Queen Elizabeth II Reveals 'Most Exciting Night' Of Her Life
As Great Britain commemorates the 75th anniversary of VE Day, also known as Victory in Europe Day, PBS released a new documentary showing the monarch's experience during World War II.
"The Queen at War" revealed how the members of the royal family dealt with the conflict against Nazi Germany -- from being relocated to the countryside as Buckingham Palace was under attack by the Blitz, down to King George VI's historic speech on VE Day after Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced through a radio broadcast the surrender of German forces.
"She was evacuated, her home was bombed, she lost a family member and she volunteered to help the war effort," read the PBS description of Queen Elizabeth II's experience in WWII.
The Queen's "Most Exciting Night"
The documentary also revealed the "most exciting night" of a then 18-year-old Princess Elizabeth as she celebrated the end of WWII in 1945.
It recounted her remarkable experience being in the streets of London with a huge crowd along with her younger sister Princess Margaret, who was said to persuade her father to let them join the party.
The official Instagram of The Royal Family also posted in their story how Elizabeth was shaped by World War II. The Queen explained how "terrified" she was of being recognized in public, so to prevent that, she pulled her uniform cap down to her eyes while almost covering her face.
As cited by Town and Country, Chris Granlund -- the executive producer of the film -- explained that although they have provided tons of archival footage, there is no video of the young princesses celebrating on the streets.
"There is no existing footage of the Queen in the crowd that we know of. She was in uniform; she was with a small group, but we certainly didn't find any. It was an unprecedented thing," Grandlund said.
Granlund added how "extraordinary" it was for the Queen to roam around London together with hundreds of people.
"It was probably the first time she'd been in a crowd of people of that size without it being a ceremonial occasion-[It was] probably the first time in her life, and probably the last time that she was, in a sense, free to wander, relatively free to wander and roam among a crowd of people in London. It is quite extraordinary," he exclaimed.
The Windsors At World War II
When the palace was under attack by the Nazis, King George VI and his heir to the throne Princess Elizabeth strived to do their royal duties and remained in the country.
The Queen Mother also pointed out how their family refrained from escaping the United Kingdom and mentioned that "the king will not leave the country in any circumstances, whatever."
Queen Elizabeth II's former private secretary, Martin Charteris, also noted King Geroge VI's achievement during WW2. He described the previous King as a sincere and dedicated leader which was required from a public figurehead.
