Seal of approval: The Queen invites Meghan to attend royal event – without Prince Harry
The Duchess of Sussex is set to complete her first royal engagement without her husband Prince Harry, but she will instead be at the right-hand side of a different royal companion – the Queen.
The royal pair are departing for Cheshire today and they will travel on the luxury Royal Train overnight, reported The Sun.
The luxury Royal Train has nine carriages and Meghan will sleep in one of the ensuite bedrooms and dine with the Queen in her 12-seater dining room.
The trip is a huge honour for Meghan and reportedly even Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate have not yet ridden on board the Royal Train.
Generally, a train ride from London to Cheshire only takes around two hours, however, the Queen’s train moves at a much slower pace
The Queen opts to take the Royal Train to official engagements when she wants to make the long-distance journey overnight, rather than waking up early in the morning.
Meghan’s day with the Queen will consist of watching her officially open the Mersey Gateway Bridge in Widnes and the Storyhouse cultural centre in Chester.
The pair will then watch a performance by a dance company called Fallen Angels, which exists for recovering addicts.
The royals will then enjoy a medley of songs from the Storyhouse’s latest production A Little Night Music and then, watch local schoolkids perform songs with actors from Swallows and Amazons.
Meghan’s bonding with Her Royal Majesty will be concluded with a lunch outing to Chester Town Hall.
Described as “Buckingham Palace on wheels”, the Royal Train was launched in 1842 during Queen Victoria’s reign as she disliked travelling by coach.
The royal family use the train for extended holidays around the country and it is fitted with a full kitchen staff who cook meals to the standard of the royal palaces.
The Queen’s private quarters are 75ft long and is decorated with a plush carpet, paintings of Scottish landscapes and air suspension to avoid a rocky ride.
There is a roster of 150 special drivers who are allowed to take control of the Royal Train.