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The Queen's childhood education at Buckingham Palace will surprise you

Her Majesty has a vast knowledge and is fluent in three languages

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Sophie Hamilton
Parenting Editor
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Homeschooling has had a resurgence in recent years after families found themselves teaching their children during the Covid pandemic - and did you know that Her Majesty, the Queen, was educated entirely at home?

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The monarch and her sister Princess Margaret were educated by their mother and governess, Marion Crawford, who they affectionately called 'Crawfie', as well as private tutors. 

WATCH: Royal children on their first day at school

Was the Queen educated as a child?

The Queen and Princess Margaret were the last members of the royal family to be permanently educated at home.

Neither sister gained any formal qualifications, yet their knowledge was vast. The pair were taught to read and write by their mother until they were age seven, and the young Princess Elizabeth later became fluent in both French and German.

The monarch also took lessons in constitutional history from the Vice Provost of Eton, Henry Marten.  According to royalcentral.co.uk, the then-princess also learnt about maths, history, dancing, art and singing.

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The princesses in the school room at Buckingham Palace

What did the Queen do in her childhood?

An article in Marie Claire revealed that the girls' governess tried to encourage outdoor activities, too, and even set up the 'Buckingham Palace Girl Guides Company' for the young princesses and their cousins, along with the children of palace staff.

marion crawford

A young Elizabeth and Margaret with their governess Marion Crawford

Professor Kate Williams, author of Young Elizabeth, has previously told Good Housekeeping: "The Queen's father had disliked school and her mother thought it was more important to have fun."

She added: "Unlike her father, the Queen was and is very bright and had an appetite for learning as well as a razor-sharp memory."

"The lack of a formal education didn't harm her as she's naturally analytical and something of an autodidact (self-taught), as well as being hard-working – which we know now is just as important as raw brainpower," Kate added. 

the queen

The Queen also had a role in World War II, when she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service which helped to repair vehicles.

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