Passengers travelling to the RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival last week (1-6 July) were met with an unexpected royal encounter as Henry VIII boarded a South Western Railway train from London Waterloo.

The monarch, famed for his six wives and lavish lifestyle, traded his usual royal barge for an SWR Arterio train named the 'Red Rose', a nod to the Tudor emblem.

His journey was part of the celebrations marking 35 years of the RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival, originally co-founded by Network SouthEast, the predecessor of SWR, back in 1990.

Henry waves at SWR passengers at Hampton Court (credit: SWR).

On board, Henry amused fellow travellers by reading Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, a Booker Prize-winning novel set in his own court, and relaxing to the sounds of Greensleeves and Pastime with Good Company, the latter rumoured to have been written by the king himself.

Upon arriving at Hampton Court station, Henry waved regally to crowds arriving for the festival and posing for selfies with delighted adults and children.

The flower show, now one of the UK's most popular horticultural events, attracts around 120,000 visitors each year, with many travelling sustainably by train.

Henry reads Wolf Hall on SWR train (credit: SWR).

SWR has increased its services to accommodate the influx of garden enthusiasts during the festival.

This year's festival celebrations also coincide with Railway 200, marking 200 years since the birth of the railway industry in the UK.

SWR's partnership with Historic Royal Palaces, who manage Hampton Court Palace, continues to highlight the unique connection between rail travel and the historic landmark.

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