The Queen is officially opening the new Elizabeth Line in London at Paddington Station today.
Her Majesty met staff key to the Crossrail project, as well as Elizabeth Line staff who will be running the railway - including apprentices, drivers, and station crew.
The Earl of Wessex was due to mark the completion of the line named in honour of Her Majesty but the monarch was aware of the engagement and decided to attend at the last minute.
On arrival the Queen was welcomed by the Prime Minister, the Mayor of London, the Secretary of State for Transport and the Commissioner for Transport for London.
She also unveiled a plaque to mark the line’s official opening.
Using a walking stick, she smiled warmly as she met Crossrail and Elizabeth line workers.
She was given an Oyster card and shown how to use it on a ticket machine, walking slowly as she made her way around the station concourse.
The Queen proceeded through the ticket barriers down to the Elizabeth Line platform to hear about the design of the new stations and trains.
It comes after she missed the State Opening of Parliament for the first time in 59 years last week.
Prince Charles stepped in to read her speech for the first time, accompanied by Prince William who has never attended before.
However, during the weekend's Jubilee celebration in her honour, Her Majesty looked chipper as she took in the pageantry.
At one point, she threw her arm into the air with a subtle smile as a joke about her decision to miss the State Opening of Parliament was made by comedian Omid Djalili.
Today's attendance was not publicly announced in advance, with the head of state facing ongoing mobility problems, but organisers were told there was a possibility she might be able to attend.
The nation's longest reigning head of state is just over two weeks away from her Platinum Jubilee celebratory weekend.
A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "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."
Doors to the new line will open to passengers on May 24.
Crossrail is a capacity enhancement rail project designed to create a rail link that connects east and west London.
The new railway, which is estimated to cost £18.7 billion, will feature trains nearly twice as long as a tube train that can carry 1,500 passengers.
The opening of the Elizabeth line comes after nearly four years of delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic, planning issues and overspending.
Although only one line, the Elizabeth line splits off in two directions at either end, running out to Reading and Heathrow in the west (joining at Hayes and Harlington), and Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east (which will eventually join at Whitechapel).
In total, the line will stretch over 100km, including 42km of new tunnels.
The line will run through central London, but it will also connect popular commuter towns to the east and west of London as it runs through Maidenhead, Slough, Ilford and Brentwood.
