Page "Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother" Paragraph 22

She visited troops, hospitals, factories, and parts of Britain that were targeted by the German Luftwaffe, in particular the East End, near London's docks.

Her visits initially provoked hostility ; rubbish was thrown at her and the crowds jeered, in part because she wore expensive clothes that served to alienate her from people suffering the deprivations of war.

She explained that if the public came to see her they would wear their best clothes, so she should reciprocate in kind ; Norman Hartnell dressed her in gentle colours and avoided black to represent " the rainbow of hope ".

When Buckingham Palace itself took several hits during the height of the bombing, Elizabeth was able to say, " I'm glad we've been bombed.

It makes me feel I can look the East End in the face.