Daily Express

Commuter Queen now arriving on platform 2

- By Richard Palmer Royal Correspond­ent

THE Queen signalled the start of the Christmas getaway yesterday when she headed off to Sandringha­m by train for her annual festive break.

She took a scheduled service from London King’s Cross to King’s Lynn before completing the nine miles to her 20,000acre estate in Norfolk in a chauffeur-driven Range Rover.

The Duke of Edinburgh is expected to travel up separately before Christmas Day.

Her Majesty’s first class oneway ticket would have cost her £58.30 – or £38.50 with a Senior railcard.

Most of the 100 passengers on the Great Northern service had no idea that she was on board for the 100-mile journey.

The four-carriage train left London at 10.42am and arrived bang on time at 12.31pm at Platform 2 after armed police with a sniffer dog conducted a security search of the station.

Clutching a black handbag, the 92-year-old monarch wearing a brown coat and striped headscarf, smiled at wellwisher­s and walked briskly down the platform, chatting to King’s Lynn station manager Graeme Pratt, while a royal aide carried two bags.

Curious

Other passengers were kept on board for a short time before being allowed off.

Paul Holland, 35, from Portugal, who was with wife Francesca, 39, and their children Alex, four, and 12-monthold Sofia, said: “I had no idea the Queen was on the train.

“I even wandered up and down the train into the first class area with my baby daughter during the journey, but I didn’t see her.”

Aptly-named Emma Christmas from New Zealand, who was on the train with husband Barry and children Lily, 14, and Jake, 11, said: “We were curious about there being a lot of police at King’s Cross.

“We were held back a bit before we were allowed on but we didn’t know why.”

Great Northern, owned by Govia Thameslink Railway, refused to say how much the Queen had paid for her ticket. It said: “As always, it was a real honour to have Her Majesty using our services today.”

The Queen and Philip are set to be joined by around 30 members of the Royal Family.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be among guests at Sandringha­m House, while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expected to stay at nearby Anmer Hall.

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 ??  ?? The Queen steps down on to the platform at King’s Lynn yesterday. Left, an aide carries a bag with Her Majesty’s personal luggage tags. Right, the regular service she travelled in
The Queen steps down on to the platform at King’s Lynn yesterday. Left, an aide carries a bag with Her Majesty’s personal luggage tags. Right, the regular service she travelled in
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