David Linley is the name – and designer – behind the Linley brand that commissions these immaculately crafted horses.
This black oak rocking horse is a toy that will be treasured by children and families from generation to generation. It also has a certain heritage for David’s own family: the royal family.
The son of Princess Margaret – and nephew to the Queen – David explains: “I was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by beautiful things… When I was a small boy, my grandmother [the late Queen Mother] challenged me to find a secret drawer in a bureau which she treasured. I still remember the exhilaration when I eventually found it. This was really when my interest in woodworking began.”
It was also Queen Victoria’s love for rocking horses that was instrumental in increasing the popularity of these beautiful creations; toys fit for royalty.
Possibly the world’s most beautiful rocking horses (we are yet to discover one that challenges that description), they represent tradition, superlative craftsmanship and integrity.
Made by Stevenson Brothers for Linley, these rocking horses feature silver metalwork, a black leather saddle and bridle and a woven blanket embroidered with the Linley logo. Each horse also has a brass plate with its individual number and the date of creation engraved on it. There is also a secret locking compartment (traditionally used to store photographs, coins, locks of baby hair and other trinkets), reminiscent of the one that David was challenged to find by the Queen Mother, for your own little prince or princess to discover.