Queen attends Elizabeth Line opening with Prince Edward as she smiles and tops up Oyster card

The Queen was shown how to top up an Oyster card today during a surprise visit to Paddington Station to officially open the Elizabeth line with Prince Edward – days after cancelling her appearance at the State Opening of Parliament due to ‘mobility issues’.

The 96-year-old, who now rarely carries out public engagements outside of her royal residences and was using a walking cane, picked up a limited edition Elizabeth line Oyster card. It had already been topped up with five pounds for the Queen, who famously rarely carries cash. 

A Crossrail worker showed how the ticket machine worked before the monarch asked where passengers could travel to. 

Dressed in sunshine yellow, the Queen arrived at Paddington at 11.32am, stepping carefully from the transparent lift while holding a walking stick and smiling warmly. 

Unveiling a plaque stating that she had ‘officially opened’ the Elizabeth line, the monarch spent 10 minutes in the station before leaving in a lift, escorted by her son Edward. The earl then returned to the concourse ahead of a return journey on the railway from Paddington to Tottenham Court Road.  

Her 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. 

But in a major clue an hour and a quarter before Edward was due to arrive, Transport for London removed a plaque saying he had opened Crossrail and replaced it with one eight inches lower bearing the Queen’s name.

The Queen’s outfit was a Stewart Parvin double-wool crepe coat with an A-line silk dress in shades of yellow, royal blue and turquoise, and a matching hat by Rachel Trevor-Morgan. She was wearing her Singapore brooch.

Customer service assistant Kofi Duah showed the monarch how to top up an Oyster Card, telling her: ‘If I just give you this ticket here, you just put it by the yellow reader right there.’ 

‘On there?’ the Queen replied. 

‘Perfect, and if you see on the screen here it says you’ve got £5, and if you want to top up here’s £5 and £10.’

‘And where might I go?’

‘You can go all the way from here to Abbey Wood.’

‘Oh nice, splendid.’  

Meanwhile, Prince Edward was invited to stand in the driver’s cab during the second leg of the journey back to Paddington and chatted with driver Carinne Spinola as the train moved. After stepping off the train at Paddington, the Earl of Wessex said: ‘That was brilliant. I did enjoy that. It was good fun.’

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson, Grant Shapps and Sadiq Khan also spent an awkward few minutes sitting side by side on the train. Transport Secretary Mr Shapps recently referred Mr Khan, the Major of London, to the Electoral Commission for revealing the start date of the new Crossrail commuter line on the eve of local elections, making the photo op especially uncomfortable.   

Following the Queen’s visit, the Prime Minister told the invited guests: ‘We’re all incredibly touched and moved and grateful to her Majesty for coming to open the Elizabeth line today. It was fantastic to see her.’   

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Elizabeth line customer experience assistant Kofi Duah said he was ‘thrilled’ to present an Oyster card to the Queen and show her how it could be topped up on a machine.

Her Majesty did not top up the card, which was pre-loaded with £5 of credit.

Mr Duah said: ‘I gave her an Oyster card and told her she can tap it on the yellow reader.

‘I showed her the current balance and how to top up the Oyster. She said ‘where can I use it?’.

‘I said ‘you can use it across our line, so from Paddington to Abbey Wood.

‘She said ‘oh nice, splendid’.’

Announcing the Queen’s attendance, 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.’

The Queen rallied to make a trip to the Windsor Horse Show on Friday and on Sunday was the guest of honour at the equestrian extravaganza A Gallop Through History near Windsor, the first major event of the Jubilee festivities.

Today’s engagement is the Queen’s first one outside of the Windsor area since she attended the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service in Westminster Abbey seven weeks ago.

The Queen and Edward were welcomed by Boris Johnson, Sadiq Khan and Transport for London commissioner Andy Byford.

The Queen and Edward met staff who have been key to the project and who will run the railway, including train drivers, station staff and apprentices.

The Elizabeth line, named in honour of the Queen in her Jubilee year, will open to passengers on May 24. 

Crossrail, the project to build the new east-west railway, was delayed and over budget due to numerous issues including construction difficulties and complications installing signalling systems.

It was due to be completed in December 2018 and was set a budget of £14.8 billion in 2010.

The total cost has been estimated at £18.9 billion, including £5.1 billion from the Government.

The Elizabeth line will boost capacity and cut journey times for travel across the capital.

It will stretch from Reading, in Berkshire, and Heathrow Airport, in west London, to Shenfield, in Essex, and Abbey Wood, in south-east London.

Trains will initially operate in three sections, which are expected to be integrated in the autumn.  

The Queen’s public appearances are being closely watched as Britain prepares to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years on the throne with four days of Platinum Jubilee festivities June 2-5.

Last week, she asked her son and heir to the throne Prince Charles to preside over the state opening of Parliament and deliver the Queen’s Speech, which lays out the government’s legislative program.

Palace officials have said she is experiencing ‘episodic mobility problems’ in recent months and has difficulties moving around.

The celebration will be marked with national events including a live concert featuring some of the world’s biggest stars to a service of thanksgiving – and a day at the races.

Individual members of the royal family have yet to be named in the plans but it is likely the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and other members of the monarchy will attend various events.

A live concert will be staged at Buckingham Palace – Platinum Party at the Palace – during the Saturday of the long weekend. Performers have yet to be named but it is billed as bringing together some of the world’s biggest entertainment stars to celebrate the most significant and joyous moments from the Queen’s seven-decade reign.

Other highlights include a day at the races for the Queen – a keen horse breeder – and her family who will fill the royal box for the Derby, held at Epsom Downs, before the concert.

The four-day weekend will begin on Thursday with Trooping the Colour, which will be staged in full for the first time since the pandemic.

Platinum Jubilee Beacons will also be lit throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories – a tradition used to celebrate royal jubilees, weddings and coronations.

For the first time the ceremonial bonfires will be ablaze in each of the capital cities of the Commonwealth countries to celebrate the Queen’s milestone.

A Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen’s reign will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral on the Saturday.

Communities across the country will sit down together for the Big Jubilee Lunch during the Sunday, the final day of the Bank Holiday Weekend. People will be invited to share friendship, food and fun with neighbours as part of the celebrations.

During Sunday a Platinum Jubilee Pageant will also be staged in the capital featuring more than 5,000 people from across the UK and Commonwealth.

The event will take place against the backdrop of Buckingham Palace and the surrounding streets and will combine street arts, theatre, music, circus, carnival and costume, and celebrate the service of the Queen as well as honouring the collective service of people and communities across the country.

Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation was held on June 2, 1953 – just more than a year after the then 25-year-old ascended to the throne on February 6, 1952 following her father George VI’s death. It was the first coronation ever to be televised, with 27million people in the UK tuning in.