As the British nation, the Commonwealth, and the whole world, mourn the loss of the second-longest serving monarch in history, we wanted to look back at how Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II travelled on numerous aircraft throughout her life.
Holding the highest office in the UK for over seventy years, Queen Elizabeth II was frequently required to travel internationally. In that time, she has flown million of miles around the globe as the head of state and ambassador for Great Britain. During those journeys, she has used various aircraft, including private jets or helicopters.
The list ranges from the propellor-driven aircraft in the 50s, supersonic flight on Concorde in the 70s and the iconic Boeing 747 from the 2000s.
1952: The Argonaut
On January 31st, 1952, Princess Elizabeth boarded a British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) Argonaut with her husband, Prince Philip.
She was on tour to Kenya to stand in for King George VI, who at the time was too ill to travel. The decision to fly with the Argonaut, an upgraded Douglas DC-4 produced by Canadair, drew significant attention and criticism.
At the time, BOAC usually flew its British-built Handley Page Hermes aircraft on routes to Kenya, and replacing this with a Canadian-built propliner for the royal visit was seen as a snub. But Key Aero reports that Her Royal Highness’s requirements instrumented the change of plane. She wished to stop on the flight from London to Nairobi at El Adem in Libya, which was too much for the Hermes to make. Hence, one of BOAC’s 22 Argonauts was tasked to carry the future Queen on her trip to Africa.