King Charles embarked on a special London outing, where he met officers who responded to the fatal Bedfordshire train crash.
On Wednesday, July 8, the monarch hailed the "remarkable efforts" of British Transport Police officers during a visit to the force's new headquarters in central London.
Prince Harry's out-of-the-spotlight outing
The heartfelt visit came as it was reported that Prince Harry stepped out in London for a visit to the Royal Hospital Chelsea on Day 2 of the Invictus Week.
The outing was not captured by journalists, as the Duke of Sussex made a secret entrance inside the veterans’ nursing facility through a side entrance.
King Charles met first responders of the Bedfordshire crash
During Charles' visit, he spoke with officers who attended the scene of the June 19 collision in Elstow and praised the force for keeping rail networks safe.
Charles met Pc Dave Sheldrick, the first BTP officer to arrive at the scene, as well as other staff involved in the emergency response, including family liaison officers.
He said, "I’m very very pleased to be able to do this and, if I may say so, congratulate the whole of the British Transport Police... for remarkable efforts all the time, all over this country."
"And I know from travelling for all these years what a difference they make," Charles added.
While attending the opening of the force's new headquarters in central London, the King also met a range of officers from various BTP units, from firearms officers and dog handlers to drone specialists and others tackling violence against women and girls.
About the Bedfordshire train crash
The Bedfordshire collision involved two East Midlands Railway services and resulted in the death of 60-year-old train driver Shaun Burton.
According to the initial report, Burton passed a red signal before the crash, which injured 162 people, 102 of whom required hospital treatment.
Notably, the visit was part of the official opening of BTP's new headquarters in central London, and King Charles also unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion.
BTP is a national special police force responsible for patrolling the railway network, covering over 10,000 miles of track and more than 3,000 stations and depots across England, Wales and Scotland.
