Page 11 - June 2022

Elizabeth R- A life with
Horsepower and Horses

The photos of Queen Elizabeth II seated
in ceremonial coaches (right) being
driven in cars, or driving herself behind
the wheel of a Jaguar sedan or in her
personal, venerable, manual shift Land
Rover, hair covered by a patterned
headscarf, fill the photo archives. While
she loves the Corgis, the sheer number
of photos prove that what Queen
Elizabeth really loves are horsepower
and horses.
Her regard for the automobile began
when she was still Princess Elizabeth.
World War II called for sacrifice and
service from the people of a besieged
Britain. Towards the end of the war years
after fiercely lobbying her father, the
King, to allow her to volunteer with the
The Queen waves to onlookers while riding in a ceremonial coach. image
ATS, she prevailed and enrolled as a
istock by Carnegie 42
mechanic in the Women's Auxiliary
Territorial Service. She was 18. repairs, wearing a boilersuit , in the motorpool, on
Tilly trucks", utility vehicles produced in Britain during the war
Working side by side with other women,
effort. While she returned home to Windsor Castle to sleep,
over a six week course she learned to
she spent the majority of her days at the training facility. VE
deconstruct and rebuild engines, change
Day , 8th May of 1945, ended her time in the ATS.
a wheel, and drive ambulances and
other vehicles. According to a story in a Today, the Queen remains the only female member of the
1947 issue of Collier's magazine, royal family to have entered the armed forces. She is also the
Elizabeth had the opportunity to drive only living head of state who served in World War II.
every vehicle she worked on and "one of
Elizabeth's experience during the war left her with a
her major joys was to get dirt under her
permanent passion for cars, an enthusiasm later shared by
nails and grease stains in her hands, and
her husband Prince Philip. He also shared her love of horses
display these signs of labor to her
and was a carriage driving enthusiast. One of his driving
friends."
teams participated in the funeral ceremony held upon his
Nicknamed by the press "Princess Auto death in 2021 and was also driven at the Royal Windsor show
Mechanic" her proud parents came to event during the run up to the Jubilee weekend. His coffin was
visit her during her training, the King carried on a modified Range Rover shooting brake of his own
having ordered that she was to be design.
treated exactly the same as all the other
The Queen has an extensive collection of vehicles with an
volunteers. She had a service number
estimated worth of millions of pounds. Some have been
and signed on under the name Elizabeth
gifted to her; some were purchased from her personal funds;
Alexandra Mary Windsor. Her varied
others have been purchased by the state as part of the
duties also included driving and doing
equipment in support of her official duties. Continues on p. 12
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Concludes on page 10