What are those things called that servants would carry royalty on in the old days? ie a carriage on sticks?

Question

They are kind of like stretchers. 2 people at the front and 2 people at the back to carry the royal person on top in a little carriage, box thing. Used in africa, also possibly asia? Any ideas?

Answer 1

"Litter" is derived from Latin "lectus", "bed", the ancestor of the English word.  From "lectus" comes the French word "lit", "bed".  "Litiere" an old French derivative of "lit" was not used only for a bed but also for the type of vehicle we call a "litter", a curtained couch on which a passenger reclines in comfort while being carried about on the shoulders of his retainers.

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IrcZE...

Typical litter:

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=ht...

Here's a typical sedan chair:

http://www.bath360.co.uk/history/sedan-c...

The Pope has a sedia gestatoria:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedia_gesta...

A Palanquin is usually used for the East:

http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&...

Answer 2

I believe they are called a litter.

Answer 3

a litter or a sedan chair - now that would be fun, I could do with one. Very 'green' and would save on carbon emissions.  

Answer 4

That would be a sedan chair. It could be set up with 2 or more carriers, depending on how strong they were and how far across town the gentleman was going.