Traveling in State

Old‑school prima donnas used to bump along in stagecoaches. By the late 19th century, that idea looked almost quaint.

When star sopranos ruled the box office, “regal” still wasn’t regal enough. Adelina Patti, for instance, toured in a private rail car said to have cost about £11,600.

It was basically a palace on wheels: walls and ceiling draped in gilded tapestry, silk‑damask curtains, and furniture upholstered to match. The salon was done in white and gold and hung with paintings by celebrated artists. Even the lamps were gold, and the woodwork was sandalwood. Her piano was made from the same wood—and the piano alone was priced at £400.

For all its theatrical glamour, the punchline is simple: at the time Patti traveled this way, no king or emperor anywhere had a coach this lavish.