ITV viewers were feeling “proud to be British” after learning about the Queen’s “incredible dedication” to the country during WWII in the documentary Our Queen at War.
The programme, aired last night (Wednesday, April 22), showed how the Queen’s experiences in the Second World War shaped who she would become – and the long reign she would go on to have.
While still a teenager, the future monarch signed up for the British Army’s Auxiliary Territorial Service.
A shy princess
Our Queen at War showed how the conflict transformed Her Majesty from a shy princess into the Queen Elizabeth II we know today.
After it aired, viewers heaped praise on Her Majesty on Twitter.
One said simply: “#OurQueenAtWar long live our Queen.”
Another wrote: “#OurQueenAtWar was a fascinating documentary. I am intrigued by anything to do with World War II but this was something I’d only heard snippets of before. Shows what an incredible woman and royal she really is. Makes me proud to be British, watching the victory celebrations.”
Her service to her people and nation is unmatched.
A third put: “I’d highly recommend watching #ourqueenatwar on ITV. It’s a fascinating insight into the incredible dedication the Queen has shown to the country. And a shocking reminder of what Britain went through during #WW2. I can’t even imagine living thru the Blitz. Thank you Maam @RoyalFamily.”
“Credit to @ITV for this evening’s #OurQueenAtWar,” said a fourth. “HM continues to be an inspiration, her service to her people and nation is unmatched #QueenElizabeth #GSTQ.”
https://twitter.com/jonmadd_80s/status/1253072441804546048
#OurQueenAtWar was a fascinating documentary I am intrigued by anything to do with World War II but this was something I’d only heard snippets of before. Shows what an incredible woman and royal she really is. Makes me proud to be British watching the victory celebrations.
— Daniel Brown (@DanJBrownMUFC) April 22, 2020
https://twitter.com/lucky_knight_/status/1253068160661704706
https://twitter.com/blair_mayne/status/1253067383121620994
Someone else tweeted: “#OurQueenatWar Closest thing this country has ever had to a superhero. What a woman.”
Another called her a “remarkable woman”.
And another wrote: “That was very moving. #OurQueenAtWar.”
“#OurQueenAtWar what a woman she is,” one viewer said.
#OurQueenatWar Closest thing this country has ever had to a superhero. What a woman.
— Wag (@Koianu) April 22, 2020
https://twitter.com/mufc_at22/status/1253066259597574145
That was very moving. #OurQueenAtWar
— Laura✡️Marcus🇬🇧🇮🇱 (@MissLauraMarcus) April 22, 2020
https://twitter.com/01HGUOROBLA/status/1253066152437329920
One of the programme’s royal experts explained: “The war gave Princess Elizabeth a humanity that she might have taken longer to discover.
New generation of hope
“She shared a lot in common with ordinary people, in that she saw their suffering, she knew about it. She knew that people looked to her as that new generation. That new generation of hope.”
It also described how, on Victory in Europe Day, as millions gathered in the streets to celebrate, the future Queen begged her father to allow her to go out among the people.
Read more: What did Prince Philip do in World War II? The Duke of Edinburgh is a wartime hero
And incredibly, King George VI let Her Majesty venture out with her sister, Princess Margaret.
The show’s narrator, Downton Abbey star Phyllis Logan, explained: “The future queen mingled unnoticed among her people. For once in her life, she was just another face in the crowd.”
Viewers were told that the Queen has since described it as “the most exciting night of her life”.
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