Rare pictures of the Royals at war

But in one respect, nothing had changed. While other monarchs across Europe had abdicated or been removed, the King’s father, George V, had emerged from the First World War with renewed popularity, a symbolic new family name and a secured place on the throne.

The next generation followed the example he had set, and as these pictures from the archive show, the new Royals spent the Second World War among their people, as figureheads and fellow travellers in a conflict that paid no heed to class.

George VI held the ranks of Admiral of the Fleet, Field Marshal and Marshal of the RAF, and with Queen Elizabeth inspected troops and visited factories. He was never seen out of uniform.

During the Blitz, the King and Queen visited bombed areas to see the damage inflicted from the air. Princess Elizabeth, meanwhile, joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service at 19, and trained as a driver and mechanic. Princess Margaret, her younger sister, joined the Sea Rangers.

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