Two weeks before the big throne jubilee, the Queen is again in a good mood in public. After a stallion parade on Sunday, she is paying a surprise visit to the London Underground line that bears her name.
After a number of cancellations in recent months, Queen Elizabeth II surprised with a visit to the new Elizabeth Line of the London Underground, named after her. The 96-year-old accompanied her son Prince Edward to the appointment at Paddington station in London in a bright yellow coat and smiled at the cameras. The Queen and her youngest son were welcomed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and London Mayor Sadiq Khan at the official engagement.
“By a joyful development, Her Majesty is attending the event today to honor the completion of the line,” Buckingham Palace said. The strategy there is now being followed at short notice whether the Queen will appear publicly on certain occasions in order to avoid disappointment through cancellations. The Elizabeth Line, which is scheduled to open to passengers on May 24, was originally scheduled to open in 2018. The costs are also far in excess of the original plan: instead of £14.8 billion (€17.5 billion), they are now estimated to be almost £19 billion (€22.5 billion). The new line is intended to make east-west connections through the capital faster.
Due to health problems, the Queen has often been represented by other members of the Royal Family in recent months and, above all, has held virtual appointments or events. In just over two weeks, the big celebrations for her 70th anniversary of the throne are coming up.
It was only on Sunday evening that the Queen was in a good mood at the end of the Royal Windsor Horse Show. Footage from the grand finale of the annual Stallion Parade in Windsor Castle Park showed the now 96-year-old monarch walking a red carpet. With her right hand she leaned lightly on a cane. However, the queen did not seem restricted.
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