King Charles tells Tube passengers to 'mind the gap' in special coronation announcement
Tube and train passengers got a royal surprise on their commute on Friday morning as King Charles reminded them to "mind the gap".
The familiar TfL voice announcement was replaced by the King and Queen Camilla on the eve of the coronation as the capital geared up for the historic occasion.
Train passengers on platforms across the UK were greeted by Charles and the Queen Consort on Friday, which will be played over the Bank Holiday Weekend at every railway station and all London Underground stations, industry body the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) said.
In the message, the King begins by telling passengers: “My wife and I wish you and your families a wonderful coronation weekend.”
Camilla then says: “Wherever you are travelling, we hope you have a safe and pleasant journey.”
The message concludes with Charles adding: “And remember, please mind the gap.”
The announcement was recorded at Highgrove earlier this year by the audio team from Transport for London.
On Thursday, the Prince and Princess of Wales jumped on the Elizabeth line and pull a coronation-themed pint at a Soho pub.
After the roughly 20-minute journey, in which William “confidently” used his Oyster card, they visited the pub, where they both ordered a pint of cider.
RDG chief executive Jacqueline Starr said: “The coronation is a rare and exciting event and we very much look forward to welcoming passengers with this special message.
“It’s wonderful that Their Majesties are including rail passengers as part of this historic moment.”
Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines said: “Our station colleagues are pulling out all the stops to welcome people to London for the coronation and it’s fantastic that they will also be welcomed by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.”
London’s Transport Commissioner Andy Lord said: “With less than one day to go before the coronation, we look forward to hosting Londoners and visitors from across the globe.“We are honoured to support the celebrations with a special station announcement across our network from Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.”
Listen to the latest episode of the Royal Rota podcast