Princess Kate and Princess Charlotte took the Kate Middleton Princess Charlotte train ride on the Elizabeth line through Central London on Saturday, and Charlotte was described as looking almost amazed as she looked around the carriage. They got off at Tottenham Court Road, where Catherine held Charlotte’s hand as they stepped out.
TfL’s Elizabeth line carriage
The pair were seated on TfL’s newest tube line with their security detail and other members of the public. A source told HELLO! that, “They spoke to members of the public sitting across from them.”
The same source said, “Catherine had her phone with her and was looking at her phone for a couple of minutes.” The journey was short, but it placed the Princess of Wales and Charlotte in the same carriage as ordinary passengers rather than in a private vehicle.
Princess Charlotte on public transport
The outing stood out because Princess Charlotte’s public train ride was described as rare. She is in Year 8 at Lambrook Preparatory School in Berkshire, and the carriage scene offered a brief view of her traveling in a way that is not typical for members of the royal family.
The source said, “The security didn’t make it obvious they were there and they tried to make it as ‘normal’ as possible.” It also said, “They seemed very relaxed and were chatting together, smiling.” Another account described it as “a brief interaction with people opposite them but they seemed very happy.”
Previous royal journeys
The Saturday trip fits a pattern of royal journeys on public transport, though the details differ each time. The Prince and Princess of Wales rode on the Elizabeth line for the first time in 2023 to travel to a pub in Soho. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were at Baker Street station in 2013 for the 150th anniversary of the London Underground.
Princess Diana also took Prince William and Prince Harry on the underground when they were children, and Ken wrote in Guarding Diana that Harry requested to ride on one of London’s red buses in 1992. Ken said he arranged for them to travel on a Routemaster instead of being chauffeur-driven to Smollensky’s Balloon restaurant on The Strand in 1992.
For passengers on the Elizabeth line, the sighting ended as quickly as it began: Catherine and Charlotte disembarked at Tottenham Court Road after a short ride among commuters. The route left one detail unanswered, though the day’s trip made clear that the pair used the line like any other travelers for at least part of the journey.
