Queen Elizabeth II arrives, in her chauffeur driven Range Rover car, to watch her horse 'Balmoral Leia' compete in, and win, the Highland class on day 2 of the Royal Windsor Horse Show. Photo / Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II arrives, in her chauffeur driven Range Rover car, to watch her horse 'Balmoral Leia' compete in, and win, the Highland class on day 2 of the Royal Windsor Horse Show. Photo / Getty Images
Land Rovers have become so synonymous with senior royals that it has been said they are “part of the royal family’s DNA”.
The late Duke of Edinburgh was so attached to the vehicles that he spent years modifying one especially to carry his coffin at his funeral.
But now it appears a battle for the King’s affections is being played out behind closed doors, with two rival British manufacturers knocking at his door.
As the royals enjoyed their traditional break at Balmoral this summer, they had the run of both a new £65,000 ($132,926) Ineos Grenadier 4x4 and a state-of-the-art £160,000 Aston Martin DBX707.
Several members of the family are understood to have taken them out for a spin, including the King, Prince William and Peter Phillips.
The vehicles were kept on the 20,200ha Aberdeenshire estate and were not driven to church.
Diana, during her time as Princess of Wales, rests on a Range Rover at the Grand National Racecourse in Aintree, accompanied by then Prince Charles, while pregnant with their first baby. Photo / Getty Images
One source said: “As neither is electric, they may not lease them out permanently, but they have all had a lot of fun with them.”
Out in public, at least, members of the royal family have long remained loyal to Land Rover, now Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which has held royal warrants since 1951, when George VI tried an early prototype of the 4x4.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip particularly favoured them ever since a fleet of bespoke Land Rovers was used to carry them on their six-month tour of the Commonwealth in 1953.
The company went on to develop a firm association with the couple, which was considered an important link between the monarchy and the British motor industry.
Prince Philip was driving a Land Rover Freelander when he crashed at a junction at Sandringham, Norfolk, in January 2019.
Charles, during his time as Prince of Wales, with Aston Martin's first SUV, the Aston Martin DBX, while visiting the new Aston Martin Lagonda factory in 2020. Photo / Getty Images
The Queen was pictured beaming at the wheel of a Range Rover at the Windsor Horse Show in July 2021, just over a year before she died.
However, the long association with JLR, which leases vehicles to the royals at a reduced rate, does not preclude a strong affection for other cars.
The King’s love affair with Aston Martin, which also holds a royal warrant, is well documented.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, seated on the roof of a Land Rover pointing out competitors at the Badminton Horse Trials to Queen Elizabeth II, who is watching through binoculars. Photo / Getty Images
The 75-year-old is particularly fond of his vintage DB6 MKII Vantage Volante, a 21st birthday present from his parents.
During a visit to the new Aston Martin production line in Gaydon, Warwickshire, in 2004, he gave a speech to the entire workforce in which he said: “One of the reasons I have been a huge fan of Aston Martin for 34 years is because I have always recognised that it is a real work of art.
“I am devoted to my 34-year-old car, which I do love. It rattles a bit, like I do, but otherwise it has done nothing but give real pleasure and enjoyment all these years.”
In April 2011, the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge left their Buckingham Palace wedding reception in Charles’ DB6, which has been converted to run on surplus wine and whey from the cheese process.
Queen Elizabeth II standing by her Land Rover Defender 4x4. Photo / Getty Images
In 2020, Charles visited a new Aston Martin Lagonda manufacturing facility in St Athan, Wales, where he gave the new DBX the royal seal of approval as he applied its iconic wings badge before getting behind the wheel for a spin.
Prince William was also given the chance to take the DBX707 for a spin in January - when he was spotted at the wheel in the country lanes of Norfolk.
But such strong royal connections do not appear to have put off Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the Ineos billionaire, whose ongoing attempts to take over Manchester United have not prohibited him from wooing the family.
The new kid on the block, Sir Jim may be hoping to win over the royals with his new invention and perhaps win a royal warrant of his own.
It might help that the Ineos Grenadier was designed as a modern replacement to the Land Rover Defender and looks remarkably similar.
However, Sir Jim, who was knighted by Prince William in 2018, is in no rush to move to electric power, with the company insisting it will continue making petrol- and diesel-burning motors into the next decade - something that may put off the King in the longer term.
