Does the Queen ever get stuck at the airport?

I doubt it. But we do know that she popped over to Heathrow Airport at least twice.

Back in 1955, Queen Elizabeth II was on hand to open Heathrow Airport’s first terminal building – which is now Terminal 2.

She was back on site again today for the opening of Terminal 5.

According to the BBC, the Queen spoke of the ‘bright, airy space and clean, efficient layout,” as she declared the terminal ready for business.

I’m hard at work figuring out how to swing my own visit to the shiny new structure, but in the meantime here are some fun facts about Heathrow’s new baby:

· It took 60,000 people to build the new terminal.

· The UK’s biggest single-site dig unearthed 80,000 items, including pots, cups, buckets, flints and a 3,000 BC hand axe.

· During construction, two rivers were diverted. Fish and other water creatures were moved and new channels were made habitable for wildlife.

Want even more fun facts? Check out Heathrow Airport’s official Terminal 5 Web site, which includes a virtual walk-through, some cool photos, a time-lapse video, and lists of all the shops, restaurants and services.

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Photo from BAA website

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