All aboard!
On Wednesday,Meghan Marklebecomes the first of the younger generation of royals to scorea ride on the royal trainfor an official outing withQueen Elizabeth.
The train has been called an exclusive “palace on wheels,” but when Meghan, 36, steps aboard tonight forher journey to Cheshire alongside the Queen, she will find it very different from the castles and palaces she has already experienced in her short time as a royal.
Tim Graham/Getty Images
The nine burgundy carriages currently in use date from the Queen’s Silver Jubilee of 1977. Those carriages replaced others that first came into service in 1941.
The carriages provide accommodation for the royal household staff, railway staff and police personal protection officers. There is space for communication equipment and its own electric supply, author Brian Hoey writes inAt Home With the Queen.
Inside the Royal Train.Danny Lawson/PA Images via Getty Images
The personal area is decorated in pastel shades with a pale blue sofa. WhenPrince Philip,97, traveled with his wife beforeretiring from public duties, he also had a large private quarters, including a 10-seat table for him to hold meetings.
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The train ride — which departs tonight from London — will give Elizabeth andthe new Duchess of Sussexample bonding time.
source: people.com
