Did the Queen go on Concorde?

On 2 November 1977, Queen Elizabeth II travelled for the first time aboard Concorde (aircraft G-BOAE). She then flew from the Grantley Adams International Airport, Barbados, to London Heathrow, England. That occasion was also the first visit by a Concorde aircraft to Barbados.



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The first fly-past over Buckingham Palace was carried out on 14 June 1969 by Concorde prototype 002, flown by Brian Trubshaw and flanked by two Lightning jets, for the Queen's official birthday. The most spectacular flight, though, was the flypast for the Queen's Golden Jubilee, on 4 June 2002.

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The Queen had first travelled with Concorde, the supersonic passenger airliner, in 1977. The airliner was also used for trips to Barbados in 1987 and 2003, as well as for a visit to Middle East in 1984 and to the United States in 1991.

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Fred Finn was on the first and last Concorde flights and holds the Guinness World Record for the most Concorde flights as a passenger! In total, he flew 718 times on the Queen of the Skies between 1976 and 2003 – all of them in the same seat, 9A.

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Dassault 900LX No. 32 Squadron RAF Dassault Envoy IV CC1.

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The Royal Air Force's No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron manages the British royal family's air transport. From RAF Northolt in London, it operates VIP aircraft and Queen Elizabeth's private jet. The Queen can only travel by private jet, whereas the rest of the family frequently uses commercial airlines whenever possible.

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Such speed didn't come cheap, though: A transatlantic flight required the high-maintenance aircraft to gulp jet fuel at the rate of one ton per seat, and the average round-trip price was $12,000.

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Concorde was also popular with the Queen and celebrities. Joan Collins travelled with the aircraft so frequently that she became something of an ambassador for the service. Other notable passengers included Elton John, Mick Jagger, Elizabeth Taylor and Sean Connery.

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Cruising at Mach 2 – or 1,350 mph – at 60,000 feet, Concorde flew five miles above and 800 mph faster than the subsonic 747s plodding across the Atlantic. The radio chatter between aircraft could get interesting, according to Tye.

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