With a suite that boasts His and Hers beds and a private bathtub, and its own dining room, it’s possibly the Royals’ most well-equipped method of travel.
And tonight, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge board the Royal Train for the first time to begin a three-day, 1,250-mile tour of the UK.
Over ten stops in England, Scotland and Wales, the couple will thank frontline NHS workers, volunteers, care home staff, teachers and schoolchildren for all their hard work during the pandemic.
Kate and William also want to showcase the UK’s arts, heritage and music sector, so badly hit by the social restrictions, so they will attend performances over the three days to help bring Christmas cheer to the communities they visit.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (pictured) will board the Royal Train for the first time on Sunday night to begin a three-day, 1,250-mile tour of the UK
The couple will visit care homes, hospitals, food banks, a primary school and a university to meet small, socially-distanced groups of people to hear their stories.
The final stop for the Wills and Kate Express will be to see the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla – the first time the six senior Royals will have gathered for a photograph this year.
Permission to travel on the nine-carriage train has to be granted by the Queen. She is the train’s prime passenger, using it to travel overnight to engagements in the north of England, Scotland or Wales.
The idea dates from 1842. Prince Albert persuaded a 23-year-old Queen Victoria to become the first Royal to travel by rail when she took a train from Slough, then the closest station to Windsor Castle, to London Paddington.
he Queen’s Messenger is coupled to the Royal Train as it sits in Liverpool Lime Street train station on December 1
Victoria saw travelling the country as her duty and thus a Royal Train was designed to look like a palace on wheels, with the carriages decorated in 23-carat gold paint and decked out in silks and satins.
Electric lights were added in the 1890s, as well as an on-board toilet, which Victoria refused to use, preferring to have the train stop for bathroom breaks every few hours.
In 1977, the year of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, a single set of Royal Train carriages was formed for the first time and has remained in service ever since – replacing the 1941 vehicles used by George VI.
The locomotives haul freight when not on Royal duty. William and Kate will sleep in single beds during their two nights aboard, and dine in a 12-seater supper car with a Formica table – a far cry from the grandeur of the Victorian era.
A bed is made in staff accommodations aboard the bio-fuel powered Royal Train
In the past, the Royal Train menu has comprised chilled minted pea soup, fillets of sole and crème caramel.
There are no showers in the suite, only a bath with a marker line to stop it being over-filled. Staff include a steward and footmen, while Kate’s hairdresser will also travel with them on this journey.
When the carriages are off-duty, as they are for much of the year, the train is kept in a siding at a secret location to ensure security.
Mile-for-mile, it’s the Royals’ most expensive form of transport, with accounts in September showing that it made only three outings in 2019-20.
Electric lights were added in the 1890s, as well as an on-board toilet, which Victoria refused to use, preferring to have the train stop for bathroom breaks every few hours
Two of these were for Prince Charles, who ran up a £20,822 bill for a return journey from Kemble, near his Gloucestershire home, to Carlisle. At the time, a Palace aide said the train provided effective and efficient transport and reduced security costs.
It was once suggested that Charles had secreted the then Lady Diana Spencer on board for a night-time tryst in sidings in Wiltshire. The story was untrue and Diana said: ‘I’ve never been near the train, let alone in the middle of the night!’
The most prestigious job in British railways is that of Royal driver. Among their tasks is to stop the train door perfectly in line with the red carpet on the platform. Drivers also pride themselves on getting to any destination within 15 seconds of the given arrival time.
Travelling on the Royal Train is considered a significant honour afforded by the Queen.
When Her Majesty invited Meghan Markle to join her on an overnight journey less than a month after her marriage to Prince Harry, it was a way of publicly welcoming her into the Royal Family.
A Kensington Palace spokesman said: ‘The Duke and Duchess are very much looking forward to shining a spotlight on the incredible work done across the country throughout this difficult year and to sharing their gratitude for all those supporting their local communities. It is panto season after all, so expect some Christmas good tidings.’