Queen Elizabeth and Bea Arthur signed up for World War II
Then-future Queen Elizabeth decided to join the Auxiliary Territorial Service, even though her father, King George VI, had exempted her. He and his councilors agreed that her training as a princess was more important than the body count needed to help fight the war. But she wanted to go and eventually enlisted.
However, Elizabeth did not stay at the ATS camp with the others and returned to Windsor Castle at night. And she was in a group with three “hand-picked” team members but was still exposed to how non-royals live (per Life).
The then-future monarch was even part of cleaning up for an inspection carried out by her father. After that, she said she would remember how much rigorous and dedicated preparation went into a royal visit.
Similarly, Arthur, born Bernice Frankel, also had to get consent from her parents to enlist because she wasn’t yet 21 when she joined the U.S. Marine Corps Women’s Reserve around the same time (Snopes). The future actor was documented as being “frank and open” but also “over-aggressive” and “argumentative.”
One note read, “Officious, but probably a good worker if she has her own way!”
Queen Elizabeth and Bea Arthur were drivers and mechanics in World War II
After joining the ATS, Elizabeth proved herself a skilled driver and passed her test in two days less than the allotted time. As well as being a truck driver, she learned mechanic work and how to read maps. She eventually became known as “Princess Auto Mechanic.”
Similarly, Arthur was a dispatcher and a truck driver. She also completed a four-week course as a mechanic while stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. After two-and-a-half years, she received an honorable discharge for her service (Snopes).
