Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Train: Surprising Facts About Her Majesty’s Official Coach

Queen Elizabeth’s royal train is not like any ordinary carriage for transportation. In fact, it is called the “palace on wheels,” and its luxurious interior really lives up to its name.

The British royal train is already 150 years old but still works excellently. The Queen usually rides this when she needs to embark on a long-distance trip around Great Britain, and she travels comfortably since the coach has sleeping quarters, a private study, a 12-seater dining room, bathrooms, a kitchen and rooms for the royal household staff, security officers and the railway staff.

“The train seems to be the one place where, when away from home, the Queen and her family can truly relax out of the public gaze,” Brian Hoey, a royal commentator, wrote in his book titled “At Home With The Queen” via Good Housekeeping. “It may not have quite the same romantic images as when Queen Victoria rolled in majestic style from Windsor to Balmoral but there remain some of the glamors of bygone days.”

Apparently, the Queen’s train is private, but she can invite members of the royal family to ride it too. Sometimes other guests are also invited for a ride as there are extra bedrooms to accommodate them. Here are other surprising facts about the Queen’s train.

Origin Of The Royal Train

According to Hello! magazine, the caboose was first used by Queen Consort Adelaide in 1840, when she traveled from Nottingham to Leeds, but the first monarch to ride it was Queen Victoria. She rode it when she traveled to Windsor from London in 1942. Since then, the succeeding kings and queens in Britain have used this carriage for their trips as well.

Riding The Queen’s Train

Royals can’t use the train without the Queen’s approval, and usually only the senior royals like Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles are granted permission. In some cases, Queen Elizabeth also allows her grandkids to use it, like Prince William, who rode it for his birthday tour in 2003. Prince Harry was said to have never set foot on Her Majesty’s train yet.

Queen Elizabeth’s Bath Time On The Train

The Queen bathes when she travels via the royal train, and there’s a bizarre rule to follow. Her bath schedule is set at exactly the same time, which is at 7:30 a.m. As per Express, train operators are given this directive so they can drive carefully and avoid bumpy tracks, which can cause the splashing of water.