Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II was hailed as the “inspiration” for Heathrow’s new terminal as she officially opened the £2.5 billion facility last week.

She joined the Duke of Edinburgh for a tour of the Terminal 2 building, which is named the Queen’s Terminal in her honour, as more than 1,000 guests gathered for an opening ceremony.

The queen, wearing an all-blue outfit and matching hat, was introduced to celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal and designer Cath Kidston, who have both set up outlets at T2.

Blumenthal, who has opened the Perfectionists’ Cafe, said he was keen to let Philip know his favourite dish was on the menu after being questioned why he was not at his three Michelin-starred restaurant The Fat Duck.

“He’s a real foodie and a very good cook,” Blumenthal said.

“He said: ‘Why are you not back in Bray?’. I told him: ‘We’ve got your favourite, fish and chips, on the menu here’.”

Speaking about the new terminal, Kidston said: “It’s the window to the world. We have so many international customers, particularly in the Far East.

“The queen is just a beacon of professionalism, both her and Prince Philip, what they offer us.”

Heathrow managers decided to open T2 in stages to avoid any repeat of the disastrous opening day of Terminal 5 in March 2008.

Airlines will move into the new terminal in phases over the next six months and, when fully occupied, it will have 332 daily flights to 54 destinations.

More than 1,000 people who work at the terminal or who were involved in building the facility were invited to the ceremony.

Addressing the guests, Heathrow development director John Holland-Kaye said: “Our ambition to play our part to help Britain remain a global economic powerhouse by connecting all of Britain to global growth, that sense of duty is one for which we take inspiration from one of our most frequent flyers, Her Majesty the Queen.”

T2 was first opened by the queen in 1955 as the airport’s first passenger terminal.

During their tour of the new building, the royal couple was introduced to sculptor Richard Wilson, whose Slipstream art installation is in the forecourt of T2.

After unveiling a commemorative plaque, the queen and duke boarded a flight to Northern Ireland for a three-day visit.

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