Queen Camilla joined commuters on a train from Chippenham to London Paddington today, participating in the Great Western Railway’s ‘Poppies to Paddington’ initiative, which sees wreaths transported for a special remembrance service.
Boarding the 9.28am service from the station in Wiltshire, the Queen travelled with wreaths in a train named after the decorated Second World War spy, Odette Hallowes GC MBE.
Before her departure, Camilla was greeted at Chippenham station by pupils from Monkton Park School.
Year 5 and 6 students, who had learned to crochet specifically for the project, presented her with a handmade wreath. They also crafted additional poppies to sell, raising funds for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.
Sporting a crocheted poppy pinned to her own black blazer, the Queen admired the offering from 10-year-old Eira Jones, telling the children: “I’m extremely impressed.”
At Paddington train station, Camilla took part in a service attended by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander and former Prime Minister Theresa May.
Camilla placed a wreath of poppies at the war memorial at Platform One at Paddington before the Last Post was sounded to mark the start of the two minutes’ silence.
Earlier, on board the Paddington-bound train, Great Western Railway managing director Mark Hopwood paid tribute to those who served the public after the stabbing on a train in Huntingdon on 1 November.
Mr Hopwood said: “In recent days, we have been reminded again about the quiet courage that runs through this industry.
“The actions of all those involved in the appalling incident at Huntington, not least the LNER train crew, the officers of Cambridgeshire and the British Transport Police, showed calm, compassion and bravery in the face of quite unimaginable circumstances.
“Their actions embody the same values of services and care that have always defined our industry.”
Following the service, which included a performance by the Military Wives Choir, Camilla laid a wreath in front of the memorial, which was set against a backdrop of drapes of poppies made by a GWR employee.
Camilla was then shown a special liveried train which features the names of all 2,545 former-GWR workers who died in the First World War.
Two relatives of those named on the train, Jane Brook, 51, from Exeter, and Adrian Russell, 58, from Swindon, told the Queen of their family members’ service.
Ms Brook described meeting Camilla as “surreal”, adding: “I’m very proud to be stood next to Great Uncle Harry, I feel like it’s a memory for him.”
Private Western, who served in the 8th Devonshire Regiment, was an engine cleaner at GWR’s Exeter depot. He was killed at the age of 21 in the Battle of Arras in 1917.
Ms Brook, who is a driving training administrator, works at the same depot as her great uncle, a connection she described as “really special”.
She said: “To be stood next to (a photograph of) him and meet Queen Camilla was just massive – to know that he hasn’t been forgotten amongst all the thousands of other people.”
Mr Russell said it was a “great honour” to represent the company and his great, great uncle Raymond William, who worked as a labourer in the carriage works in Swindon.
Like four generations of his family before him, Mr Russell works at GWR’s Swindon branch.
He is also part of the volunteer team that sells poppies at the station during the Poppy Appeal.
The train manager and assessor said: “The honour of meeting the queen has just blown me out of the water, to be honest. It’s a bit of a blur.
“I was saying (to the Queen), I’m fourth generation railway. She said that’s a good thing – she understands the passion behind it.”
