QUEEN'S BENTLEY BREAKS DOWN WHILE TOURING LONDON

QUEEN ELIZABETH II RECENTLY FOUND THE TUBE MORE RELIABLE THAN HER BENTLEY. AFTER LEAVING ALDGATE STATION, ONE OF SEVERAL STOPS ON A ROYAL TOUR OF THE CITY OF LONDON, HER MAJESTY'S OFFICIAL CAR BROKE DOWN, FORCING HER TO HITCH A RIDE WITH A POLICE OFFICER. THE VINTAGE ARMOUR-PLATED BENTLEY, A GIFT TO THE QUEEN TO MARK HER GOLDEN JUBILEE IN 2002, FAILED TO START AS SHE SAT IN THE BACK SEAT OUTSIDE THE CITY SKYSCRAPER KNOWN AS THE GHERKIN. AFTER A FRUSTRATING FEW MINUTES IN WHICH THE DRIVER TURNED THE IGNITION KEY REPEATEDLY TO NO AVAIL, THE QUEEN CLIMBED OUT OF THE CAR AND WAS DIRECTED TO A POLICE ESCORT RANGE ROVER, WHICH DROVE HER ON TO THE NEXT ENGAGEMENT AT THE TOWER BRIDGE, WHICH WAS THE FINAL STOP ON HER TOUR. AN ONLOOKER, WHO SAW THE SITUATION UNFOLD SAID: 'IT WAS A BIT AWKWARD. THE QUEEN LOOKED A BIT STUNNED THAT THE CAR WASN'T WORKING. SHE GOT OUT AND AN AIDE TOLD HER SHE WAS GOING TO HAVE TO USE A POLICE RANGE ROVER. SHE JUST HOPPED IN THE BACK AND CONTINUED ON HER JOURNEY.' EARLIER, THE QUEEN HAD BEEN DELIGHTED TO RECEIVE A PERSONALIZED 'BUCKINGHAM PALACE' TUBE STATION SIGN DURING HER VISIT TO ALDGATE, THE SCENE OF ONE OF THE 7.JULY BOMBINGS. SEVEN PASSENGERS WERE KILLED ON A CIRCLE LINE TRAIN AT ALDGATE IN THE ATROCITIES IN THE CAPITAL ON 7.JULY.2005, WHICH CLAIMED THE LIVES OF 52 PEOPLE. THE QUEEN MET TOM O'RIORDAN, A FORMER GROUP STATION MANAGER, WHO WAS ON DUTY AT THE TIME OF THE BOMBINGS, AND WAS SHOWN THE PLAQUE DEDICATED TO THOSE WHO DIED. O'RIORDAN SAID AFTERWARD: 'THE QUEEN SAID (THE BOMBINGS) WASN'T SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT TO HAPPEN. SHE WAS THANKFUL FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE HAD DONE.' AS PRINCESS ELIZABETH, THE QUEEN TRAVELED ON THE UNDERGROUND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MAY 1939, WHEN SHE WAS 13 YEARS OLD, WITH HER GOVERNESS MARION CRAWFORD AND PRINCESS MARGARET. A BUCKINGHAM PALACE SPOKESPERSON CONFIRMED LAST NIGHT THAT AN INCIDENT HAD OCCURRED: 'THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE QUEEN'S BENTLEY DURING HER TOUR OF THE CITY OF LONDON. THE BENTLEY DID EVENTUALLY START A FEW MINUTES LATER BUT IT WAS MOST IMPORTANT FOR HER NOT TO BE LATE FOR HER NEXT ENGAGEMENT, WHICH WAS WHY SHE WENT ON AHEAD. STAFF ARE CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS.'