THE Queen Mother shone as a beacon of hope in this nation’s darkest hour.
As bombs rained down on London during the Blitz she defied the Nazi threat by standing shoulder to shoulder with the British people.
It was Elizabeth who persuaded her husband King George VI that they should remain in Buckingham Palace as the Luftwaffe bombed the capital night after night in 1940.
If there was one woman determined not to let Hitler win it was the Queen Mother.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR WORLD EXCLUSIVE ON THE ROYAL NAZI SALUTE
And she passed on her defiance to her daughters Elizabeth and Margaret, who grew up in the shadow of war. Seven years earlier, all three had been filmed making Nazi salutes in the Balmoral home movie revealed by The Sun today.
But royal author Hugo Vickers, who penned an acclaimed biography of the Queen Mother, said of the bizarre footage: “In the whole world, three people who were not Nazis were the Queen Mother and her two daughters.
“First of all her brother, Fergus, was killed in the First World War and she didn’t like the Germans. She never liked the Germans. As far as the Second World War is concerned, nobody gave a more powerful message than she did.
“By remaining totally a civilian in London the whole way through, there were wonderful images at the time of her in a pony cart with the daughters cycling behind her.
“This became the image of peace which Britain was fighting for.
“She also made stirring speeches to the women and children of Britain.
“It was a huge contrast to the ghastly imagery in Germany — people stomping around in black boots and sinister uniforms. She also kept her children in London.
“They were hugely important figures in the Second World War to keep the show on the road.
“While the King and Queen were in London, things couldn’t be that bad.”
It was with Elizabeth’s support that her shy husband “Bertie” had conquered his stammer to lead the nation with inspirational public appearances, as recounted in the movie The King’s Speech.
Courtiers told how, while Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret were evacuated to Windsor, the then Queen shot rats in the grounds of Buckingham Palace with a pistol to prepare for an invasion of Hitler’s forces or a kidnap raid by German parachutists.
She also led Bertie on regular visits to the East End to meet bomb-hit Londoners — in spite of the ever-present danger from unexploded devices in the rubble.
Buckingham Palace took nine direct hits from German bombers, the first of which had the King and Queen diving into a corridor to escape flying glass when windows were blown out.
Afterwards they calmly walked to the air raid shelter until the all-clear sirens allowed them to make yet another tour of the devastated capital.
And Elizabeth reflected that only when the royal home had been bombed could she “look the East End in the face”.
She wrote to her mother-in-law, Queen Mary, to tell of their narrow escape in the bombing of “dear old B.P.” and of her horror at seeing “ghastly” damage in East and West Ham.
The Queen wrote: “It does affect me seeing this terrible and senseless destruction — I think I mind it much more than being bombed myself. The people are marvellous, and full of fight.
“One could not imagine that life could become so terrible. We must win in the end.”
“Of anyone in the world, the Queen Mum was not a Nazi” – Historian Hugo Vickers
Respected historian Dr Karina Urbach said: “The fact that George VI’s brother the Duke of Windsor persisted in pursuit of peace with Germany doubtless confirmed the Queen in her commitment to the war effort.
“Like most of those who wanted to give Germany the benefit of the doubt in the 1930s, the point of no return was the mass bombardment of London in the summer of 1940.
“From then on, Queen Elizabeth and George VI most certainly mobilised in defence of Britain.”
The current Queen also has a proud war record and overwhelming sense of duty to the nation
In 1942, aged 15, she was made a Colonel of the Grenadier Guards and carried out a number of inspections at Windsor.
A year later, despite concerns from her father, she joined the Auxillary Territorial Service as a subaltern and learned how to drive ambulances and trucks.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR WORLD EXCLUSIVE ON THE ROYAL NAZI SALUTE
When the war ended on May 8 1945, Elizabeth appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace wearing her ATS uniform.
Alongside, her parents waved to joyous thousands who lined The Mall to celebrate peace — and to pay tribute to a family who led Britain from the front.
State visit that turned a foe into our friend
By JONATHAN REILLY
THROUGH the dark days of World War Two, a young Princess Elizabeth showed she was ready to stand by her countrymen and women against the threat of the Nazis.
On becoming Queen and in the decades since, she has steadfastly acknowledged the impact the regime had on her country and abroad.
And even as she approaches 90 she continues to demonstrate her respect and pay tribute to those who fell victim to Hitler.
Just three weeks ago she made her first visit to a former concentration camp, laying a wreath at a memorial to the 70,000 Jews, Russians and other prisoners who perished at Bergen-Belsen, Germany.
British troops freed survivors 70 years ago and it is now a memorial to those who perished, including teen diarist Anne Frank and her sister Margot.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh viewed a monument to the girls on their trip.
They were greeted by thousands of wellwishers as they walked from their Berlin hotel to the Brandenburg Gate.
It was the latest act from a monarch who has played an important role rebuilding relations with Germany since the end of the war in 1945.
Last month’s four-day visit was her sixth state tour of Germany. She first visited the divided West Germany in 1965.
Even then support for the royal couple was positive. Thousands cheered and waved flags as they drove through Cologne in an open-top car.
The Queen has entertained Chancellor Angela Merkel at Buckingham Palace banquets in 2008 and 2014.
German president Joachim Gauck and his partner Daniela Schadt were the guests at a Palace lunch in 2012.
And between 1958 and 1998 the Queen hosted four other German presidents at state banquets.
During her fifth state tour in 2004 she made a passionate speech about peace between the two nations.
Speaking at a banquet hosted by President Horst Köhler, she said: “In remembering the appalling suffering of war on both sides, we recognise how precious is the peace we have built in Europe since 1945.
“It is difficult for someone of my generation to over-emphasise this.
“Speaking for myself, as I have witnessed in my own lifetime our progress from war to peace, from partnership to friendship, I believe we should celebrate it too.”