Queen Elizabeth II unveils a plaque to mark the Elizabeth line’s official opening at Paddington station in London (Andrew Matthews/PA)
(Picture: PA )From Shakespeare’s Globe theatre on the Thames to Camden’s British Library, Queen Elizabeth II opened more than 100 buildings in London during her seven decades on the throne.
Between her coronation in 1952 and her death last week at the age of 96, the UK’s longest-serving monarch cut the ribbon on new schools, transport lines, hospitals, theatres, bridges and government buildings.
During her lengthy reign, she oversaw the shifting of architectural styles in the capital, from brutalist buildings on the South Bank to post-modern structures and high-tech buildings by starchitects like Norman Foster and Richard Rogers.
A list, compiled by charity Open City, chalks up more than 122 official openings and inaugurations, stretching from the opening of the Queen’s Building at Heathrow Airport in 1955 to the Elizabeth Line earlier this year.
Here is a selection from each decade.
1950s
The Cutty Sark
The Queen’s reign was so long that she often returned to a building for a second or third time to open new additions or refurbishments. The Cutty Sark, a Victorian tea clipper moored in Greenwich as a public attraction, was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1955.
Mid-way through a major restoration project in 2007, the ship was severely damaged in a major fire leading to £10m worth of damage. Five years later, the Queen reopened the ship once again, accompanied by Prince Philip, who had a long association with the Cutty Sark.
1960s
The Victoria Line
Queen Elizabeth II was the only reigning monarch ever to have ridden the tube. She took a trip on the Victoria Line during its official opening in March 1969, buying her ticket at Green Park and riding to Victoria. It was one of many new lines and stations in London she opened during her reign, including the modern Euston Station in 1968. She also opened the Docklands Light Railway in 1987 and the new Elizabeth Line in 2022.
1970s
Royal National Theatre
In 1976, the Queen opened the National Theatre on London’s South Bank, designed by architect Denys Lasdun. The building inauguration took place 25 years after the Queen laid a foundation stone on the site. At the ceremony, she said the new building would create “that special brand of magic that only theatre can provide … to be enjoyed by people from all walks of life and of every age.”
Together with Prince Philip, the Queen opened the Olivier, Lyttelton, and Cottesloe (now Dorfman) theatres in the complex. The National Theatre formally earned its ‘Royal’ accolade in 1990.
Other theatres opened by the Queen include Shakespeare’s Globe in 1991 and the new Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2011.
1980s
The Barbican Centre
The Queen opened the new £153 million Barbican Centre for Arts and Conferences in the City, which forms part of the wider housing estate, on the 3rd March 1982.
The largest arts centre in western Europe when it opened, the complex included a concert hall for the London Symphony Orchestra and a theatre for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
More than 3,500 people arrived for the opening night celebrations which culminated in a spectacular fireworks display over the centre’s lake.
As she unveiled a plaque commemorating the opening of the Barbican, the Queen said: “What has been created here must be one of the wonders of the modern world.”
1990s
The National Gallery’s Sainsbury Wing
The Sainsbury Wing, an extension of the 19th century National Gallery on the northwest corner of Trafalgar Square, was inaugurated by the Queen in 1991. The addition, designed by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown, replaced an earlier scheme that infuriated King Charles, at the time the Prince of Wales.
He famously described the scheme by architect Ahrends Burton Koralek as “like a monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much loved and elegant friend.” Never far from controversy, current plans for redesigning Venturi Scott Brown’s Sainsbury Wing have been condemned by architects and conservationists.
2000s
Millenium Bridge
The Queen ‘dedicated’ the Millenium Bridge in May 2000, after its official opening was delayed due to it not being completed. The 325m long suspension bridge crosses the River Thames at Bankside and was the first new crossing to span the Thames since the opening of Tower Bridge in 1894.
The bridge, designed by architect Norman Foster was closed for two years soon after it had opened after pedestrians experienced swaying motion while crossing it.
2010s
Lion’s enclosure, London Zoo
The Queen was a patron of the London Zoo, and opened the ‘lion terraces’ with Prince Philip in 1976. In 2016 the couple returned to inaugurate the ‘Land of the Lions’ exhibit and have opened other enclosures at the attraction over the years.
In a statement, ZSL London Zoo said it would be holding a special photography exhibition remembering HM The Queen will be on display in the East Tunnel.
2020s
The Elizabeth Line
The last major London opening for the Queen was in May 2022, when she made a surprise appearance at the opening ceremony for the Elizabeth Line - named in her honour.
The monarch, who had attended fewer events due to mobility problems, attended the ceremony at Paddington Station to mark the completion of the £20 billion cross-London rail link.
At the station, she unveiled a plaque that read: “Elizabeth Line. Officially opened by Her Majesty The Queen on Tueday 17 May 2022 during Her Majesty’s The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.”
