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Lesson 1 of 6
  • Year 1

A princess in wartime Britain

I can describe what life was like for Princess Elizabeth during WWII.

Lesson 1 of 6
New
New
  • Year 1

A princess in wartime Britain

I can describe what life was like for Princess Elizabeth during WWII.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Elizabeth was a child when war began.
  2. London was dangerous.
  3. The royal family stayed to show courage.
  4. Elizabeth learned about duty.
  5. This was long before our families were born.

Keywords

  • Princess - a king or queen’s daughter

  • War - when groups of people fight one another

  • London - the capital city of the United Kingdom

  • Safer - less likely to be harmed

  • Courage - being brave

Common misconception

Pupils might think that Elizabeth fought in the war.

Remind pupils that when war began she was still a child; her job was to stay safe and learn how to be a future queen.


To help you plan your year 1 history lesson on: A princess in wartime Britain, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

When discussing air-raid shelters, reassure pupils this happened a very long time ago. Focus on how people kept safe and looked after each other, rather than dwelling on the danger.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
Your great-grandparents were children ...

Correct answer: long ago
now
in the future

Q2.
Match the word to the correct meaning.

Correct Answer:past,something that happened before

something that happened before

Correct Answer:present,something that is happening now

something that is happening now

Correct Answer:future,something that is going to happen later

something that is going to happen later

Q3.
Imagine a family. This family contains a baby, a mother, a father and a grandmother. Who is the youngest person?

Correct answer: the baby
the mother
the father
the grandmother

Q4.
Look carefully at this photograph. It was taken before you were born. How can you tell it was taken before you were born?

An image in a quiz
The photograph is in black and white.
Correct answer: The men are wearing old-fashioned suits.
Correct answer: The woman is wearing an old-fashioned dress.
Q4 Credit: Henry Wellcome (standing left) with his brother George, and their parents. Wellcome Collection licensed under CC BY 4.0

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which family was Elizabeth born into?

the doctor's family
the policeman's family
Correct answer: the royal family

Q2.
As a child, Elizabeth lived in the capital city of the United Kingdom, which is called ...

Correct Answer: London

Q3.
What activities did Elizabeth like to do when she was a child?

archery and painting
Correct answer: dancing and riding horses
climbing and skateboarding

Q4.
Put the events of Elizabeth's life up to and including World War II in the correct order. Start with the earliest event.

1 - Elizabeth lived in London with her mother, father, and younger sister.
2 - Elizabeth moved to the countryside at the start of World War II.
3 - Elizabeth grew vegetables in her garden during World War II.
4 - Elizabeth joined the Army as a mechanic.

Q5.
Match the words to the correct definition.

Correct Answer:princess,a king or queen's daughter

a king or queen's daughter

Correct Answer:war,when groups of people fight one another

when groups of people fight one another

Correct Answer:safer,less likely to be harmed

less likely to be harmed

Correct Answer:courage,being brave

being brave

Q6.
Did Princess Elizabeth fight during World War II?

Yes - she joined the Army as a soldier.
Yes - she joined the Royal Air Force as a pilot.
No - she was sent to a safer country during the war.
Correct answer: No - she did join the Army but worked as a ambulance driver.