King Charles' new carriage revealed as gold-covered creation prepared for Sydney tour

Jim Frecklington has spent six years building a new golden carriage for the King and features a number of surprises and sweet nods the royals will no doubt appreciate

A master craftsman has shown off a royal carriage he has spent six years painstakingly building, which features a “time capsule” of surprises for the King to enjoy.

Jim Frecklington has worked for the royals since the 1970s and, decades later, is putting the finishing touches to his latest masterpiece. It is painted black and royal claret and the crown on top is made from wood direct from Westminster Abbey.

Other surprises to the 19ft carriage include two Dead Man’s Pennies sent to relatives of people killed in the First World War, as well as electric windows and an armoured chassis. It is the first built for a King since George III received one in 1762.

Jim told the Sun: “If I didn’t make it, no one else in the world would…nobody else knows how to and it’s my best yet. I wanted to do something special to honour King Charles.

“I pay for this. It has cost a lot of money. I mortgaged my home to finance the Diamond Jubilee State Coach and have mortgaged my home again to build this. But I have to because no one else in the world knows how to make something like this.

“The King is fully aware of the situation and has been kept up to date. It’s up to the Royal Household to decide how they would like to collect it or have it sent.”

The carriage will one day arrive in the UK and be driven through the streets of London. Jim is battling cancer as is the King and hopes to discuss their ailments.

King Charles and the Queen touched down in a rain-drenched Sydney to start their historic tour of the South Pacific on Friday. The six-day trip is Charles' first to a British realm since he became monarch following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

As they jetted into Australia the King and Queen praised their host’s "extraordinarily rich cultures and communities" before the start of their landmark tour of the country. In a message posted on the royal family social media channels, Charles and Camilla said: "Ahead of our first visit to Australia as King and Queen, we are really looking forward to returning to this beautiful country to celebrate the extraordinarily rich cultures and communities that make it so special. See you there!"

This afternoon, the King spoke at a reception to recognise the Bicentenary of the Legislative Council. He said: “What a great joy it is to come to Australia for the first time as Sovereign, and to renew a love of this country and its people which I have cherished for so long.”