The Royal Caravan, a fully functional scaled-down caravan, was built in 1955 by Rollalong Caravans Limited in Ringwood as a gift from the Club to the young royal siblings. It was presented to them in recognition of the Duke of Edinburgh’s patronage of the Club, which began in 1952. Designed to be roadworthy, the caravan featured custom furnishings, including a Poole Pottery tea set, Beatrix Potter books, and a signed copy of Children of the New Forest by Captain Marryat, a fitting tribute given its current home in the heart of the New Forest at the National Motor Museum.
A Royal Treasure Rediscovered
Measuring 6 feet 9 inches long and 5 feet 9 inches high, the Royal Caravan was far more than a toy - it was a fully equipped miniature home on wheels. It featured working interior lights, a sink with a hand pump, and road-legal fittings, including a hitch, brakes, and corner steadies. For safety reasons, it had a wooden hob instead of a working stove, but it still came with a kettle and frying pan for play. Originally, the caravan was towed around the grounds of Buckingham Palace by a specially modified Hillman Husky from the royal fleet, with the Duke of Edinburgh personally taking his children on a test tow.
After Prince Charles and Princess Anne outgrew the caravan, it was stored away in a barn at Sandringham, where it was largely forgotten. In 1982, the Club restored it for the Club’s 75th anniversary, officially re-presenting it to Princess Anne. It was later moved to Combermere Barracks, home to the Princess Royal’s cavalry regiment.
For the Caravan Club’s Centenary Celebrations, the Royal Caravan was once again restored - this time by the original Rollalong company. Remarkably, one of the craftsmen involved in the 2007 restoration had been part of the team that originally built the caravan in the 1950s, ensuring both expertise and continuity in the project.
Over the years, the Royal Caravan has been displayed on several notable occasions. It was featured in the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s Centenary Celebrations and returned to Buckingham Palace in 2014, as part of the Royal Collection Trust’s Royal Childhood requiring a delicate crane lift to be placed inside one of the palace’s halls. It was also displayed at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, London, in September 2015. It was then exhibited at Compton Verney, Warwickshire, as part of Britain in the Fifties: Design and Aspiration, in 2016. Since then, by kind permission of HRH the Princess Royal, the Royal Caravan has been permanently housed at the National Motor Museum, where it remains a popular attraction.
A Special Anniversary Showcase
To commemorate this milestone, the Caravan and Motorhome Club Collection has curated a special showcase exhibition highlighting the Royal Caravan’s fascinating history, from its origins as a royal gift to its careful restorations. The display features archival photographs and artefacts that tell the full story of the caravan’s journey over the past seven decades.
The Royal Caravan’s story is deeply intertwined with the history of the Caravan and Motorhome Club, an organization that has championed the joys of touring since its founding in 1907. The 70th-anniversary showcase not only celebrates this remarkable vehicle but also highlights the Club’s long-standing commitment to preserving caravan heritage.
Nick Lomas, director general of the Caravan and Motorhome Club said, “The Club is proud and privileged to have its historic and unique collection of ephemera at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu. The story of the miniature Royal Caravan is an important and fascinating one, it’s wonderful to be able to share this with visitors to the National Motor Museum.”
“This exhibition is a celebration of both royal history and caravanning history,” said Sara Riccabone, curator of the Caravan and Motorhome Club Collection. “The Royal Caravan is a fascinating piece of craftsmanship and a testament to the enduring appeal of caravanning. We are thrilled to share this special anniversary with visitors and caravan enthusiasts.”
The showcase will be available to visitors from January 2025 and will run throughout the anniversary year. Guests are encouraged to explore the National Motor Museum’s extensive collection and discover the role caravanning has played in shaping Britain’s cultural landscape.
For more details on National Motor Museum exhibitions and events, visit nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/ or follow the National Motor Museum and the Caravan and Motorhome Club Collection on social media.