WORLD
Queen Elizabeth II given royal Oyster card for London Jubilee celebrations
Baku, March 28 (AZERTAC). The Queen of UK Elizabeth II has been presented with a Oyster Card at Buckingham Palace to mark the Diamond Jubilee by London Mayor Boris Johnson.
The limited edition commemorative card features a portrait of the monarch, next to the legend; ‘In celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee 1952-2012.’
It is not the first the time cards for using the Tube and buses have featured members of the Royal Family - last year the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton saw 750,000 special edition Oyster cards produced.
But being Queen of the realm means her Majesty is unlikely to ever need to top up her Oyster card in a bid to catch a night bus because the royal car departed without her from an event.
In a speech at Buckingham Palace in Pall Mall, Mayor Johnson hailed the contribution made by Elizabeth Royal to life in London.
“We in London have long been grateful for Your Majesty’s personal commitment to this city,” he said.
“We have not forgotten that in London’s darkest hour, in the Second World War, Your Majesty and Your Majesty’s parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, did not leave the city to face the Blitz alone,” he said.
“In this celebratory year Londoners are full of gratitude for the stability and continuity represented by the sixty years of Your Reign.”
A second special edition Oyster card features a colorful scene of cakes and bunting, a cartoon Buckingham Palace and a table tennis bat and ball – perhaps a reference to the upcoming Olympic Games.