COVID-19: William and Kate to set off on Royal Train journey to thank UK’s coronavirus heroes
Written by News on 06/12/2020
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will set off on a festive train journey across the UK to bring some Christmas cheer as they say thanks to coronavirus heroes.
Prince William and Kate will be using the Royal Train to travel to Scotland, England and Wales, stopping in to pay tribute to individuals and organisations that have gone above and beyond in response to the pandemic.
Between Sunday 6 and Tuesday 8 December, they will travel 1,250 miles, meeting frontline workers, volunteers, care home staff, teachers, schoolchildren and young people to hear about their experiences.
A spokesperson for Kensington Palace said: “The Duke and Duchess are very much looking forward to shining a spotlight on the incredible work that has been done across the country throughout this difficult year and to sharing their gratitude on behalf of the nation for all those supporting their local communities ahead of the Christmas holidays.”
It is understood they want the nationwide tour to tell a poignant story of the year, but in an uplifting way.
Along the way their engagements will feature several festive performances by local artists, helping to showcase the UK’s arts, heritage and performance sector, which has been supported by the government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.
Ahead of the trip, 10-year-old British artist Joe Whale, also known as the Doodle Boy, has created a doodle to bring the journey to life.
The Queen is a known to be a huge fan of travelling by train, but in recent decades the Royal Train has not been used in this way for such an ambitious national tour over several days.
Queen Victoria was the first reigning British sovereign to use it in June 1842.
The journey was from Slough, the closest train station to Windsor Castle, to London Paddington.
For Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 a single set of “Royal Train” carriages were formed for the first time and have remained in service ever since.
The locomotives that power the train are capable of speeds up to 125mph, but when they are on Royal duty they are restricted to 100mph.
(c) Sky News 2020: COVID-19: William and Kate to set off on Royal Train journey to thank UK’s coronavirus heroes
