Princess Elizabeth who became Colonel in Chief of the Grenadier Guards in October 1942. 

In February 1942, the King appointed his fifteen-year-old daughter Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, the senior Regiment of the Foot Guards. It was the first time in history that a woman had held the position. 

The Princess wears an embroidered grenade in her cap and a blue enamelled and diamond brooch, the Regimental cypher, presented to her by the Regiment on her sixteenth birthday.

In early 1945 the Princess was made a Subaltern in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS). By the end of WW2 she had reached the rank of Junior Commander, having completed her course at No. 1 Mechanical training Centre of ATS and passed out as a fully qualified driver.

Original photograph by Cecil Beaton.
 
High quality glossy print. Frame not included. Depending on size chosen, some parts of image shown may be cropped.

� Colourised by Tom Marshall at PhotograFix. All Rights Reserved.