Prince Charles Rides London Subway

You would never really equate Britain royalty with public transportation, or even imagine them stepping foot on one, until today.

Britain’s Crown Prince Charles changed all that by taking a ride on the London subway Wednesday, the first time he’s done so in 25 years. Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, made the trip with transit officials and local commuters to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the London Underground, the very first subway system in the world.

The Underground is used by 3.5 million commuters everyday, and is also famous for their “mind the gap between the train and the platform” announcement that can be heard before passengers board the train. Prince Charles only rode the Underground for one stop, from Farringdon to King’s Cross on the Metropolitan Line, which is the oldest part of the subway system, opening in 1863.

The last time Prince Charles stepped foot on the Underground was in 1986, which is when he and the late Princess Diana took the Tube to Heathrow Airport to open a new terminal.

I.M.