The Queen and Prince Philip Kick Off Royal Christmas With Their Annual Train Ride

Royal Christmas has officially begun!

A few days after the annual Christmas lunch with her family, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip arrived at King's Lynn station in Norfolk, England, on Thursday, on their way to Sandringham where they will spend Christmas with the royal family (including new addition Meghan Markle). The couple famously take the train from London King's Cross every year, commandeering a first class carriage of a standard Great Northern train service.

Dressed in one of her trademark bright-colored coats topped with a headscarf (well, she wouldn't want to mess up her perfect hairdo), the Queen led the way as she stepped off the train. Her husband of 70 years followed behind, having clearly caught up with a spot of reading on the one-hour-and-40-minute journey: he was seen holding a copy of Frank Zollner's Michelangelo: The Complete Paintings, Sculptures and Architecture as he stepped off the train.

From King's Lynn, it's just a short drive to Sandringham House, where the Queen will add a few final decorations to her Christmas tree before the rest of the family arrives.