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It is perhaps somewhat misleading to talk of 'the Royal Train' because the modern train consists of carriages drawn from a total of eight purpose- built saloons, pulled by one of the two Royal Class 47 diesel locomotives,
Prince William or Prince Henry. The exact number and combination of carriages forming a Royal Train is determined by factors such as which member of the Royal family is travelling and the time and duration of the journey. When not pulling the Royal Train, the two locomotives are used for general duties.

The Royal Train enables members of the Royal family to travel overnight, at times when the weather is too bad to fly, and to work and hold meetings during lengthy journeys. It has modern office and communications facilities. Journeys on the train are always organised so as not to interfere with scheduled services. (Where appropriate, The Queen and other members of the Royal family use scheduled services for their official journeys.)

The carriages are a distinctive maroon with red and black coach lining and a grey roof. The carriages available include the royal compartments, sleeping, dining and support cars. The Queen's Saloon has a bedroom, bathroom and a sitting room with an entrance which opens onto the platform.
The Duke of Edinburgh's Saloon has a similar layout plus a kitchen. Fitted out at the former British Rail's Wolverton Works in Buckinghamshire,
Scottish landscapes by Roy Penny and Victorian prints of earlier rail journeys hang in both saloons.

A link with the earliest days of railways is displayed in the Duke of
Edinburgh's Saloon: a piece of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's original broad gauge rail, presented on the 150th anniversary of the Great Western
Railway. (Brunel accompanied Queen Victoria on her inaugural 1842 journey.)

The current Queen's and Duke's Saloons came into service in 1977, when they were extensively used during the Silver Jubilee royal tours. They were not, however, new. They began life in 1972 as prototypes for the standard
Inter-City Mark III passenger carriage and were subsequently fitted out for their royal role at the Wolverton Works. All work on the Royal Train is normally done at Wolverton.

Railtrack PLC manages the Royal Train and owns the rolling stock. Day-to- day operations are conducted by another privatised company, English, Welsh and Scottish Railways. The cost of maintaining and using the train is met by the Royal Household from the Grant-in-Aid which it receives from
Parliament each year for air and rail travel. In 2000-01 the total cost of the Royal Train was Ј596,000; the train made 17 journeys.

A number of former Royal Train carriages are now on display at the
National Railway Museum in York.

ROYAL AIR TRAVEL

The history of Royal flying dates back more than 80 years to 1917, when
The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) became the first member of the
Royal family to fly, in France during the First World War. The Prince went on to become a skilful pilot. From 1930 onwards members of the Royal family made increasing use of aircraft, largely operating from Hendon in north
London. In 1936, on becoming King Edward VIII, the former Prince of Wales was the first British Monarch to fly.

Since then many members of the Royal family have learnt to fly. The Duke of York trained as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot and flew in operations during the 1982 Falklands Conflict - the first member of the Royal family to see active service since the Second World War. In an unblemished flying career spanning more than 40 years The Duke of Edinburgh has flown more different aircraft types than most pilots. The Prince of Wales, too, has accumulated many hours flying both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.

Royal flying was formalised on 21 July 1936 with the creation of The
King's Flight at Hendon. The new flight operated a single twin-engine
Dragon Rapide, G-ADDD, formerly the king's private aircraft. The first
Captain of the King's Flight was Wing Commander E.H. Fielden (who later became an Air Vice-Marshal). The Dragon Rapide was replaced in May 1937 by an Airspeed Envoy III, G-AEXX, the first aircraft purchased specifically for the Flight. The Second World War saw The King's Flight temporarily disbanded, although members of the Royal family continued to fly using military aircraft.

In 1946 The King's Flight was reformed, in greater strength, at RAF
Benson with four Vickers Vikings. The following year all were heavily used during the Royal Tour of South Africa.

