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Elizabeth, wearing a bright yellow hat and coat and using a
walking stick, unveiled a plaque at Paddington Station. She was
joined by her son Edward and Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
It is the latest public outing for the 96-year-old monarch who,
despite missing a speech in parliament last week due to mobility
issues, twice attended a horse show at her Windsor Castle
residence in recent days.
"In a happy development Her Majesty The Queen is attending
today's event to mark the completion of the Elizabeth line," a
Buckingham Palace spokesperson said.
The $24 billion rail project was originally due to be opened in
December 2018, but had been repeatedly delayed by issues with
safety testing and signalling systems, even before the onset of
the pandemic.
Originally named 'Crossrail', the Elizabeth line will connect
destinations west of London, including Heathrow airport and
Reading with Shenfield in the east. It will open to the public
on May 24.
Elizabeth has been seen in public on only a few occasions after
she spent a night in hospital last October for an unspecified
illness, after which she was told to rest by her doctors.
She has since carried out duties either remotely or in person at
her Windsor Castle home and did not attend last week's state
opening of parliament.
(Reporting by William James, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)
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