The Queen made a stylish outing to officially open the Elizabeth Line

The monarch was vibrant in yellow.

Queen Elizabeth officially opens the Elizabeth Line.
Amy Sedghi
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The monarch was vibrant in yellow.

The Queen stepped out today to officially open the Elizabeth Line in central London. It was a pleasant surprise as earlier this month, she had had to pull out of the State Opening for the first time in almost 60 years, so it was thought unlikely that she would be in attendance today.

It is the first engagement that the Queen has attended outside of the Windsor area since the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service in Westminster Abbey seven weeks ago.

The Queen was accompanied by her son, the Earl of Wessex to the opening at Paddington station, where they met with prime minister, Boris Johnson and the London mayor, Sadiq Khan

On what's been a hot day in London, the Queen brought added sunshine with her cheery yellow ensemble and seemed in good spirits as she moved with the aid of a walking stick.

Ahead of the change of plans for the opening, Buckingham Palace released a statement: “In a happy development, Her Majesty the Queen is attending today’s event to mark the completion of the Elizabeth line. Her Majesty was aware of the engagement and the organisers were informed of the possibility she may attend.”

As well as meeting the commissioner of Transport for London, Andy Byford, the Queen and Prince Edward spoke to staff involved in the £17.6 billion project, as well as those who will be on the ground making it run, such as train drivers and station workers.

Really getting into the spirit of the occasion, the Queen even learned how to use an Oyster card on a ticket machine after being given her own one.

It is fitting that the long-awaited Crossrail line is named after HRH as The Queen was the first reigning monarch to travel on the London underground in 1969, whilst opening the Victoria line.

What is the Elizabeth Line?

The new Crossrail line is said to be the biggest and most revolutionary upgrade to the underground in years. With a purple tube line, it is named the Elizabeth Line in honour of Queen Elizabeth II. It promises to change the lives of Londoners and Commuters by spanning 60 miles from Reading to Shenfield. It is estimated around 200 million passengers will travel on the new line each year and it will serve 41 stations, including 10 new stations.

The service will open to the public on the 24th May and will initially only run Monday – Saturday between Paddington and Abbey Wood. With Sunday closures continuing until the autumn. The Central services are set to open in June, and the East and West services by Autumn.

Amy Sedghi
Amy Sedghi

Amy Sedghi is a freelance journalist, specialising in health and fitness, travel, beauty, sustainability and cycling.

Having started her career in The Guardian newsroom working with an award-winning team, Amy's proud to have reported on a variety of topics, speaking to a range of voices and travelling far and wide to do so. From interviews on ski lifts to writing up breaking stories outside courtrooms, Amy is used to reporting from a range of locations (she’s even been known to type up a story in a tent).

She also loves being active, spending time outdoors and travelling - with some of her favourite features she’s worked on combining all three. Cycling and eating her way round the Isle of Man, learning to sail on the Côte d'Azur and traversing the Caminito del Rey path in Spain are just some of her highlights.

Covering a diverse range of subjects appeals to Amy. One minute she may be writing about her online styling session with Katie Holmes’ stylist and the next she’s transporting readers to the basketball courts of Haringey where she joined a group trying to lower knife crime in the capital.

While at university, Amy was awarded The Media Society bursary. Following her stint at the Guardian, Amy worked at Google and as well as writing for Marie Claire, she regularly contributes interviews, features and articles to National Geographic Traveller, The Guardian, The Independent, The Telegraph, Stylist, Refinery29, Glorious Sport, Cycling Weekly and Rouleur.

When she’s not writing, Amy can be found trying to get through her towering stack of books-to-read, cycling down at Herne Hill Velodrome or looking for the next place to eat and drink with friends.

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