Princess Elizabeth explains to the Queen what she has done to the car engine. April, 1945.
source: The International Museum of World War II
A Princess At War: Queen Elizabeth II During World War IIDuring the Second World War, life changed dramatically for the people of Britain, including the Royal Family.March 22, 2021
The National WWII Museum
excerpts:
When Princess Elizabeth turned 18 in 1944, she insisted upon joining the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), the women’s branch of the British Army. For several years during the war, Britain had conscripted women to join the war effort. Unmarried women under 30 had to join the armed forces or work on the land or in industry. King George made sure that his daughter was not given a special rank in the Army. She started as a second subaltern in the ATS and was later promoted to Junior Commander, the equivalent of Captain.
Princess Elizabeth began her training as a mechanic in March 1945. She undertook a driving and vehicle maintenance course at Aldershot, qualifying on April 14. Newspapers at the time dubbed her “Princess Auto Mechanic.”
The King and Queen and Princess Margaret visited Princess Elizabeth at the Mechanical Transport Training Section in Camberley, Surrey, and watched her learn about engine maintenance. When describing the visit to LIFE Magazine, the Princess commented “I never knew there was quite so much advance preparation [for a royal visit] ...I’ll know another time.”
On May 8, 1945, the war in Europe ended. In London, thousands of people took to the streets to celebrate, flooding Trafalgar Square and the Mall leading up to Buckingham Palace where the King and Queen greeted them from the balcony. As the light began to fade and the celebrations looked to continue into the night, Princess Elizabeth, dressed in her ATS uniform, slipped into the crowds with her sister to enjoy the festivities. In 1985, the now Queen spoke to the BBC about how she tried to avoid being spotted, “I remember we were terrified of being recognized so I pulled my uniform cap well down over my eyes.” She described the “lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, and all of us were swept along by tides of happiness and relief.” There are even reports that the princesses joined a conga dance through the Ritz Hotel as they celebrated with the crowds. “I think it was one of the most memorable nights of my life.” she recalled.
As a member of the ATS, she was the first female of the Royal family to be an active duty member of the British Armed Forces.
full article here:
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/queen-elizabeth-ii-during-world-war-ii Princess Elizabeth, as a 2nd Subaltern in the ATS, leans against a vehicle during training. Imperial War Museum, TR 2835.
IN MEMORIAM
Tribute to Queen Elizabeth IIThe National WWII Museum expresses its deepest sympathies to the British Royal Family and the peoples of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth on today’s passing of Queen Elizabeth II (1926–2022).
September 8, 2022
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/about-us/notes-museum/tribute-queen-elizabeth-ii Celebrating V-E Day on the balcony of Buckingham Palace are (L-R), Princess Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, His Majesty King George VI, and Princess Margaret. Image from the Imperial War Museum collection, MH 21835.