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Did the Queen use public transport?

Despite being the United Kingdom's monarch, Queen Elizabeth II has traveled via public transport.



Yes, throughout her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II used public transport on numerous historic and ceremonial occasions. Her first trip on the London Underground was in 1939 as a 13-year-old Princess. As Queen, she famously "drove" a Victoria Line train in 1969 to mark its opening and regularly used the Royal Train for long-distance domestic travel. In her later years, she took the scheduled "Great Northern" train from London King's Cross to King's Lynn for her annual Christmas stay at Sandringham—though she traveled in a reserved first-class carriage. Just before her passing in 2022, she made a surprise appearance to officially open the Elizabeth Line (Crossrail) in London, which was named in her honor. While her daily travel was conducted via private state cars for security, these public appearances were iconic symbols of her connection to the British public and the national infrastructure of the United Kingdom.

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Brent Suttles, who captured photos of the royals moving around the cabin during the 7-hour flight, said they were seated in Row 2 of the first-class cabin. Atkins said she thinks the Prince and Princess of Wales boarded the Boeing 777 aircraft first.

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