Can you call yourself a Londoner without a visit to Buckingham Palace? We decided that our little Londoners needed to get their fix of the Royal Family – especially since the recent history making birth of baby Archie. But Buckingham Palace is not exactly toddler proof – so we opted for the Royal Mews instead.
As one of the finest working stables around and given how excited theyounglondoner’s most youthful of editors are when in the presence of horses – we thought this was a more appropriate option. We decided to go along on a day with specific under 5’s activities and we chose Queen Victoria’s 200th Birthday party. This meant that there would be party games, storytelling and other child friendly activities for the little ones.
First we said hello to two horses in the stables at the entrance. They majestically wondered around as if practicing dressage and nodded a salutation to us. Now it was time to get through airport style security and to collect our multimedia guides (there’s a family friendly version which can help you and your little ones uncover some of the hidden stories at the Royal Mews and we highly recommend this, especially for adults and older children).
The coaches on display were really quite impressive – particularly the Gold State Coach which is a masterpiece (although it was difficult to explain to the little ones why they could not climb in it or touch the model horses!)
We enjoyed that it was quiet with only a few people meandering around the museum – it meant we could really revel in the interactive hands-on part where the boys could climb inside a royal coach and practice their version of the royal wave. They also delighted in playing with the miniature wooden pony and trying on livery.
After we had wondered around, we took a little respite break in the designated craft room where we did some drawing, cutting and learning about Victorian fashions. It is lovely to see that the Royal Collection have started putting on family friendly events at their sites, and although our little ones were a little young (they were just 2 at the time of our visit) we would recommend the experience for older kids and their families.
The first Friday of every month is dedicated to under 5s so if you wanted to start teaching your little ones about the Royal Family, this would be a good way to start to introduce them. They have interactive storytelling throughout the mews and a different art activity each month.
Tickets to the Royal Mews are £12 for an adult, £6.80 for under 17s and under 5s are free but you can turn your ticket into a donation and enjoy unlimited entry for a year (which is worth doing if you are local). Book here.