Crown and Conflict: Queen's wartime roles revealed in exhibition

Poignant photographs show the monarch's involvement with the armed forces

A picture of the queen repairing military vehicles during the Second World War in the exhibition 'Crown And Conflict - Portraits of a Queen in Wartime'. Victoria Pertusa / The National

With an archive of 11 million photographs to choose from, it has been a tough job for the Imperial War Museum's curator to select 18 for a new exhibition to mark Queen Elizabeth II's jubilee.

But there was one that stood out - a young Queen Elizabeth in mechanic's overalls rolling up her sleeves to play her part in the nation's war effort in 1945.

The museum has gathered together images of her wartime roles across the decades to mark her platinum jubilee in an exhibition called Crown and Conflict: Portraits of a Queen in Wartime.

It shows the queen's experience of war, from growing up during the Second World War and serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, to carrying out important public duties involving the armed forces.

The exhibition and an accompanying object trail and special projections explore, for the first time in the museum’s history, the relationship between crown and conflict.

Kate Clements, curator of the exhibition and author of The Royal Family in Wartime, said the displays included rarely seen footage.

She told The National that the image of the queen in mechanic's fatigues, repairing vehicles during the Second World War, was her favourite.

"I think it really encapsulates what we're talking about," she said.

"It shows the queen's very real link with the Second World War. She's there in her overalls during her time in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. She was working on a vehicle and learning how to fix and drive heavy army vehicles.

"This was quite novel at the time. She was the heir to the throne, she was going to be the future queen and there she is in her overalls getting stuck in and doing her bit."

The queen’s first public duties were during the Second World War, which broke out when she was 13 years old.

Upon joining the ATS in 1945, she became the first woman in the royal family to enlist as a full-time member of the armed services.

Since then, the queen has supported those who serve and veterans of conflict in her role as head of the country's armed forces.

"I've selected a range of images which show the queen in various stages of her life and her links to armed conflict and also the armed forces," Ms Clements said.

"I think it will be quite a surprise for visitors to see how much the queen did during the Second World War.

"Reflecting on her incredible 70-year reign, this new programming brings to light rarely seen material from IWM’s archive alongside collection objects to trace the varied roles of the royal family in times of conflict.

"From an exhibition of photographs and a brand-new publication to museum trails and projections of historic film, we hope our audiences discover something new about the enduring relationship between crown and conflict."

The newly digitised photographs include an image of the queen with her father King George VI and mother Elizabeth during a visit to airborne forces in 1944.

Alongside these, a more contemporary selection of images show the queen carrying out official duties such as meeting members of the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association and leading the annual Service of Remembrance.

There is also a trail of historical objects on display across five gallery spaces, including a Princess Mary Gift Fund box, which was sent to those serving at Christmas in 1914, and items from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Throughout this month, the IWM's main exhibition space will host projections of film and photography that depict the queen’s long history of involvement with the military.

Presented together for the first time, the footage offers glimpses into the official public duties of the queen alongside more private moments in her relationship with the armed forces.

With a running time of approximately 10 minutes, the display includes a colour sequence of the queen travelling to her coronation in 1953, attended by British and Commonwealth armed forces, as well as footage of her as a young princess travelling to South Africa on HMS Vanguard in 1947 with her parents and her sister, Princess Margaret.