RCVS CEO attends royal naming ceremony for GWR train

In May 2024, our CEO Lizzie Lockett put on her red boots and packed her marmalade sandwiches to attend a train naming ceremony at London Paddington station in honour of Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal.

Great Western Railway named Intercity Express Train 800024 after the Princess Royal in recognition of her support for more than 300 charities, organisations and military regiments in the UK and overseas.  Lizzie was invited on behalf of the RCVS, as the Princess Royal has long had a link with the College, since becoming an Honorary Associate in 1985.

She said: “Those who know me know that I’m a regular user of trains, most often ones that are either arriving into or departing from Paddington, so I was in both a very familiar and somewhat unfamiliar setting as I lined up with others, including former Prime Minister Theresa May, to congratulate Her Royal Highness.

“It was a great honour to be invited to attend and I had an interesting discussion with Princess Anne on the transportation of horses by rail.”