How wartime helped define Queen Elizabeth II's life of service
Many veterans have been paying their respects to Queen Elizabeth II at her lying in state. As sovereign she was head of the armed forces, but her association with the military began much earlier, in wartime.
At the outbreak of war against Germany in 1939, the Royal Family - parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and sister Princess Margaret - was seen as a potent symbol of the values for which Britain and its allies were fighting. In October 1940, as Britain was suffering the worst of the Blitz, Elizabeth made her first broadcast. It was billed as a message to children who had been sent to North America to escape the bombing of British cities.
The very fact that Elizabeth and Margaret, who died in 2002, remained in the country was a significant morale-booster. The furthest the children were ever moved was to Windsor Castle, about 30 miles from London. "We went for a weekend and stayed five years," they said.Princess Elizabeth, second from right, with her family in 1942. They remained in Britain during the war
At Christmas, in order to cheer up their father - who became depressed at the losses being inflicted on his countrymen and women - the girls performed pantomimes. It was Cinderella one year, Aladdin the next, with the princesses always in the starring roles. She was registered as number 230873, Second Subaltern Elizabeth Windsor, and she spent three weeks with a carefully chosen group of other recruits, learning about basic motor mechanics and how to drive a lorry. It was said to have been the first time a female member of the Royal Family had ever attended a course with "other people".
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