We are always amazed when we think of how Queen Elizabeth II has been serving as the monarch for almost seven decades now. She is easily one of the most famous women on the planet. It might seem like a person of her stature will have nothing in common with regular folks, but there is more to Her Royal Highness than meets the eye. For one thing, you might have no idea that she once went out in London and saw for herself what it was like to be a commoner! Can you guess how Her Majesty found it? Let us find out.
Queen Elizabeth II Once Snuck Out To See What It Is Like To Be A Commoner
The Two Young Princesses
In their youth, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret snuck out of Buckingham Palace together. This was when she had the chance to interact with the members of the general public. At the time, she was just like any other carefree teen in the world. We know that it is difficult to believe that such a thing happened, but a specific event inspired this behavior in the future monarch.
The Two Young Princesses
The Times Have Changed Since Then
A lot of things have since changed. To be fair, it is not like the Queen does not ever fraternize with the public. As a matter of fact, she has made a lot of effort to interact with her constituents in the United Kingdom and overseas ever since she ascended the throne. Still, her interactions are always regulated.
The Times Have Changed Since Then
Not As Much As She Used To
Now in her nineties, it is not surprising that Her Majesty does not head out as much as she once did. In fact, most people now see her on the screen instead. In 2020, Queen Elizabeth talked to the public to commemorate the 75th anniversary of V-Day in Europe. She delivers a speech every Christmas Day too.
Not As Much As She Used To
Her Social Calendar Is Always Busy
There are also a couple of events that are always on her social calendar. For one thing, Queen Elizabeth is a common sight at Royal Ascot and other equine-related events. In case you did not know, she is a big horse lover. The Royal Windsor Horse Show is yet another favorite of the Queen. As a matter of fact, reports say that Her Royal Highness has gone to the event every single year since 1943. Wow.
Her Social Calendar Is Always Busy
The Public Events That She Attends
In a single year, the Queen attends countless public engagements. She often meets with pupils, workers, scientists, politicians, teachers, heads of state, and everyone in between. When you are the reigning monarch, you are going to be very busy. We are sure that she has gotten used to this by now. After all, she has been the head of the monarchy for almost 70 years at this point in time.
The Public Events That She Attends
Her Royal Garden Parties
We also have the Garden Parties hosted by Her Royal Highness. According to the official website of the royal family, this involves sending invitations to over 30,000 guests and serving them sandwiches and tea on the Buckingham Palace grounds or the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland. This event is a way for Queen Elizabeth II to show her recognition of public servants.
Her Royal Garden Parties
A Lot Of Funny Stories
After being in her position for such a long time, it is only natural that the Queen will have a lot of funny stories about her interactions with the general public. As a matter of fact, a former protection officer by the name of Richard Griffin shared a particularly hilarious anecdote. He recounted how a bunch of American tourists approached Her Majesty close to her residence in Balmoral, Scotland. She had been wearing a plain headscarf at the time, so the group apparently did not realize her true identity.
A Lot Of Funny Stories
When Asked If She Knew The Queen
Richard Griffin shared this funny story in 2016. The Times newspaper shared that the group of American tourists asked Queen Elizabeth II, “Have you ever met the Queen?” In response, Her Majesty simply told them, “No.” However, she then motioned to her old protection officer and told them, “But he has.”
When Asked If She Knew The Queen
A Man Once Snuck Into Her Room
Have you heard of the time that a man snuck into her bedchamber in Buckingham Palace? It is said that Michael Fagan woke her up and chatted with the Queen for ten minutes. She tried to call security a few times, but it did not seem to work. It was a good thing that she was finally rescued by a royal staffer not that long after he broke in. This incident was recreated in the fourth season of The Crown.
A Man Once Snuck Into Her Room
It Was Not Always Like This
Even though her interactions with the general public are now very guarded, it was not always this way. As a matter of fact, there was a night that she spent fraternizing with civilians and military personnel as they celebrated on the streets of London. This was when she was not yet the Queen but just a princess. We know that it sounds made-up, but this truly happened a long time ago.
It Was Not Always Like This
When The War Came To A Close
In May 1945, the Second World War finally came to an end in Europe. This was a historical moment of nearly unrivaled magnitude. After all, the continent had been at war for six years by then. British men and women hit the streets to revel in the defeat of the Axis powers at long last. These celebrations witnessed servicemen mingling with civilians to celebrate the end of the war together.
When The War Came To A Close
She Served In The War Too
You might already know that Elizabeth did her part for the war effort. She served as a second subaltern in the Auxiliary Territorial Service and even went on to reach the junior commander rank. Her attitude was telling of the whole family as well. When the war broke out in 1939, her mother allegedly turned down orders to evacuate. The Insider reported, “The children won’t go without me. I won’t leave without the King. And the King will never leave.”
