The Queen looks thrilled as she tries out an Oyster card during surprise appearance

Queen Elizabeth II attends the Elizabeth line's official opening at Paddington Station on May 17, 2022 in London, England
(Image credit: Getty Images / Andrew Matthews - WPA Pool)

The Queen delighted royal fans and commuters as she made a surprise appearance at the opening of the new Elizabeth Line in London's Paddington. 

Her Majesty’s attendance at the official opening of the Elizabeth Line shocked fans and onlookers as it was thought she would skip the event due to ongoing ‘episodic’ mobility issues

However, despite her recent health struggles, she arrived at the central London station, wearing a lovely yellow coat, with her son Prince Edward by her side, looking absolutely thrilled.

Queen Elizabeth II arrives to mark the completion of London's Crossrail project at Paddington Station on May 17, 2022 in London, England.

The lovely moment was captured and posted on the Royal Family’s Instagram account with the caption, “🚆Celebrating the opening of the Elizabeth Line! Named in honour of The Queen, today Her Majesty and The Earl of Wessex visited Paddington Station ahead of the new line opening to passengers next week.

"The Queen and The Earl met those who have been key to the Crossrail project, as well those who will be running the railway - including apprentices, drivers, and station staff.”

A photo posted by on

Fans were delighted to see her looking so well and quickly took to social media to remark on her glowing appearance.

One wrote, “She looks amazing!”

Another commented, “Lovely to see the Queen out and about!”

Queen Elizabeth II using a oyster card machine as she attends the Elizabeth line's official opening at Paddington Station on May 17, 2022 in London, England.

And a third fan voiced their approval for her spring-inspired ensemble, writing, “Lovely to see our Queen, she looks gorgeous in yellow.”

Along with her surprise visit, the Queen also treated commuters to the sight of her trying out her very own Oyster card.

The 96-year-old beamed as she was shown how to use the ticket machines and even used her commemorative card to purchase the first-ever ticket for the Elizabeth Line.

Naomi Jamieson
Lifestyle News Writer

Naomi is a Lifestyle News Writer with the Lifestyle team and has recently earned her Gold Standard Diploma in Journalism from the NCTJ. She has a background in design, having studied Illustration at Plymouth University but has taken a leap into the world of journalism after always having a passion for writing. She currently writes pieces on beauty, fashion, and entertainment for Goodto.com and My Imperfect Life.