Travel Fit for a King, from Audley Travel
Bespoke tour operator Audley Travel has strong roots in the United Kingdom, where it was founded 26 years ago. The operator booked trips for British clients for 18 years before expanding into the US market in 2014, offering the same style of highly individual travel to Americans. It is therefore extremely well placed to mark the coronation of King Charles III this coming weekend by recommending future trips to see how monarchs past and present lived, as well as key locations in London from the Coronation.
A royal tour of England and Scotland
In the capital, clients witness the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and then visit the Tower of London on the bank of the Thames. Audley's clients explore with a private guide to see where Anne Boleyn stayed before her coronation and execution, view the sparkling Crown Jewels and see Traitor's Gate. They then travel outside London with their guide, learning more about Henry VIII, Bloody Mary and Elizabeth I at Hampton Court. The itinerary also takes them to Windsor to see the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world, which was home to Queen Elizabeth II for much of the year.
Moving to Edinburgh in Scotland, clients visit the King's Scottish residence - the Palace of Holyroodhouse (Mary, Queen of Scots' chambers can be seen here) and Scone Palace, where former Scottish kings were crowned. Clients also tour His Majesty's yacht, The Royal Britannia to see how the royals lived aboard during its service from 1954-1997.
This seven-day Royal Britain itinerary costs from $6,165 per person (based on two sharing) and includes transfers, train travel, accommodation and excursions. 866-435-1768 / www.audleytravel.com/us/united-kingdom
Sights from the Coronation Day
2,000 guests are expected to attend the King's Coronation ceremony on Saturday, which will be conducted at Westminster Abbey by The Archbishop of Canterbury (the senior bishop of the Church of England). Audley can arrange for clients traveling to London this year and beyond to visit the 1,000-year-old Abbey to see the Coronation Chair, which has been used in coronations since 1308.
Audley also arranges for clients to travel by boat down the River Thames to the Tower of London – home to the Crown Jewels (a collection of priceless crowns, tiaras and diamonds used by the Royal Family). A new exhibition opens at the Tower of London at the end of May (the first major change to the Jewel House in a decade) showcasing state crown frames worn by past monarchs George I, George IV and Queen Victoria as well as the St Edward's Crown – which will have been used to crown the King – and the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross and the Sovereign's Orb.
Audley can include this experience in its bespoke Southern England explorer: London, Bath and Oxford itinerary. The six-day itinerary costs from $5,560 per person (based on two sharing) and includes accommodation, train travel, transfers and excursions. 866-435-1768 / www.audleytravel.com/us/united-kingdom
Audley's Great Britain specialists can design the perfect bespoke itinerary based on each client's tastes, budget and wish list – whether they want to delve into royal history or simply see the places showcased in the first crowning of a British monarch in 70 years.