After The Queen's accession The King's Flight was renamed The Queen's
Flight. The first helicopter - a Westland Dragonfly - was acquired in
September 1954 and was quickly championed by The Duke of Edinburgh (who qualified as a helicopter pilot the following year). It was replaced in
1958 by two Westland Whirlwinds. In 1964 Hawker Siddeley Andovers were introduced for fixed wing flying and saw more than 25 years of service before being superceded, in the Flight's 50th anniversary year, by the current British Aerospace 146. In June 1969 the Whirlwinds were replaced by two Westland Wessex. These served for nearly 30 years, together making more than 10,000 flights and each flying the equivalent of 20 times around the world, before being replaced on 1 April 1998 by a single Sikorsky S-76.

In 1995, The Queen's Flight was amalgamated with No. 32 Squadron, which was renamed No 32 (The Royal) Squadron. At the same time the squadron moved from RAF Benson to its current location at RAF Northolt.

Nowadays, official flying for members of the Royal family is provided by
BAe 146 and Hawker S125 jet aircraft of No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron, based at RAF Northolt just north west of London, and the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter operated by the Royal Household from Blackbushe Aerodrome in Hampshire. In
2000-01, 32 Squadron had two four-engined BAe 146s (each of which carries
19 to 23 passengers) and five twin-engined HS 125s (each of which carries seven passengers). The Royal Travel Office based at RAF Northolt co- ordinates use of the different types of aircraft by members of the Royal family, ensuring that their use is both appropriate and cost-effective.

In 2000-01, the BAe 146 were used for Royal flying over 142 flying hours, the HS125 for 149 flying hours and the Sikorsky for 459 flying hours. No.
32 (The Royal) Squadron is primarily a Royal Air Force communications flying squadron. In fact, Royal flying accounts for less than 20% of the combined tasking of both the BAe 146 and the HS125, which are more commonly used by senior military officers and Government ministers.

The cost of official royal travel by air is met by the Royal Travel Grant- in-aid, the annual funding provided by the Department of Transport, Local
Government and the Regions (DTLGR). In 2000-01, the cost of official royal travel by 32 Squadron was Ј1,793,000.

Aircraft of No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron have a distinctive red, blue and white livery; the Royal Household S-76 is finished in the red and blue colours of the Brigade of Guards (as were aircraft in the early days of
Royal flying).

Today, the BAe 146 and HS 125 of No 32 (The Royal) Squadron and the Royal
Household's S-76 are used for official duties by The Queen and, at her discretion, other members of the Royal family, continuing a tradition begun with a single aircraft more than 60 years ago.

THE ROYAL FAMILY

MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY

In her role as Head of State The Queen is supported by members of the
Royal Family, who carry out a wide range of public and official duties. The biographies in this section contain information about various members of the Royal Family, including early life and education, professional careers, official Royal work, involvement with charities and other organisations, personal interests and more

HM THE QUEEN

The Queen was born in London on 21 April 1926, the first child of The
Duke and Duchess of York, subsequently King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
Five weeks later she was christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary in the chapel at Buckingham Palace.

The Princess's early years were spent at 145 Piccadilly, the London house taken by her parents shortly after her birth; at White Lodge in
Richmond Park; and at the country homes of her grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary, and the Earl and Countess of Strathmore. When she was six years old, her parents took over Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park as their own country home.

HRH THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich, was born Prince of Greece and Denmark in Corfu on 10 June 1921; the only son of Prince Andrew of Greece. His paternal family is of Danish descent -
Prince Andrew was the grandson of King Christian IX of Denmark. His mother was Princess Alice of Battenberg, the eldest child of Prince Louis of
Battenberg and sister of Earl Mountbatten of Burma. Prince Louis became a naturalised British subject in 1868, joined the Royal Navy and rose to become an Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord in 1914. During the First
World War he changed the family name to Mountbatten and was created
Marquess of Milford Haven. Prince Philip adopted the family name of
Mountbatten when he became a naturalised British subject and renounced his
Royal title in 1947.

