Although Queen Elizabeth II has been the UK's monarch for more than 66 years now, we still know almost nothing about her. What's her favourite TV show? Does she think pineapple on pizza is acceptable? Was she a 'yanny' or a 'laurel'? We have absolutely no idea and it seems Her Majesty will remain an enigma for quite some time to come.
One thing we can guess about the 92-year-old though? She is a massive fan of Prince Harry's new wife, Meghan Markle.
We know this because she has reportedly extended an invitation to Meghan that she has never offered to Prince Harry, his brother Prince William or his wife, Kate Middleton.
The brand new Duchess of Sussex has been invited onboard the Queen's Royal Train for their joint trip to Cheshire. While this may seem like not that big a deal, it's actually quite a milestone for the Queen, who is believed to have never welcomed a young royal to ride with her.
In fact, normally the Queen and her husband Prince Philip, as well as their son Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall (and associated staff of the Royal Household), are the only royals who are entitled to use the lavish Royal Train.
Prince William is thought to have used it once in 2003 on his birthday tour when he travelled to Wales (without the Queen), while Prince Harry and the Duchess of Cambridge are not believed to have ridden it before in an official capacity at all. It's senior royals only you see, and the former American actress seems to have gotten her feet under the table.
The pair will be visiting Cheshire on Thursday and it’s been reported that their train will be travelling on Wednesday morning to arrive at Runcorn Station on Thursday morning. As you may have gathered, the trip is an overnight one, which gives the two plenty of time to chat. Who knows, maybe they'll have a little gossip about that spectacular wedding.
It's been reported by People that the reigning monarch feels that the 36-year-old needs a "steadying hand" in the early days of her royal life. "The Queen knows the potential pitfalls of not giving [new members] a guiding hand," Ingrid Seward, author of the recent biography of the Queen and Prince Philip, My Husband & I, reportedly told the magazine. "It’s all about the monarchy. She can’t expect Meghan to know everything without being shown."
She continued to say: "She [the Queen] doesn’t want 70 years of hard work to be for nothing. I’m sure she feels Meghan needs a steadying hand in these early days."
If it is true that the leader of the royal family feels her new granddaughter-in-law needs a helping hand, the Royal Train is not at all a bad place to kick this into action. Described as "Buckingham Palace on wheels", the luxurious means of transport is only used a handful of times a year, and comes complete with a smoking room, bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and a 12-seater dining room.
So, could this be the start of a beautiful friendship? We sure hope so! We wish the Queen and Meghan all the best on their first royal appointment together.
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