Date: 13/06/2017

The Queen has joined celebrations marking the 175th anniversary of the first train journey taken by a British monarch. She recreated Queen Victoria's trip from Slough to Paddington on 13 June 1842 on the Great Western Railway. The Queen made the 19-minute journey on the new Intercity Express train along with the Duke of Edinburgh. Of her experience, Queen Victoria wrote in her journal 'it was delightful and so quick'. The monarch added: 'It took us exactly 30 minutes going to Paddington, & the motion was very slight, & much easier than a carriage, also no dust or great heat.' Victoria had been persuaded on board by Prince Albert, a veteran of rail travel who was fascinated by the new technology.

External links

Queen recreates historic train ride

BBC News

The Queen took on the same journey as the first monarch to travel by train, Queen Victoria.

Related images

The man himself. Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The impressive waxwork on display at the Museum of the Great Western Railway in Swindon on 20 March 2013.
Location: Steam - Museum of the Great Western Railway
Company: Great Western Railway
20/03/2013 Peter Todd

Castle class 4-6-0 no 5079 Lysander getting ready to leave Paddington in 1959 with the 'Torbay Express'.
Location: Paddington
Company: Great Western Railway
//1959 K A Gray

Not bad Mr Brunel... not bad at all... The Great Western Railway's London terminus at Paddington, seen from the concourse on 20 July 2005.
Location: Paddington
Company: Great Western Railway
20/07/2005 John Furnevel