A Military Monarch

Available for over a year

Tessa Dunlop tells the story of Queen Elizabeth's short but significant military service. As an 18-year-old, the then princess joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, driving and working as a mechanic on army trucks. It was both a time of freedom for Elizabeth and a propaganda coup for the government. She became both the first female member of the British royal family to serve full-time in the military, and survived to become the last monarch to have served in the Second World War. Dr Dunlop meets ATS veterans who served at the same period and gets behind the wheel of a Bedford 1500, the same lorry driven by Queen Elizabeth. Producer: David Reid Editor: Hugh Levinson