Rebecca Seear | The Coachmans Daughter
My Passion
I’m Rebecca Seear, fifth-generation custodian of Windsor Carriages. I was born into Windsor’s licensed Hackney Carriage tradition, raised among working horses, carriage ranks and the daily rhythm of estate life. My father, John Seear, drove Windsor’s licensed Hackney carriages for over fifty years, continuing a tradition that long pre-dates the motor car.
Today, I lead Windsor Carriages as a heritage hospitality company, designing curated estate experiences rooted in equestrian tradition and shaped for modern luxury travel.
My interpretation of Windsor is not learned from guidebooks. It is shaped by lived experience — understanding both the craft and the responsibility that come with it.
This work is not about nostalgia. It is about stewardship.
A Childhood in Windsor
I was raised in Windsor Great Park on a working equestrian livery yard, surrounded by horses and carriages from childhood.
Sundays meant dressing for service at The Royal Chapel and practising curtsies for Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It was a life where royalty, tradition and everyday work existed side by side.
My father, John Seear, was a Windsor coachman for over fifty years. My mother, Tissie Reason, organised equestrian events on the estate and ran the livery yard where we lived. My grandfather, Frank Seear, and my father’s mentor, George Paget, carried forward the knowledge and discipline of carriage driving traditions that pre-date the motor car.
One Summer Changed Everything
After building an international career in digital content management, including work launching Amazon Prime Video, I returned to Windsor in 2013 to assist my father with carriage bookings, initially intending to stay for the summer.
One enquiry led to a wedding, then a corporate commission, then a new event. Gradually, the work expanded. When my father passed away in 2016, I found myself holding the reins. In time, I built a trusted team of distinguished commercial coachmen and equestrian families who shared the same standards and values.
Year by year, we reshaped the model. Windsor Carriages evolved into a heritage hospitality company rooted in equestrian tradition and aligned with the expectations of modern luxury travel.
Reducing the horses’ working hours was not a compromise, but a conscious progression — allowing quality, context and welfare to sit at the centre of every experience.
Preserving Windsor Heritage
Sustaining a tradition requires more than affection; it demands care, discipline and the willingness to adapt. Our horses remain central to the story, but never at the expense of their wellbeing. By limiting daily drives to one, we are able to shape each day around their needs — cooler mornings in warm weather, quieter routes when the town is busy, and an emphasis on quality over quantity.
Our experiences are therefore structured with intention, ensuring the horses play a meaningful and carefully considered role.
Alongside this, I am committed to supporting the next generation of coachmen, preserving not only the carriages themselves but the craft behind them. As the business evolves, it also creates greater capacity to contribute to education and community initiatives.
This is not about preserving the past unchanged. It is about ensuring horses, heritage and skilled tradition continue to have relevance in the years ahead.