She Served In The War Too
Where They Were During The War
Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret spent the majority of the war stuck at Windsor Castle. Aside from that, their parents stayed in Buckingham Palace in London pretty frequently as well. The Royal Collection Trust said that the latter had been bombed at least nine times over the course of the war. In an Evening Standard article, the Queen Mother was reported as having said, “I’m glad we’ve been bombed. It makes me feel I can look the east end in the face.” At the time, she had been referring to the German attacks on eastern London during the Blitz.
Where They Were During The War
As An Act Of Solidarity
The public appreciated the acts of solidarity displayed by the royal family back then. Among other things, they liked the fact that Princess Elizabeth signed up for the ATS when she was 18 years old. This was a British Army subdivision for women. She is still the only female British royal family to have served.
As An Act Of Solidarity
What She Did In The Military
Elizabeth served as a truck driver and received mechanic training during the war. She might not have seen active combat, although there were also risks that came with those roles. The BBC said that at its peak, there were 210,308 women serving in the ATS. Of these, 335 died during the conflict. Aside from the Queen, the youngest daughter of Winston Churchill served as well. Her name was Mary Churchill.
What She Did In The Military
When The Enemy Finally Surrendered
In May 1945, Nazi Germany finally officially surrendered. As you can imagine, news of this sent a wave of celebration across Europe. In the United Kingdom, a huge crowd started to form outside the palace. Associated Press reported that over 100,000 people congregated to watch the King and the royal family.
When The Enemy Finally Surrendered
As A Reward For Their Patience
The patience of the crowd did not go unrewarded. King George VI, together with his wife and the two princesses, made an appearance. Four decades later, Queen Elizabeth II shared what it was like to Godfrey Talbot of the BBC. She said, “My parents went out on the balcony in response to the huge crowds outside. I think we went on the balcony every hour – six times.”
As A Reward For Their Patience
It Was A Huge Celebration
“I remember the thrill and relief,” Her Royal Highness went on. However, the exhilaration did not end there for the young princess. Queen Elizabeth II added, “And then, when the excitement of the floodlights being switched on got through to us, my sister and I realized we couldn’t see what the crowds were enjoying… so we asked my parents if we could go out and see for ourselves.”
It Was A Huge Celebration
Their Parents Did Not Mind It
It might be surprising to hear that the young princesses wanted to venture out on their own, but it is even more shocking to hear what their parents had to say. The King and the Queen consort agreed to it! They said, “Let the darlings have some fun.” At least, this was what historian Kate Williams was quoted as saying in a documentary by Channel 4 called The Queen’s Big Night Out.
Their Parents Did Not Mind It
The Princesses Were Let Loose
At the time, Elizabeth was 19 years old. Margaret, on the other hand, was just 14 years old. They had a group of sixteen people that included guards, friends, and servants. This was a night that none of them would ever forget for as long as they lived. Margaret Rhodes, the cousin of the princesses, was a part of the crew. She shared her experience in the documentary. A royal aide called Jean Woodroffe did too.
The Princesses Were Let Loose
How They Snuck Out Of The Palace
But how did they sneak out of the palace back then? “We crossed the forecourt at Buckingham Palace and got to the railings and there were these masses and masses of people. There was a general thing of, ‘We want the King and Queen!’ which we all frantically joined in with and were amazed when, five or ten minutes later, the windows opened and they came out on to the balcony,” Margaret explained.
How They Snuck Out Of The Palace
What Was Really Going On Out There
Wait until you hear what it was like out on the streets. “People were kissing and even making love. I was shocked by it. I hadn’t experienced that sort of thing before,” shared Jean Woodroffe. We are sure that you want to know what the princesses thought about everything that was happening there and then.
What Was Really Going On Out There
She Did Not Want To Be Recognized
Elizabeth, it was said, had been scared that people would realize who she was out there in public. In 1985, the monarch told the BBC that she wanted to stay anonymous that night. “We were terrified of being recognized, so I pulled my uniform cap well down over my eyes,” Her Royal Highness shared.
She Did Not Want To Be Recognized
They Did Not Approve Of That
However, this did not go well with the others. “A Grenadier officer among our party of about 16 people said he refused to be seen in the company of another officer improperly dressed, so I had to put my cap on normally,” she said. We can’t help but smile at the thought of a future monarch getting scolded.
They Did Not Approve Of That
The Feeling Of Being Unknown
Let us hear what else the Queen recalls from that night. “We cheered the King and Queen on the balcony, then walked miles through the streets. I remember miles of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall – all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief,” she said.
The Feeling Of Being Unknown
What They Got Up To On The Streets
Apparently, the royal entourage went as far as to steal a sailor’s hat during that escapade. How much fun that must have been! Margaret Rhodes shared this incident on The Queen’s Big Night Out. She said, “My abiding memory is of this poor man following us trying to get his hat back.”
