The Queen opens new Elizabeth line in London

The new line has been named in honour of Queen Elizabeth II

The Queen has made a surprise visit to Paddington station to see the completed Elizabeth line.

The Queen, who was accompanied by her youngest son, the Earl of Wessex, was greeted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the mayor of London Sadiq Khan.

While at the station, the Queen and Prince Edward met people involved in the project including station staff, train drivers and apprentices.

To mark the opening, Queen Elizabeth II also unveiled a plaque stating she had officially opened the line named after her.

She was even shown how to use an Oyster payment card to get through the barriers.

It was not known whether The Queen would be able to attend the opening of the line.

She has recently been suffering from some mobility issues and has had to cancel a number of public appearances including The Queen's speech last week.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "In a happy development, Her Majesty The Queen is attending today's event to mark the completion of the Elizabeth line."

The Elizabeth Line will open nearly three-and-a-half years late

The Crossrail project will open to the public on 24 May. It was originally due to be completed in December 2018.

It will stretch from Reading, in Berkshire, and Heathrow Airport, in west London, to Shenfield, in Essex, and Abbey Wood, in south-east London.