47 Photos Of Queen Elizabeth II Way Before She Looked Like Your Grandmother

Published April 21, 2017
Updated January 16, 2019

From her World War 2 service to her coronation, these photos of a young Queen Elizabeth II capture her transformation from princess to queen.

Young Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth At ATS Training Centre
British Royal Family During World War 2
Princess Elizabeth
47 Photos Of Queen Elizabeth II Way Before She Looked Like Your Grandmother
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Because Queen Elizabeth II has now reigned for a whopping 65 years, there are very few of us who can recall a time when she didn't sit atop the UK monarchy. And as the years go by, it likewise becomes more and more difficult for the world to remember the 90-year-old queen as anything other than elderly, albeit supremely distinguished.

What we mustn't forget is Elizabeth's track record of leadership and public service going all the way back to her youth during World War II.

She did her part during these tumultuous times of World War II when she was just a princess, accompanying her sister and mother as they toured the British armed forces to boost morale whenever they went.

Eventually, Elizabeth II wanted to do more to help the fight and in February 1945, she joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service, the female branch of the army. She trained as a driver and mechanic, drove a military truck, and was promoted to honorary Junior Commander five months later. Today, she is the last surviving head of state who served in uniform during World War II.

Seven years after the end of the war, she assumed the crown and a young Queen Elizabeth II began her royal march into a history that's still being written today.


After enjoying these photos of a young Queen Elizabeth II, check out a Queen Elizabeth II as a mechanic circa World War II, before looking at the lineage of the British royal family.

All That's Interesting
All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future.