Prince Louis married one of Queen Victoria's granddaughters. Thus, The
Queen and Prince Philip both have Queen Victoria as a great-great- grandmother. They are also related through his father's side. His paternal grandfather, King George I of Greece, was Queen Alexandra's brother.

HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES AND FAMILY

The Prince of Wales, eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip,
Duke of Edinburgh, is heir apparent to the throne.

The Prince was born at Buckingham Palace on 14 November 1948, and was christened Charles Philip Arthur George.

When, on the accession of Queen Elizabeth in 1952, he became heir apparent, Prince Charles automatically became Duke of Cornwall under a charter of King Edward III dating back to 1337, which gave that title to the Sovereign's eldest son. He also became, in the Scottish Peerage, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick and Baron Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and
Prince and Great Steward of Scotland.

The Prince was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester in 1958. In
1968, The Prince of Wales was installed as a Knight of the Garter. The Duke of Rothesay (as he is known in Scotland) was appointed a Knight of the
Thistle in 1977. In June 2002 The Prince of Wales was appointed to the
Order of Merit.

HRH THE DUKE OF YORK

The Duke of York was born on 19 February 1960 at Buckingham Palace. He is the second son and the third child of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh.
He was the first child to be born to a reigning monarch for 103 years.
Named Andrew Albert Christian Edward he was known as Prince Andrew until his marriage, when he was created The Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and
Baron Killyleagh.

TRH THE EARL AND COUNTESS OF WESSEX

The Earl of Wessex is the third son and youngest child of The Queen and
The Duke of Edinburgh. He was born on 10 March 1964 and christened Edward
Antony Richard Louis at Buckingham Palace. He was known as Prince Edward until his marriage, when he was created The Earl of Wessex and Viscount
Severn; at the same time it was announced that His Royal Highness will eventually succeed to the title of The Duke of Edinburgh.

In March 1989, The Queen appointed Prince Edward a Commander of the Royal
Victorian Order.

HRH PRINCESS ROYAL

The Princess Royal, the second child and only daughter of The Queen and
The Duke of Edinburgh, was born at Clarence House, London, on 15 August
1950, when her mother was Princess Elizabeth, heir presumptive to the throne. She was baptised Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise at Buckingham Palace on 21 October 1950.

She received the title Princess Royal from The Queen in June 1987; she was previously known as Princess Anne. Her Royal Highness is the seventh holder of the title.

In 1994 The Queen appointed The Princess a Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. In 2000, to mark her 50th birthday, The Princess Royal was appointed to the Order of the Thistle, in recognition of her work for charities.

HRH PRINCESS ALICE

Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester is the widow of the late Duke of
Gloucester, third son of George V.

Lady Alice Christabel Montagu Douglas Scott was born on Christmas Day,
1901 at Montagu House, London. She was the third daughter of the seventh
Duke of Buccleuch, who had been a fellow midshipman of the future king
George V.

Lady Alice was educated at home until the age of 12. She then went to school at West Malvern, spending a year in Paris before returning home to be presented at Court in 1920. Lady Alice has greatly enjoyed outdoor pursuits, including skiing, and has been an accomplished watercolourist.
She also travelled widely, living for many months in Kenya and also spending time in India on a visit to her brother.

TRH THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF GLOUCESTER

Born in 1944, The Duke of Gloucester is the second son of the late Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. He is a grandson of George V and a first cousin to The Queen. He succeeded his father as
Duke of Gloucester in June 1974.

In July 1972 Prince Richard (as he was then known) married Birgitte Eva van Deurs from Odense, Denmark at St Andrew's Church, Barnwell,
Northamptonshire. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester have three children:
(Alexander) Earl of Ulster, born in 1974; The Lady Davina Windsor, born in
1977; and The Lady Rose Windsor, born in 1980.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester both carry out a large number of official engagements each year, individually and together. They undertake visits in regions throughout the United Kingdom and travel abroad on official visits and to support their varied patronages.

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