Prince Philip's Wobble Box

We quite frequently stay at a caravan site in Broadway, in the middle of the Cotswolds. It's in the grounds of an old shunting yard with a rather nice building that's been converted into a bit of a museum of caravans.

There are two exhibits - one of the earliest, luxury caravans from the 1800s, and Prince Philip's personal caravan which he used when out on sporting events, such as competitive carriage riding. 

The following couple of photos are of the Wanderer, the world’s first purpose-built leisure touring caravan, commissioned by Dr William Gordon Stables and built in 1884/5. Dr Gordon Stables was a retired Royal Naval Surgeon who had gained some celebrity as an author of adventure stories for boys, which drew on his own experiences at sea. He was a prominent pioneer of leisure caravanning and the first Vice-President of the Caravan Club (later renamed Caravan and Motorhome Club). 

The first journey taken by Dr Gordon Stables was 1300 miles from his home in Twyford, Berkshire to Inverness in Scotland. The Doctor saw many parallels between a caravan and a boat, which is why The Wanderer is always fondly referred to as ‘she’ in the same way that a sea vessel would be. The Doctor would regularly take to the road, clad in his striking Highland dress with a variety of pets and sometimes one of his children in tow. He often penned his latest novel or an article on the journey.

Then we come to Prince Philip's wobble box, a seemingly normal, 1993 Fleetwood Garland. It was purchased second-hand in 1998 by Prince Philip. As the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s Patron since 1952, Prince Philip had regularly attended Club campsites and events, reportedly exploring members’ caravans enthusiastically and assessing them for their practicality. After taking up the sport of carriage driving in 1973, caravans offered a private space for The Duke and his team to prepare and relax during competitions.