During World War II, the Queen was a mechanic. These pictures show her service

Princess Elizabeth was only 13 years old when the war began, while her sister Margaret was just 8 years old.

In 1940, Elizabeth was shown with her sister Margaret and the Queen Mother.

During World War II, which lasted from 1939 to 1945, Princess Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, and their mother remained in England.

In 1940, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret conducted a broadcast for British children.

In 1940, Elizabeth and Margaret made a radio transmission.

Princess Elizabeth stated on the radio program Children’s Hour, “We are doing everything we can to help our valiant sailors, soldiers, and airmen, and we are also attempting to bear our share of the danger and misery of war. We all know that in the end, everything will be alright.”

The family’s wartime presence in England earned them widespread respect.

1944 photo of Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret onboard a converted Sea Rangers motor torpedo boat.

The New York Times said that the Queen consort, who refused to evacuate the family, became a symbol of the nation’s strength and resiliency.

Princess Elizabeth was appointed Commodore of the Sea Ranger Section in 1945. According to Scarborough Maritime Heritage, Princess Margaret joined the SRS Duke of York in 1947 and was appointed Sea Ranger Commissioner in 1949.

The princess registered for military service at the age of 16 via the Youth Registration Scheme of the Ministry of Labour.

Princess Elizabeth registered for military service at age 16 in 1942.

She is the only female member of the royal family who has served in the military. The following year, in 1943, she was featured on the cover of the war issue of Life magazine.

According to Stars and Stripes, King George was initially opposed to his daughter entering the war effort, but she persuaded him otherwise.

In 1945, Princess Elizabeth studied automobile maintenance.

At the age of 18, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) as a subaltern, the British name for a subordinate officer, where she learnt auto mechanics and truck driving.

According to Stars and Stripes, her mother visited the princess while she was serving in the ATS.

In 1945, Princess Elizabeth was with her mother.

Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group courtesy of Getty Images.

According to Time, King George ensured that his daughter received no special rank or privileges in the Army. She joined the war effort like any other young lady, but rose to the position of junior commander over time.

According to a 1945 edition of Life magazine, the then-princess “did not sleep at the camp but instead motored each night to Windsor Castle, arriving at 9:00 a.m. the next morning.”

According to the BBC, although Princess Elizabeth did not serve in a combat role, volunteering with the ATS was not without risk.

In 1945, Princess Elizabeth stood next to an Auxiliary Territorial Service first aid truck.

According to the BBC, 210,308 women served in the ATS at its peak, and 335 women were slain.

During her ATS duty, the princess learned how to operate huge vehicles, such as the ambulance depicted below.

In 1945, Princess Elizabeth drove an ambulance as part of her military service.

In the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service, she was known as truck mechanic No. 230873 and was stationed at the Mechanical Transport Training Section in Camberley, Surrey.

She also learned how to replace a wheel and disassemble and reassemble engines.

In 1945, Princess Elizabeth drove an ambulance as part of her military service.

Following her service in the war, the then-Queen Elizabeth was frequently sighted behind the wheel, with numerous news sites reporting on her fondness for driving. The Queen was the only person in the United Kingdom permitted to drive without a driver’s license, as part of the monarch’s “royal prerogative” — exclusive powers and rights.

In a 1947 magazine article, it was stated that one of her greatest pleasures was getting dirt beneath her nails and grease stains on her hands, and then showing these indications of labor to her pals.

In 1945, Princess Elizabeth received training as an ATS mechanic.

According to the 1947 issue of Collier’s magazine, she appreciated her demanding profession as a technician.

According to the BBC, the women of the ATS assumed several typically masculine roles during the war, such as battery manufacturing and locating enemy aircraft.

In 1945, Princess Elizabeth received training as an ATS mechanic.

According to the BBC, some women of the ATS remained at anti-aircraft camps, while others served in what were known as mobile units.

According to the Royal Collection Trust, by 1945 the princess had attained the position of junior commander.

In 1945, Princess Elizabeth served as a junior commander in the ATS.

The Princess completed her training at the No. 1 Mechanical Training Center of the ATS and became a fully trained driver at the conclusion of the war.

Upon the conclusion of the war, she reportedly fled her family to celebrate with commoners.

In 1945, the future queen wore her outfit.

Universal History Archive, Universal Images Group, and Getty Images

Smithsonian Magazine said that May 8, 1945, also known as Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, was the first and last time Elizabeth secretly left Buckingham Palace to spend time with her subjects.

As shown below, she frequently appeared in her medal-adorned military uniform after the war.

Colonel Princess Elizabeth wearing her World War II medals while in duty.

PA Images accessed via Getty Images

According to the Royal Collection Trust, Princess Elizabeth became Colonel of the Grenadier Guards in 1942, following the death of her great-great-uncle and godfather, The Duke of Cannaught.

The royal family celebrated Victory in Europe (V-E) Day on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on May 8, 1945.

On V-E Day, the royal family appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

On May 8, 1945, German forces throughout Europe put down their weapons. It has been commemorated since then. (In 2020, on the 75th anniversary, V-E Day Pageantmaster Bruno Peek proposed canceling all events due to the coronavirus outbreak.)

In 1952, seven years after the death of her father, Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth.

Thursday, Elizabeth II passed away at the age of 96.