World War II: Queen Elizabeth II Took 2 War Jobs Before Becoming Queen!
Before ruling the monarchy, Queen Elizabeth II served the country first by taking two jobs during World War II.
Through the ITV documentary titled "Our Queen At War," royal watchers got to know more about Queen Elizabeth II's past, including her contributions as a young royal member during the Second World War.
Queen Elizabeth II, who was only 13 years old when World War II began, made her first-ever radio broadcast and dedicated it to the child evacuees.
"We are trying to do all we can to help our gallant sailors, soldiers, and airmen, and we are trying, too, to bear our own share of the danger and sadness of war," the young monarch said at that time.
The royal family, through the words of the Queen Mother, chose to remain in the U.K. and refused to leave since the King "will never leave" the monarchy and country, as well.
As they went back and forth from Balmoral Castle to Windsor Castle for years, Queen Elizabeth II had experiences in inspecting the troops and launching ships when she was 16. She then joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service a few weeks before her 18th birthday.
Despite the worsening status of the war, King George VI decided that "her training as a princess outweighed the nation's increasing manpower problems and that 'Betts' should not join any of the women's auxiliaries, nor work in a factory".
However, Queen Elizabeth II remained firm as she had "other ideas".
A few moments after the King came up with that decision, the palace announced all of a sudden that the King was "pleased" to grant her an honorary commission "as the second subaltern in the ATS to Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth".
This position allowed Her Majesty to join the Territorial Service.
As soon as she received the position, she started taking driving lessons which she successfully passed two days less than the prescribed time. Though she was never allowed to ride a London bus or taxi, she became a driver and a mechanic, making her the first female member of the royal family to serve the country's armed forces.
In addition, she was said to be surprised by the amount of workload when the Queen Mother and King George visited her while performing her jobs at the territorial service.
"I never knew there was quite so much advance preparation. I'll know another time," Queen Elizabeth II said as she helped clean the camp. She reportedly found all the preparations she had to go through as something "hard and challenging."
"It seems so strange to watch them drive away," the then-princess added.
Queen Elizabeth II remains the only living head of state to have served in the Second World War, and the only royal family member to become a driver and mechanic before stepping up to the throne.
