Inside the Royal Train where Meghan Markle joined the Queen for a sleepover
Duchess of Sussex is first younger Royal to travel on Her Majesty’s moving ‘home-from-home’
Meghan Markle yesterday joined Queen Elizabeth on the Royal Train for an overnight trip to Cheshire ahead of their first joint awayday.
The Duchess of Sussex is believed to be the the first member of the Royal Family’s younger generation to hop aboard the exclusive vehicle, which Her Majesty regards as her “home-from-home”, according to People magazine. The train has been called a “palace on wheels”, although Meghan “will find it very different from the castles and palaces she has already experienced in her short time as a royal”, the US-based publication adds.
So what is the history of the Royal Train, and what is it like inside?
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
History
Queen Victoria is understood to have been the first monarch to travel by train, commissioning a pair of coaches for £1,800 in 1869, The Sun reports.
The train underwent a lavish makeover during the reign of King George V, who added a smoking room and multiple ornate bedrooms and bathrooms.
Queen Victoria’s saloon
Another major refurbishment was carried out, with large portions of the train replaced, before Queen Elizabeth embarked on her Silver Jubilee Tour in 1977.
The old carriages were donated to the National Railway Museum, in York.
Interior
Far from the lavish excess of the past, today the Royal Train is a rather plain affair, with “simple decor and furniture”, says the Daily Mirror.
Speaking to the BBC in 2002, director of royal travel Tim Hewlett said: ”There is a perception the train is a bit like the Orient Express.
“But there are not many bathroom furnishings you could not get in Homebase or B&Q.”
According to People magazine, the Queen’s saloon is a “75ft-long carriage divided into a formal entrance hall, a sitting room, bedroom and bathroom with a full-sized bath”. This personal area is decorated in pastel shades with a pale blue sofa.
Modern-day royal study
“The Royal Train usually travels at a lower than normal speed,” says Hello! magazine, as the train is built for comfort rather than speed. “It is fitted with secondary air suspension, meaning passengers have an exceptionally smooth and comfortable ride.”
Vanity Fair adds that the journey is scheduled to avoid sharp bends at around 7:30am, when the Queen usually takes her bath.
Modern use
According to Grant Harrold, former royal butler to Princes Charles, William and Harry, the Royal Train is generally used only by the Queen and her husband Prince Philip, and by Prince Charles and his wife Camilla.
Prince William is only believed to have ridden on it once, in 2003 during his birthday tour, Hello! reports. Prince Harry and the Duchess of Cambridge are not thought to have been on the train at all in an official capacity.
As such, the magazine adds, Meghan joined an exclusive club in taking the train with the Queen to spend the day in Cheshire, where they are opening the Mersey Gateway Bridge and the Storyhouse Theatre, as well as lunching at Chester Town Hall.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
South Korean president faces rising impeachment odds
speed read Opposition lawmakers said they would vote to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol following his recent imposition of martial law
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bird flu one mutuation from human threat, study finds
Speed Read A Scripps Research Institute study found one genetic tweak of the virus could enable its spread among people
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
France's Macron vows to finish out term
Speed Read French President Emmanuel Macron rejected calls to step down and said he will name a new government in the coming days
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Duchy Files: how bad is the scandal for King Charles?
Today's Big Question Making millions in rent from the NHS and armed forces a 'PR disaster' for royal family
By The Week UK Published
-
Kate and William: adapting to the Insta age
Talking Point Communicating directly with the public lets the royals circumvent the media machine but it comes with its own perils
By The Week UK Published
-
Princess of Wales returns to work in first meeting of 2024
Speed Reed Early Years project has been the 'cornerstone' of Catherine's charitable work
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Princess of Wales celebrates end of chemotherapy
Speed Read The former Kate Middleton shares rare glimpse into family life as she marks milestone in her cancer treatment
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Is Prince Harry planning a royal comeback?
In the Spotlight Duke of Sussex looking to repair relationship with King Charles and 'rehabilitate' his image back in UK
By The Week UK Published
-
King Charles portrait: 'mystique' or 'monstrosity'?
Talking Points While the artist hoped to portray the 'magic' of the monarchy, critics have lambasted the 'spooky' work
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Prince Harry returns to mark 10 years of Invictus – but he won't see the King
Speed Read Duke of Sussex will not see his father during London visit 'due to His Majesty's full programme'
By Hollie Clemence, The Week UK Published
-
Duchess of Gloucester: the hard-working royal you've never heard of
Under The Radar Outer royal 'never expected' to do duties but has stepped up to the plate
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published