The train ride
It was an all-around excitement and anticipation in Chester as The Queen is accompanied by the Duchess of Sussex for several engagements in the city. Her Majesty and the Duchess spent the night on the Royal Train and arrived at the Runcorn railway station in the morning. The Royal Train is a nine-carriage train which has been used since 1842. The train ride was a great opportunity for the Queen to spend time with her new granddaughter-in-law. Before getting off the train, the two shared breakfast together. The outing depicts the Duchess’ first engagement with the monarch and also her first day of duty without Prince Harry by her side. The couple had been married less than a month ago St George’s Chapel.
The outing
The joint outing kicked off with the opening of the Mersey Gateway Bridge. The bridge is a multimillion-pound transport scheme that runs from Runcorn to Widnes in Cheshire. The most important part of the bridge is the “Mersey Gateway” toll bridge which crosses the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal. Overall, 4640 permanent jobs have been created by the project. The Queen and The Duchess watched a performance by local school children titled ‘Bringing Communities Together. Then, the Duchess met with the architects, planners,and community representatives. Finally, the bridge was officially opened when the Queen unveiled a plaque.
The storyhouse
Their next visit was to the Storyhouse. The storyhouse is a library, theatre and cinema combined. It is one of the country’s most successful cultural buildings and has received over a million customers in its first year. The Queen unveiled a plaque to officially open the storyhouse. The monarch and the Duchess then met with a group of young volunteer called the digital buddies. This group helps the elder member of the community get up to date with the technology in the library. The Royals stopped in on a storytelling session for local nursery children
Chester town hall
Finally, The Queen and The Duchess attended a luncheon as guests of Chester City Council in the city town hall. It was a splendid outing filled with wonderful moments between the Queen and the Duchess. The outing marked the beginning of the Duchess’ official role in the role family and she handled it effortlessly.
