Behind the crown and ceremonial duties, a lesser-known side of Queen Elizabeth II emerges – one of grease, gears, and determination. Few people know that the longest-reigning British monarch was once a mechanic, with skills honed during World War II.
As we delve into this fascinating aspect of her life, we’ll discover how the young princess traded tiaras for toolboxes. Also learn about the remarkable journey that took her from the palace to the pits, and back again. Get ready to rev up your engine and shift your perception of this beloved leader!
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until she died in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states throughout her lifetime. And she also remained the monarch of 15 realms by the time of her death.
Her reign of 70 years and 214 days is the longest of any British monarch or female monarch and the second-longest verified reign of any monarch of a sovereign state in history.
A young Queen Elizabeth: the early years
Elizabeth was born in Mayfair, London, during the reign of her paternal grandfather, King George V. She was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother).
Her father acceded to the throne in 1936 upon the abdication of his brother Edward VIII, making the ten-year-old Princess Elizabeth the heir presumptive. She was educated privately at home and began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service.
In November 1947, she married the former Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, who had relinquished his foreign titles and naturalized as a British citizen. Their marriage lasted 73 years until he died in 2021. They had four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward.
How did she become Queen?
When her father died in February 1952, Elizabeth—then 25 years old—became queen of seven independent Commonwealth countries. The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (known today as Sri Lanka), as well as head of the Commonwealth.
Elizabeth reigned as a constitutional monarch through major political changes. Such as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, devolution in the United Kingdom, the decolonization of Africa, and the United Kingdom’s accession to the European Communities as well as its subsequent withdrawal.
The number of her realms varied over time as territories gained independence and some realms became republics. As queen, Elizabeth was served by more than 170 prime ministers across her realms. Her many historic visits and meetings included state visits to China in 1986, to Russia in 1994, and to the Republic of Ireland in 2011, and meetings with five popes and fourteen US presidents.
Significant events included Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953. And the celebrations of her Silver, Golden, Diamond, and Platinum jubilees in 1977, 2002, 2012, and 2022, respectively.
After the breakdown of her children’s marriage
Although she faced occasional republican sentiment and media criticism of her family. Particularly after the breakdowns of her children’s marriages, her annus horribilis in 1992. And the death in 1997 of her former daughter-in-law Diana—support for the monarchy in the United Kingdom remained consistently high throughout her lifetime, as did her personal popularity.
Elizabeth died at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle and was succeeded by her eldest son, Charles III.
The Queen was just a teenager when World War II broke out. Back then, she was Princess Elizabeth. At the time, her mother, the Queen consort, was urged to evacuate her children, Elizabeth and Margaret, to Canada. But she refused. She said: “The children won’t go without me. I won’t leave without the King. And the King will never leave.”
The Queen’s love for cars
When Princess Elizabeth turned 18 in 1944, she insisted on joining the army. It was not uncommon for members of the Royal family to serve in the military. But the honor was reserved for the men. Princess Elizabeth was (and still is) the only female member of the Royal Family to serve in the army.
King George was initially against the idea of his daughter joining the military, but she was determined and convinced him to allow her to serve her country in the war.
At the age of 18, Princess Elizabeth became a junior officer, in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS). Where she eventually became a qualified truck driver and mechanic. She was known as truck mechanic No. 230873 in the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service. She also learned how to change wheels and deconstruct and rebuild engines.
The King ensured that his daughter wasn’t given special treatment, or given a special rank in the army. But she eventually rose to the rank of junior commander of her own accord.
The Queen’s Father’s Death
According to the 1945 issue of Life Magazine, she “did not sleep at the camp but motored each night to Windsor Castle, showing up the next morning at 9 o’clock”.
Collier’s magazine in 1947 reported that “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.”
Then, in 1952, Princess Elizabeth’s father passed away and she became Queen Elizabeth. Throughout her life, she demonstrated her love for cars in a number of ways.
She was often seen behind the wheel of a car, which is uncommon for someone of her status. She even had a say in the construction and design of her funeral car before she passed away at the age of 96 on September 8, 2022.
The Queen’s Legacy and Opinions
Elizabeth rarely gave interviews, and little was known of her political opinions, which she did not express explicitly in public. It is against convention to ask or reveal the monarch’s views.
When Times journalist Paul Routledge asked her about the miners’ strike of 1984–85 during a royal tour of the newspaper’s offices, she replied that it was “all about one man” (a reference to Arthur Scargill), with which Routledge disagreed.
Routledge was widely criticized in the media for asking the question and claimed that he was unaware of the protocols. After the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, Prime Minister David Cameron was overheard saying that Elizabeth was pleased with the outcome.
She had arguably issued a public coded statement about the referendum by telling one woman outside Balmoral Kirk that she hoped people would think “very carefully” about the outcome. It emerged later that Cameron had specifically requested that she register her concern.
