- When World War II began in 1939, her majesty was just 13 years old, and was known as Princess Elizabeth.
- The Queen Mother refused to leave the UK, and the family stayed and supported their country, even as their home, Buckingham Palace, was bombed repeatedly.
- When she turned 18, at her own insistence, Princess Elizabeth joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), where she trained as a truck driver and mechanic.
- She remains the only woman in the royal family to have served in the military.
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World War II began when the Queen was just teenager. Back then, her mother, also named Elizabeth, was known as the Queen consort and the Queen was Princess Elizabeth.
Though many urged the Queen consort to evacuate her children, Elizabeth and Margaret, to Canada, she refused. “The children won’t go without me. I won’t leave without the King. And the King will never leave,” she said.
The family, like their country, endured hardship. Buckingham Palace was reportedly bombed nine times throughout the war. One of the worst bombings was in 1940, and happened while King George VI and his wife were in residence.
When Princess Elizabeth turned 18 in 1944, she insisted upon joining the Army, where she trained as a truck driver and mechanic. She remains the only female member of the royal family to have served in the Army.
Take a look at the photos of a young Princess Elizabeth as she served her country.
When the war began, Princess Elizabeth was just 13 years old, and her sister Margaret was only 8.
Princess Elizabeth, her sister Princess Margaret, and their mother remained in England for the duration of World War II, which lasted from 1939 to 1945.
In 1940, Princess Elizabeth and Margaret made a broadcast to the children of the United Kingdom.
On the Children's Hour radio program, Princess Elizabeth said, "We are trying to do all we can to help our gallant sailors, soldiers, and airmen, and we are trying, too, to bear our share of the danger and sadness of war. We know, every one of us, that in the end all will be well."
The family's presence in England throughout the war put them in high public regard.
The Queen consort, who refused to move the family, became a symbol of courage and resilience for the country, the New York Times reported.
In 1945, Princess Elizabeth became Commodore of the Sea Ranger Section. Two years later Princess Margaret joined SRS Duke of York, and in 1949 she was appointed Sea Ranger Commissioner, according to Scarborough Maritime Heritage.
The princess registered for war service when she was just 16 under the Ministry of Labour's Youth Registration Scheme.
She remains the only woman in the royal family to have served in the military. The following year, in 1943, she appeared on the cover of Life Magazine for its war issue.
King George was initially against the idea of his daughter joining the war effort, but she convinced him otherwise, according to Stars and Stripes.
At age 18, she began as a subaltern, the British term for junior officer, in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), where she learned car mechanics and truck driving.
Her mother visited the princess during her time in the ATS, according to Stars and Stripes.
King George made sure that his daughter was given no special rank of privilege in the Army, Time reported. She started like any other young woman joining the war effort, but did later rise to the rank of junior commander.
Though Princess Elizabeth did not serve in a combat role, volunteering with the ATS was not without risk, according to the BBC.
According to the BBC, at its peak, 210,308 women were serving with the ATS, and 335 women were killed.
The princess learned how to drive large trucks, like the ambulance pictured below, during her ATS service.
She was known as truck mechanic No. 230873 in the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service, and was based at the Mechanical Transport Training Section in Camberley, Surrey.
She also learned how to change a wheel and deconstruct and rebuild engines.
Following her time in the war, the now-Queen Elizabeth has often been spotted driving, with many news outlets commenting on her love of being behind the wheel. The Queen is the only person in the United Kingdom who is allowed to drive without a driver's license, as part of the "royal prerogative" - powers and rights exclusive to the country's monarch.
"One of her major joys was to get dirt under her nails and grease stains in her hands, and display these signs of labor to her friends," a 1947 magazine article said.
She enjoyed her hard work as a mechanic, according to the 1947 issue of Collier's magazine.
The women of the ATS took over many traditionally male jobs during the war, like making batteries and finding enemy aircraft, according to the BBC.
Some women of the ATS remained at anti-aircraft camps, while others traveled during their service in what were known as mobile units, according to the BBC.
By 1945, the princess had risen to the rank of junior commander, according to the Royal Collection Trust.
By the end of the war, the Princess completed her course at the No. 1 Mechanical Training Center of the ATS, and became a fully qualified driver.
When the war ended, she reportedly snuck away from her family to party with commoners.
May 8, 1945, also known as Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, was the first and last time she would leave Buckingham Palace to spend time with her subjects without their knowing, the Smithsonian Magazine reported.
Following the war, she often appeared in her military uniform, adorned with medals, as pictured below.
Princess Elizabeth became Colonel of the Grenadier Guards in 1942, following the death of her great-great-uncle and godfather, The Duke of Cannaught, according to the Royal Collection Trust.
May 8, 1945, became Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, and was celebrated by the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
May 8, 1945, was the day that German troops throughout Europe laid down their arms. It has been celebrated ever since. (This year, for the 75th anniversary, Bruno Peek, V-E Day Pageantmaster, has recommended canceling all celebrations due to the coronavirus.)
Seven years later, in 1952, Princess Elizabeth's father passed away and she became Queen Elizabeth.