The Queen recalls working very hard in 1941 for a life saving badge which she thought was very grand
Her Majesty reminisced about achieving the life saving badge as she chatted to members of the Royal Life Saving Society
10 May 2021 • 11:47am
Throughout her long reign, the Queen has amassed an extraordinary collection of priceless jewellery, diamond-encrusted crowns and tiaras.
But as a young girl, she was impressed with something rather more humble, a life saving badge for which she worked “very hard” and which she thought at the time was “very grand.”
Her Majesty, 95, held a video call with members of the Royal Life Saving Society, in which she reminisced about the days during the Second World War when she was taken with her sister, Princess Margaret, to swimming lessons at the Bath Club, a gentleman’s club in Dover Street, Mayfair.
The Queen has shared memories of achieving her own lifesaving qualification aged 14 during a video call with the Royal Life Saving Society - before revealing she didn t realise she was the first in the Commonwealth to do it.
The Society works across 30 Commonwealth nations with the aim of eliminating preventable death by drowning, promoting water safety, and delivering lifesaving and lifeguarding education.
In 1941, as Princess Elizabeth, Her Majesty, became the first young person in the Commonwealth to achieve the Society s Junior Respiration Award, providing an example to young people and helping to establish lifesaving and resuscitation qualifications across the network of nations.
6
6
She also shared snaps of her as a teenager in gaining a lifesaving swimming badgeCredit: @RoyalFamily/Twitter
Her Majesty spoke about her teenage years growing up in the Second World War and recalled her pride earning a Junior Respiration Award from the Royal Life Saving Society.
She was 14-years-old when she joined sister Princess Margaret for swimming lessons at the Bath Club, a gentleman’s club in Dover Street, Mayfair, in 1941.
Speaking on a video call with the Royal Life Saving Society released today, she said: I didn’t realise I was the first one. I just did it, and had to work very hard for it.
BBC News
By George Bowden
media captionThe Queen says she was very proud to wear the badge when she received her respirator award in 1941
The Queen has fondly remembered becoming the first young person in the Commonwealth to receive a junior lifesaving award from the Royal Life Saving Society.
As Princess Elizabeth, she was 14 years old when she earned the junior respiration award in February 1941.
Her Majesty, 95, learnt she was the very first to receive the award during a call last week with the society.
When told 80 years had since passed, she proclaimed: That s terrible!
The Queen smiled and looked in good spirits during last Thursday s virtual meeting, just days after she began official engagements following the death of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.