What They Got Up To On The Streets
He Did Not Even Recognize Her
Do you think that this man realized that he was going after the future monarch of the country? “Probably not. You have to remember that 75 per cent of the people on the streets would have been in uniform, so [Elizabeth] wouldn’t have stood out. She was invisible,” Margaret said when asked this.
He Did Not Even Recognize Her
There Were A Lot Of People There
What did the royal party experience after that? Reports said that they reached the other end of the Mall at about 10:30 in the evening. “Trafalgar Square was jammed. It was a scene of joyful whoopee – full of people kissing policemen and other people. It was complete mayhem but rather nice mayhem,” Margaret said. We do not know about you, but we wish we could have been there as well.
There Were A Lot Of People There
They Checked Out The Ritz Hotel
After this, the princesses and the crew went to the Ritz Hotel. The diners did not know what they were in for that night. “For some reason, we decided to go in the front door of the Ritz and do the conga. The Ritz was so stuffy and formal – we rather electrified the stuffy individuals inside,” said Margaret.
They Checked Out The Ritz Hotel
The Diners Were Surprised
Margaret talked about what else the entourage got up to. She smiled as she recalled, “There were old ladies looking faintly shocked as one conga-ed through. Eyebrows were raised, but we carried on in our very loud way.” We are sure that the diners at the posh hotel were surprised by such behavior.
The Diners Were Surprised
They Had A Lot Of Fun
“It was great fun. I don’t think anyone realized who we were. To them it was just a group of rather drunk young mad people,” Margaret went on. There were certainly plenty of people reveling in the victory on that night. We are glad that the princesses got to experience it without getting recognized.
They Had A Lot Of Fun
On The Way Back To The Palace
As they trekked all the way back to Buckingham Palace, they had one last adventure. They saw that the people outside still wanted to see the monarch himself. King George VI was willing to give the people what they wanted. At the time, there was a tip-off that nearly everyone there had not been aware of.
On The Way Back To The Palace
They Tipped Off The Palace
The King went out to the palace balcony. At the time, his daughters had been a part of the crowd outside. This was not a coincidence. In 1985, the Queen admitted that this was the case. “We… cheated slightly because we had sent a message into the house to say we were waiting outside,” she explained.
They Tipped Off The Palace
It Was Time To Head Back In
The royal entourage snuck back into Buckingham Palace. It is cool to think that no one realized that they had royals in their midst out on the streets of London. In an article that ran in the Daily Mail Weekend magazine, a person who was celebrating that night explained what it had been like to modern readers.
It Was Time To Head Back In
Someone Else Had Been There
Baroness Trumpington served in the government when Margaret Thatcher was in office. In those days, she went by Jean Campbell-Harris. She was also celebrating with the rest of the country on V-E Day. In 2015, she shared, “Me and my five pals went to London on the train. Peace was declared not long after we arrived.”
Someone Else Had Been There
After Six Years Of War
It felt like London had finally come back alive after six long years. “It had been very dim during the blackout – with only searchlights in the sky and very tiny traffic lights – and suddenly there was this sudden blaze of light. It was so exciting! Everything had been so dim, dim, dim. And now it was splurge, splurge, splurge!” explained Baroness Trumpington.
After Six Years Of War
The Queen Did Not Go Totally Unnoticed
Baroness Trumpington also claims that she saw Princess Elizabeth on the streets. “I had a friend who was a bodyguard of the Queen, so I noticed her and Princess Margaret as they walked the streets. But they were people like anyone else – we didn’t take any notice of them,” she shared with the Daily Mail Weekend magazine. This is a pretty mind-blowing thing to say about the reigning British monarch!
The Queen Did Not Go Totally Unnoticed
It Had Been Good For The Princesses
In retrospect, Margaret Rhodes agreed that the King and Queen consort made a wonderful decision that night. It was pretty unheard of to let future heirs loose like that. “It was really rather clever of the King and Queen – and enormous credit to them for letting the girls go out on the wild. It would have been tragic if they hadn’t been given the chance to join in with the people and have that blast of freedom. And it was such a wonderful night. I still remember it all these years on,” she said in the documentary.
It Had Been Good For The Princesses
For The First Time In Their Lives
“It was a wonderful escape for the girls,” recalled Margaret. “I don’t think they’d ever been out and walked with a million other people. It was a great freedom – the freedom to be an ordinary person for the first time.” Let us hear it from Queen Elizabeth II herself. “I think it was one of the most memorable nights of my life,” she admitted to the BBC. It sounded like a night to remember for anyone, especially a future monarch like she had been back then!
For The First Time In Their Lives