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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will set out on a festive UK train journey to bring some holiday cheer as they thank the heroes of the coronavirus.
Prince William and Kate will use the royal train to travel to Scotland, England and Wales, stopping to pay tribute to the people and organizations who have gone the extra mile in response to the pandemic.
Between Sunday 6 and Tuesday 8 December, they will travel 1,250 miles, meeting with frontline workers, volunteers, nursing home staff, teachers, school children and youth to learn about their experiences.
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to thank UK coronavirus heroes on tour
A Kensington Palace spokesperson said: “The Duke and Duchess are eager to highlight the incredible work that has been done across the country during this difficult year and share their gratitude on behalf of the nation to all who support their local communities before the Christmas holidays. “
It is understood that they want the national tour to tell a moving story of the year, but in an uplifting way.
Along the way, their engagements will feature several festive performances by local artists, helping to showcase the UK arts, heritage and performance sector, which has been funded by the £ 1.57k Cultural Recovery Fund. millions from the government.
Before the trip, 10-year-old British artist Joe Whale, also known as Doodle Boy, created a doodle to bring the trip to life.
School artist Joe Whale has created a doodle to mark the journey
The Queen is known to be a huge fan of train travel, but in recent decades the Royal Train has not been used in this way for such an ambitious national tour for several days.
Queen Victoria was the first reigning British sovereign to use it in June 1842.
The journey was from Slough, the nearest train station to Windsor Castle, to London Paddington.
For Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee in 1977, a unique set of “Royal Train” carriages was first formed and they have remained in service ever since.
The locomotives that power the train are capable of speeds of up to 125 mph, but when in actual service they are restricted to 100 mph.
