born in Mayfair, London, on 21 April 1926, the first child of the Duke and Duchess of YorkAs a 21歲公主, 伊莉莎白had vowed to devote her life to service.Reflecting on those words decades later, during her Silver Jubilee in 1977, she declared: "Although that vow was made in my salad days, when I was green in judgment, I do not regret nor retract one word of it."
Peacetime brought the return of Lieutenant Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, a handsome young naval officer who had, by all accounts, won her heart when she was just 13.
Wartime offered her certain freedoms beyond the traditional constraints of royal life. In 1945 she joined the AuxiliaryTService & spent四星期getting her hands covered in oil and grease as she learned to drive and maintain military vehicles
When victory was declared in Europe, a uniformed Elizabeth mingled with jubilant crowds outside Buckingham Palace.
When victory was declared in Europe, a uniformed Elizabeth mingled with jubilant crowds outside Buckingham Palace.