As the roads filled up on the eve of lockdown, it seems not even the Queen could escape ‘Covid gridlock’.
Eye-witnesses spotted her stuck in traffic on Wednesday afternoon as she returned to Windsor after an official engagement.
Mobile phone pictures taken by a member of the public showed the Queen’s convoy of three Range Rovers and motorcycle outriders driving on the wrong side of the road to bypass a queue in Chiswick High Road, west London.
At the time, around 4pm, London residents were starting to flee to second homes and family outside the capital before the national lockdown came in at midnight.
By 6pm there were 1,200 miles of queues across London’s roads, with 2,624 traffic jams recorded.
Mobile phone pictures taken by a member of the public showed the Queen’s convoy of three Range Rovers and motorcycle outriders driving on the wrong side of the road to bypass a queue in Chiswick High Road, west London
Paying her respects: The Queen, 94, travelled by car from Windsor Castle to London to commemorate the centenary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior, according to the Court Circular. The Queen was photographed leaving Windsor Castle yesterday (pictured) before returning two hours later but the reason for the outing was not announced
It comes after it was revealed the Queen made an unannounced visit to Westminster Abbey yesterday.
The Queen, 94, travelled by car from Windsor Castle to London to commemorate the centenary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior, according to the Court Circular.
She was greeted by the Dean of Westminster Abbey, The Very Reverend David Hoyle.
The Unknown Soldier was buried at Westminster Abbey on 11 November 1920 but lockdown restrictions mean commemorations had to take place in advance.
The Queen was photographed leaving Windsor Castle yesterday before returning two hours later but the reason for the outing was not announced.
Eye-witnesses spotted her stuck in traffic on Wednesday afternoon as she returned to Windsor after an official engagement
A very busy Old Kent Road at the Elephant and Castle at 6.50am on the first morning of the new lock-down
Tribute: The Unknown Soldier was buried at Westminster Abbey on 11 November 1920 but lockdown restrictions mean commemorations had to take place in advance. File image
She looked sombre in a black ensemble, typically only worn while in mourning, attending a funeral, or for Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday services.
The Court Circular for November 4 reads: ‘The Queen this morning commemorated the Centenary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey, London SW1, and was received at the Great West Door by the Dean of Westminster (the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle).’
The Queen has carried out only a handful of engagements since March and is expected to keep a low profile over the next month as she and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, spend lockdown together at Windsor Castle.
The Duchess of Cornwall also carried out an engagement at Westminster Abbey yesterday, standing in for Prince Harry to visit the Field of Remembrance.
She then stood in front of crosses from the Graves of the Unknown as the Dean offered prayers, before solemnly laying her own cross of remembrance and bowing her head in reflection.
Royal commemorations: The Duchess of Cornwall also carried out an engagement at Westminster Abbey yesterday, standing in for Prince Harry to visit the Field of Remembrance
A bugler played the Last Post, followed by a two-minute silence, and then Exhortation to Remembrance, as Big Ben chimed at 2pm.
Afterwards the duchess toured the 308 plots filled with more than 60,000 crosses and symbols of all faiths, laid by staff and volunteers, with Surgeon Rear Admiral Lionel Jarvis, President of The Poppy Factory.
Remembrance Sunday services, which are traditionally part of communal worship, cannot go ahead as planned on November 8 due to lockdown restrictions
However, rather than being banned entirely the Government has set out a series of guidelines for local authorities and faith leaders hoping to hold the services.