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The Prince of Wales and his entourage on camels posing for camera in front of Pyramid of Cheops and Pyramid of Cephrenes, Giza, Cairo. The Prince is seated on the camel fifth from the left. The man in the white suit with a cigar, gazing up at the Prince,
Royal Travel

Modes of travel and travelling accessories used by monarchs past and present

CALCUTTA, BOMBAY & SIMLA : BOURNE & SHEPHERD (ACTIVE 1864-1900S)

His Royal Highness and Elephant: Prince of Wales Tour of India 1875-6 (vol.6)

1875-76

RCIN 2701999

Royal travellers have often embraced traditional modes of transport while abroad. In this photograph, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales prepares to ride an elephant during a visit to India in 1875–6. His four-month tour of the subcontinent spanned modern-day India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal and covered almost 10,000 miles. During this time the Prince travelled by steamship, train, ceremonial barge and on horseback, among other modes of transport. The official diary of the tour described how on one occasion the Prince was transported by an elephant 'of extraordinary size', with 'a howdah [seat] of surpassing splendour, which shone like burnished gold in the morning sun, and which was either made of gold or of silver gilt [...] covered with a golden canopy'.


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