The Queen made a stylish outing to officially open the Elizabeth Line
The monarch was vibrant in yellow.
The Queen stepped out today to officially open the Elizabeth Line in central London. It was a pleasant surprise as earlier this month, she had had to pull out of the State Opening for the first time in almost 60 years, so it was thought unlikely that she would be in attendance today.
It is the first engagement that the Queen has attended outside of the Windsor area since the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service in Westminster Abbey seven weeks ago.
The Queen was accompanied by her son, the Earl of Wessex to the opening at Paddington station, where they met with prime minister, Boris Johnson and the London mayor, Sadiq Khan
On what’s been a hot day in London, the Queen brought added sunshine with her cheery yellow ensemble and seemed in good spirits as she moved with the aid of a walking stick.
Ahead of the change of plans for the opening, Buckingham Palace released a statement: “In a happy development, Her Majesty the Queen is attending today’s event to mark the completion of the Elizabeth line. Her Majesty was aware of the engagement and the organisers were informed of the possibility she may attend.”
As well as meeting the commissioner of Transport for London, Andy Byford, the Queen and Prince Edward spoke to staff involved in the £17.6 billion project, as well as those who will be on the ground making it run, such as train drivers and station workers.
The Queen in sunshine yellow using an Oyster card on a ticket machine on a surprise visit to officially open the Elizabeth line @AndyMatthews_PA pic.twitter.com/cAphKDPaFd
— PA Royal Reporters (@PARoyal) May 17, 2022
Really getting into the spirit of the occasion, the Queen even learned how to use an Oyster card on a ticket machine after being given her own one.
It is fitting that the long-awaited Crossrail line is named after HRH as The Queen was the first reigning monarch to travel on the London underground in 1969, whilst opening the Victoria line.
What is the Elizabeth Line?
The new Crossrail line is said to be the biggest and most revolutionary upgrade to the underground in years. With a purple tube line, it is named the Elizabeth Line in honour of Queen Elizabeth II. It promises to change the lives of Londoners and Commuters by spanning 60 miles from Reading to Shenfield. It is estimated around 200 million passengers will travel on the new line each year and it will serve 41 stations, including 10 new stations.
The service will open to the public on the 24th May and will initially only run Monday – Saturday between Paddington and Abbey Wood. With Sunday closures continuing until the autumn. The Central services are set to open in June, and the East and West services by Autumn.
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