The Modern Monarch: How the Queen has always moved with the times

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<h2>BRIGHT SPARK</h2> Although the Second World War was devastating in its destruction, it did leave the Queen with a unique skill set and a genuine source of pride after she trained as a truck driver and mechanic in the the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service. The then-princess quickly proved she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty and was always willing to step in when her people needed her. <p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>
To this day, she’s the only female member of the Royal Family to have served with the military, and might be the only royal ever trained to change a spark plug. “I’ve never worked so hard in my life,” she told a friend. “Everything I learned was new to me – all the oddities of the insides of a car.” <p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>
<h2>TRUE COLOURS</h2> The Queen’s special ability to adapt can be seen, quite literally, in her fashion choices. Once commenting that she needed “to be seen to be believed,” Elizabeth worked to add colour to her wardrobe to ensure she was always visible. “If I wore beige, nobody would know who I am!” she reasoned. The Queen transformed into a fashion icon, dressing in an array of on-trend prints and styles and setting the stage for future generations of royal women. The Duchess of Cambridge, for instance, took a cue from the Queen and wore a bright-green Dolce & Gabbana dress on her recent trip to B.C. “It was good because you could spot her in the crowd,” guest Alison Love told Hello! Canada. <p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>
<h2>ROYAL TRAILBLAZER</h2> No monarch has lived through a more rapidly changing era than Elizabeth II, which has made her extremely adaptable. Netflix’s new drama <em>The Crown</em> brings to life some of the young Queen’s groundbreaking moments. <p>Photo: © Netflix</p>
<h2>ACTION SHOT</h2> Helping the public identify with the Royal Family was important to the Queen – which is why she agreed to be the first monarch to have a televised coronation. Prime Minister Winston Churchill opposed the idea, but according to royal biographer William Shawcross, Elizabeth was persuaded by public opinion. “The Queen gave way, insisting only that there should be no close-ups of her face at the most sacred moments of all – when she was anointed and took communion.” The coronation was watched live by millions in Britain before the film was flown to Canada to ensure Canadians could see it the same day. <p>Photo: © Shutterstock</p>
<h2>MAKING A MOVE</h2> Her Majesty learned to drive in 1945 and still gets behind the wheel to chauffeur herself and her guests around her private estates. Kate, and later her parents Carole and Michael Middleton, both enjoyed the monarch’s motoring services during a recent visit to Balmoral. Although the Queen is very confident, driving “like a bat out of hell,” according to her cousin Margaret Rhodes, Her Majesty is the only person in Britain who doesn’t require a licence, as they are issued in her name. <p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>
<h2>MONEY MATTERS</h2> After her beloved Windsor Castle was partially destroyed by a raging fire in 1992, the Queen opened the doors to Buckingham Palace for the first time to raise funds for the repairs. “She could see that it was a good thing for a more open monarchy, providing access to the royal collection, which after all belongs to the nation,” said a senior adviser. This re-evaluation of royal finances also prompted the Queen and Prince Charles to voluntarily start paying taxes on their private incomes. <p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>
<h2>REALITY TV STAR</h2> The doors to royal life had always remained firmly closed until Her Majesty sanctioned the documentary <em>Royal Family</em>, which followed her, Prince Philip and their four children for an entire year in 1969, to demonstrate how normal they were. “If people see whoever it happens to be, whatever head of state, as individuals, as people, I think it makes it much easier for them to accept the system or to feel part of the system,” said Prince Philip. More than 20 million Britons tuned in to watch. <p>Photo: © Shutterstock</p>
<h2>CIRCLE OF FRIENDS</h2> The Queen is an expert at maximizing the benefits of teamwork and friendship. At the end of her very first visit here in 1951, Elizabeth said “[Philip and I] have been welcomed with a warmth of heart that has made us feel how truly we belong to Canada.” She has extended that feeling of unity across the Commonwealth, increasing the popularity of and appreciation for the monarchy. “It’s a force for good across the whole world,” says Prince Harry. <p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>
<h2>SCHOOL OF LIFE</h2> As a young girl the Queen was home-schooled, but she and Philip decided their first-born, Prince Charles, would benefit from the company of other children and sent him to a private elementary school – a first for an heir to the throne. While still privileged, this experience introduced the prince to activities like sweeping the floor and riding the bus. Princes William, Harry and George have also attended regular schools. <p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>
<h2>GETTING CLOSER</h2> Brought up in an age when it was not done to show emotion, the Queen was criticized for her apparent coldness amid the national outpouring of grief following Diana’s 1997 death. After spending time comforting William and Harry in private, she acknowledged the nation’s feelings and shared her own in an unprecedented address, speaking “as your Queen and as a grandmother.” More important still, she lowered the Buckingham Palace flag to half-mast and agreed to a magnificent state funeral. <p>Photo: © Shutterstock</p>
<h2>HORSE WHISPERER</h2> Her Majesty’s love of horses is shared by most of her children, and when Princess Anne showed an exceptional talent for riding, the Queen encouraged her. Anne became the first British royal to compete in the Olympics, representing Team GB at the 1976 games in Montreal, which were officially opened by the monarch. In 2012, Anne’s daughter Zara competed in London, winning a silver medal. <p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>
<h2>OUT OF THIS WORLD</h2> The Queen sent an extra-special present to the moon with the crew of Apollo 11 to commemorate their milestone mission in 1969. When Neil Armstrong made his famous walk, he held a microfilm message from the Queen, which still lives high in the sky. The gift demonstrated the monarch’s strong ties with international allies and her appreciation of the world being more interconnected than ever, as she congratulated the crew and “the American people on this historic occasion.” <p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>
<h2>SEPARATION ANXIETY</h2> The marriage of her eldest son to his long-time mistress Camilla Parker Bowles may be the monarch’s most modern move of all. Just 50 years earlier, the Queen’s younger sister, Princess Margaret, was unable to marry the love of her life, Group Captain Peter Townsend, because he was a divorcé. <p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>
Five decades later, the Queen gave Charles permission to marry the ex-wife of Andrew Parker Bowles. She has also supported three of her children (Charles, Anne and Andrew) and her sister through divorces of their own. <p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>
<h2>SECRET AGENT</h2> The monarch delighted a new generation when she joined Daniel Craig in a James Bond skit to open the London Olympics in 2012. Over the years, she has often used popular culture to connect with her people, visiting the sets of <em>Game of Thrones</em> and <em>Coronation Street</em>, with other family members following suit. (Kate dropped by <em>Downton Abbey</em>, and Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall paid a visit to <em>Doctor Who</em>.)
<h2>TECH-SAVVY SOVEREIGN</h2> When Elizabeth was born in 1926, telephones were uncommon and TV didn’t even exist, but the monarch has never shied away from technology – she’s embraced it. “[She uses] cellphones to send text messages to her grandchildren, and computers to keep track of her horses,” says Sally Bedell Smith, author of <em>Elizabeth The Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch</em>. In 2016 she’s been particularly tech-savvy, using her iPad to tweet thanks for her birthday wishes and joining Prince Harry for an Invictus Games promotional video that baited the Obamas. The minute-long clip quickly went viral. <p>Photo: © Kensington Palace</p>
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