the queen meghan markle royal train© Photo: Getty Images

Hilarious detail about the Queen's royal train revealed

Why does the driver always slow down at 7:30am in the morning?

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Content Managing Editor
September 10, 2020

The Queen is known to travel around the country via public transport, but on rare occasions, she makes use of her luxurious royal train.

One such moment was in June 2018, shortly after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding, when newlywed Meghan joined Her Majesty for an away day in Chester.

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The pair travelled overnight on the royal train with several aides, and new biography Finding Freedom, written by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, has revealed some very quirky details about the trip – including why the train purposefully slowed down at a certain point.

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The extract reads: "It was a daunting journey for the new wife, despite the amenities of Her Majesty's personal train, which had private bedrooms (Prince Philip's pillows are plain; the Queen's, with a small royal cipher in one corner, are trimmed with lace); a sitting room with a sofa of hand-stitched velvet cushions; a dining table for six; a desk where the Queen worked on her papers; and secondary air suspension for a smoother-than-average ride."

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It also amusingly noted: "The train conductor drives extra slowly around 7:30am to make sure the water stays in the tub while the Queen has her bath."

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© Photo: Getty Images

A peek inside Queen Victoria's Saloon Carriage

The biography went on to reveal that "Meghan was extremely grateful for the Queen's generosity" and that it was "an honour to be taken under the Queen's wing so soon after her marriage".

Their day out in Chester, where they opened a bridge, visited an entertainment complex and had lunch at the town hall, was their first joint engagement together and took place just one month after the royal wedding.

© Photo: Getty Images

The away day took place one month after the royal wedding

Finding Freedom added that the monarch "had a level of confidence in Meghan" and as a palace source described, "she handles these situations flawlessly because she's always well prepared and respectful".

During their trip, the Queen also gifted the newest member of her family a pair of pearl-and-diamond earrings, which Meghan wore on the day, accessorising her elegant cream cape Givenchy sheath dress with the new jewellery.

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