London ( CNN ) -- It 's a scene straight out of Cinderella : a princess in her royal wedding dress , riding in a horse-drawn carriage through majestic streets . That 's just what Kate Middleton may look like on her wedding day next month . Buckingham Palace announced Tuesday that a century-old gold-trimmed royal carriage will carry the new princess and her prince , William , from Westminster Abbey through central London to the palace . The same carriage -- called the 1902 State Landau -- has carried previous royal brides on their wedding days . William 's mother , Lady Diana Spencer , rode in it in 1981 after her marriage to Prince Charles , and Sarah Ferguson traveled in it five years later after she wed Prince Andrew . It was specifically built for King Edward VII in 1902 to be used at his coronation , and it remains the most-used carriage in the Royal Mews , usually used these days by Queen Elizabeth II when she meets foreign heads of state . It is an open-top carriage , so if it rains , the new royal couple will instead travel in the enclosed Glass Coach , another historic carriage , the palace announced . The Glass Coach was built in 1881 and purchased for use at King George V 's coronation in 1911 . Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson used it on their way to their weddings , along with three other brides : Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon , who married the future King George VI in 1923 ; Princess Alexandra in 1963 ; and Princess Anne in 1973 . The wedding procession will take in some of central London 's most famous sights . After leaving the abbey , it will pass the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben , the prime minister 's residence at Downing Street , the Horse Guards Parade and the Mall : the long avenue that stretches from Trafalgar Square past St. James 's Park , straight to Buckingham Palace . As they make their way to the palace for their wedding reception , Middleton and William will be at the head of a five-carriage procession . Riding in the two carriages behind them will be the best man , William 's brother , Prince Harry ; the maid of honor , Middleton 's sister , Philippa ; and the bridesmaids . The queen and her husband will travel in the next carriage , with Prince Charles and his wife , Camilla , and Middleton 's parents riding together in the last . Eighteen horses will pull the five carriages , with the white-looking Windsor Greys , which are usually reserved for the queen , pulling the newlyweds . The carriages are maintained by Senior Carriage Restorer Martin Oates , whose family has been working in the mews for four generations . Like everyone working in the palace , Martin has his own particular concern : `` If the wheels fall off , then obviously I would lose my job , so that is a bit of a worry , '' he said . Martin 's key task on the big day will be `` chocking , '' which means fixing blocks of wood under the carriage wheels , so they do n't move as the passengers get in . As beautiful as they are , state carriages are n't always an easy way for passengers to travel . As the carriages move along , they swing around in a circular motion , which can make passengers feel queasy . Between now and the wedding , however , Middleton will have a chance to get used to the feeling -- and , crucially , to practice getting in and out . `` I think she will wish to practice getting in and out of the carriages , because obviously , on the day , she will be wearing a dress with a large train , '' Crown Equerry Toby Browne said . `` And it 's a quite difficult event to get into a carriage and get settled so it looks perfect , but I think she 's very excited about it . '' Middleton will take a more modern mode of transport to the abbey before the service , the palace announced . In fact , she plans to travel in the same Rolls-Royce used by Prince Charles and Camilla , the Duchess of Cornwall , when they were attacked by protesters in London in December , Buckingham Palace said . `` Rolls Royce 1 , '' which has glass in the back panels , is currently being repaired in readiness for for the April 29 wedding . `` It 's actually designed with visibility in mind , so you actually probably get a better view in the Rolls-Royce that she 's using than a closed carriage , '' Palace Transport Manager Alexander Garty said . In December , students protesting increases in university costs hit the car with paint and cracked a window , as Charles and Camilla rode through a crowd en route to a show in central London . CNN 's Max Foster contributed to this report .
The carriage was built in 1902 for King Edward VII 's coronation . Princess Diana rode in it with Prince Charles after their coronation . Another carriage will be used if it rains . Middleton will ride in a Rolls - Royce on her way to the wedding .