Queen Elizabeth II paid a surprise visit to Paddington station in London on Tuesday to learn about the new metro line that bears her name, in a ceremony held before its public opening, which will take place on May 24.
The 96-year-old monarch, who does not usually attend public commitments outside her residences, has been accompanied by her young son, Prince Edward, Duke of Wessex, and has been received by the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and the commissioner of Transport for London, the local public transport management company, Andy Byford.
It is the first official appearance of her outside the Windsor area, where she currently lives, since last March and despite her mobility problems before her celebrations for her 70th reign.
The line, baptized under the name of Elizabeth Line, will quickly link the west and east of the British capital, after completing a project - called Crossrail - that dates back more than two decades and has been plagued by technical difficulties and budget
Elizabeth II, using one of the tube ticket machines at Paddington station in London on Tuesday. ANDREW MATTHEWS (AFP)
Although the queen's attendance, who suffers from mobility problems, had not been publicly announced in advance, organizers had been alerted that it could happen.
During the visit, the politicians met with the personnel who have been key to the project and who will be in charge of managing it, including train drivers, station personnel and apprentices.
Over the years, Crossrail, which was due to be completed in December 2018, has suffered from various delays, cost issues and complications from the installation of signaling systems.
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Elizabeth II's visit comes after having attended an equestrian show, the Windsor Show, last Friday, and on Sunday she was the guest of honor at another horse show, A Gallop Through History, near Windsor, about 40 miles west of London.
Sunday's was the first big act framed within the festivities planned for the Platinum Jubilee for his 70 years on the throne.
"In a happy event, Her Majesty the Queen is attending the event scheduled for today to mark the completion of the Elizabeth Line," said a royal spokeswoman, adding that "the Queen was aware of this commitment and the organizers had been informed that there was a possibility that he would come.”
This event marks the monarch's first official departure from the Windsor area since she attended the religious service in memory of her husband, Philip of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey in London, held at the end of last March.
In addition, Elizabeth II's public appearances have been rare since she suffered health problems in October, which led her to spend a night hospitalized to undergo medical "tests" whose nature was never specified.
In recent months she has canceled her attendance at several important events, including the opening of the new parliamentary session, which she missed for the first time in 59 years and she was replaced by Prince Charles.