In pictures: Remembering the Queen in festive pantomimes at Windsor Castle

For the first Christmas Day since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, we are taking a look back at the monarch's love of pantomime.

Her Majesty performed alongside her sister Princess Margaret between 1940 and 1944 at Windsor Castle, as a way of bringing festive cheer during World War Two.

The royal siblings acted with children from the Windsor community and the Royal Windsor School to put on performances in the castle's Waterloo Chamber.

Over the years, the pair acted in productions including Cinderella, Aladdin and Sleeping Beauty, for audiences of up to 600 people.

Each pantomime was performed three times and the princesses' parents, King George VI and his consort Queen Elizabeth, joined other members of the royal family to attend.

Money raised from ticket sales was donated to the Royal Household Wool Fund, which supplied knitting wool to make comforters for soldiers fighting on the front line.

The pair would dress in ornate costumes. Those costumes were put on display in Windsor Castle last year.

In 1941, Princess Margaret took the lead role in Cinderella with the then Princess Elizabeth playing Prince Florizel.

The following year, in Sleeping Beauty, the future Queen performed as Prince Salvador with Princess Margaret as Fairy Thistledown.

Then in 1943, Princess Elizabeth took the lead in Aladdin with her sister as Princess Roxana.

Finally in 1944, the siblings performed in Old Mother Red Riding Boots with Princess Elizabeth as Lady Christina Sherwood and Princess Margaret as the Honourable Lucinda Fairfax.

All pictures subject to copyright.

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