Kate Middleton and Prince William: Public discuss royal’s visit
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge recently embarked on an ambitious, three-day, 10-stop,1,250-mile tour of the UK to meet communities affected by coronavirus and thank key workers. While overall there was a joyous response to their trip, there was some backlash due to the cost associated with the Royal Train. One expert has claimed it cost around £20,000 just to “get it off the tracks” and estimated that it may have cost £60,000 in total for the trip.
However, he emphasised that they did a lot of miles very quickly and that there are logistical problems with travelling by other means, such as by car.
Pod Save the Queen is hosted by Ann Gripper and features Daily Mirror royal editor Russell Myers.
Discussing last week’s mini royal tour, Mr Myers said: “Controversially, it does cost a lot of money.
“Just to get it off the tracks it probably costs about £20,000 a time, so I imagine this trip will probably come in at about between £50,000 and £60,000.
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Kate and William’s Royal Train tour may have cost up to £60,000 (Image: GETTY)
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge next to the Royal Train (Image: GETTY)
“However, they did a lot of miles, they can’t be in the back of a car, because you might get caught short and you have to stop for a wee on the M6.”
In the 2019/2020 financial year, the Royal Train was used three times ‒ once by the Queen and twice by the Prince of Wales ‒ and every time cost around £20,000.
On April 7 and 8, 2019, Prince Charles travelled from Kemble to Carlisle on the Royal Train, costing £20,822.
During his trip he visited Pirelli Tyres Limited, as Carlisle was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the firm’s factory, and opened the new Windermere Jetty Museum of Boats, Steams and Stories.
Kate and William wearing masks during their Royal Train tour (Image: GETTY)
Then, he visited the Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team, attended a meeting at the University of Cumbria and visited the Hawkshead Relish Company Limited to mark the firm’s 20th anniversary.
On June 27 and 28, 2019, the Queen took the Royal Train from London Euston to Croy and then to Edinburgh, costing £22,696.
She spent Royal Week at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, including a visit to Greenfaulds High School to meet teachers and members of staff and watched a performance by North Lanarkshire Schools’ Pipe Band.
She also attended a Gaelic poetry recital by a pupil from Condorrat Primary School and a Gaelic song by pupils of East Dunbartonshire String Ensemble.
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Prince Charles getting off the Royal Train in Cardiff in 2018 (Image: GETTY)
The Queen and Meghan Markle getting off the Royal Train in Cheshire in 2018 (Image: GETTY)
Then, on February 20, 2020, Prince Charles took the Royal Train from London Euston to the Severn Tunnel Junction, costing £19,737.
While in Wales, he visited the C.A.F. train manufacturer in Newport to officially open the factory and visited Aston Martin in St Athan to open their factory.
He also visited British Airways in Rhoose to mark the centenary and visited the Marie Curie Hospice in Penarth.
In total, the Royal Train cost £63,255 for just three trips.
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Kate and William’s Royal Tour started in London Euston, where they thanked transport workers and were seen off by Shakin’ Stevens performing Merry Christmas Everyone.
They then headed to Scotland on the overnight train, where they visited the Scottish Ambulance Service in Edinburgh and a school in Berwick, before heading to a community centre in Batley to meet volunteers, finishing their day at a food bank in Manchester.
The next day, they met students at Cardiff Castle, a care home in Bath, a hospital in Reading and finished by reuniting with the Queen and the other five senior royals at Windsor Castle, albeit socially distanced.
Photographs of the eight royals, with the Queen in the middle surrounded by Prince Charles and Camilla, the Cambridges, Prince Edward and Sophie, and Princess Anne, was an iconic shot highlighting the core Royal Family.
Kate and William’s Royal Train tour ended with the Queen and other royals in Windsor (Image: GETTY)
Mr Myers said: “I just loved the photograph of the Queen in the centre.
“It’s a great show of unity and I think this was very carefully planned.
“I understand that this came from the very top, the Queen thought it would be a great idea and support for William and Kate’s tour, but also get this one opportunity together for one photograph.
“Obviously they were together for the Commonwealth Day Service on March 9 and they were also together at the Cenotaph, but they were dotted around.
“So the optics of this one photo ‒ the eight senior members of the Royal Family together ‒ is very, very powerful.”
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