Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.Photo: Studio Lisa/Getty
A rare photo ofQueen ElizabethandPrincess Margaretfrom their teenage days isup for auction.
In the 1944 picture, the two princesses pose with the full cast ofOld Mother Red Riding Boots, a Christmastime pantomime play held at Windsor Castle for Armed Forces personnel and local children to raise spirits during World War II.
The 18-year-old future Queen, who starred as Lady Christina Sherwood in the show, stands at the center in a sparkling gown. Next to her is Princess Margaret, at 14, who played the Honourable Lucinda Fairfax.
The then-Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret helped stage and performed in a series of pantomimes from 1941 though 1944 to raise money for the Royal Household Wool Fund, which supplied knitting wool to make comforters for soldiers.
Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.WilliamGeorge/BNPS
WilliamGeorge/BNPS
The display also features outfits from anAladdinpantomime, where the future Queen played the title role wearing a gold brocade and turquoise jacket with turquoise dungarees and matching hat. Meanwhile, Princess Margaret wore a red silk dress and matching jacket to play Princess Roxana.
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Pantomimes are a slapstick-style show, which is a family tradition around Christmas in Britain. Typically based on fairy tales, the farcical musicals can be laced with some innuendo-laden rhymes and songs and require frequent raucous interventions from the audience. They often have older men playing female parts, such as the Ugly Sisters inCinderella, or young women playing male leading roles likePeter Pan.
source: people.com
