencer Taylor who, when he’s not delivering royal robes, heads Sales & Recruitment. “Now we been taking ‘mantels’ – that’s the official title – which will be worn by the dignitaries who will be in attendance at the Coronation.”
In the past, Spencer and his colleague, the rather aptly named Stephen Guy-Pinkney, have delivered to the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and other Royal households. “My visit to the Palace was to deliver the mantels worn by heads of the military and leading universities when they had to swear allegiance to the new King. I drove onto the courtyard, past the guards and into the cobbled inner courtyard.”
To enable them to undertake the work, both Stephen and Spencer had to undergo a very strict military-style checking process. But, as Spencer says: “It’s not a bad gig is it? Of course, like any other shift it’s not without its pressures. The mantels weigh an absolute ton and are worth a small fortune. It was a relief to hand them over safely.”