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'Secrets of Royal Travel'
(DVD / G / 2020 / PBS)

Overview: The British Royal Family are the most well-travelled monarchy in history. The Queen alone has been around the world 42 times, clocking up over one million air miles.

This series tells the inside story of the monarchy on the move, taking us inside some of the most famous and yet secretive transport in the world.

DVD Verdict: The conveyance of royalty, whether to Balmoral or Buffalo, by steam or by jet, has always had its own mysterious traditions and protocols.

These two programs open the door to the private world of the Royal Train and the Royal Flight. With exclusive insight from the people responsible for looking after the Queen and her family as they travel Britain and the globe, this remarkable archive of unexpected stories offers a rare insight into the Royals.

Watching along as we also climb on board the world's most exclusive locomotive and take to the skies for the five-star luxury of the Queen's Flight, we also learn along the way that this British Royal Train is used to convey senior members of the British royal family and associated staff of the Royal Household around the railway network of Great Britain; and is owned by Network Rail, and is maintained and operated by DB Cargo UK.

Indeed, the Royal Train comprises a dedicated set of claret liveried sleeper, dining and lounge carriages. The current rolling stock dates from 1977–1987. They are arranged according to requirements, and stored when not in use.

The earliest royal coaches date back to the mid-19th century in the reign of Queen Victoria; until an upgrade in 1977 there were multiple sets based in different regions, a legacy of the pre-nationalization era of railways in Britain.

Furthermore, many are now in museums or on heritage railways; the National Railway Museum in York has a royal themed exhibition.

As for the Air transport for the British Royal Family and the Government of the United Kingdom, that is provided, depending on circumstances and availability, by a variety of military and civilian operators.

This includes an Airbus Voyager of the Royal Air Force, No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron and The Queen's Helicopter Flight which forms part of the Royal Household. Civil aircraft and scheduled commercial flights are also utilized.

In a trip down memory lane, we learn that the first aircraft ordered specifically for transport of the Royal Family, two Westland Wapitis, were delivered to No. 24 Squadron at RAF Northolt in April 1928.

Between 1929 and 1935 the Prince of Wales purchased thirteen aircraft. Although the RAF maintained at least one of these aircraft for a time the Prince of Wales eventually became solely responsible for the aircraft.

When the Prince ascended to the throne in 1936 as Edward VIII, The King's Flight was formed as the world's first head of state aircraft unit.

In contrast the first flight of a sitting U.S. president was in January 1943. This unit initially used the King's own de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide. All this and more can be viewed here on the just-released PBS documentary 'Secrets of Royal Travel.' This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.78:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs.

www.PBS.org





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