Actually, from the article (hey, who was that guy who took pride in never reading the article?):
“The queen, who is 83, is the only living head of state who served in uniform during World War II. As Elizabeth Windsor, service number 230873, she volunteered as a subaltern in the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service, training as a driver and a mechanic. Eventually, she drove military trucks in support roles in England.
While serving, she met the supreme Allied commander for the D-Day landings, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, and developed a fondness for him, according to several biographies. This prompted Queen Elizabeth, who was crowned in June 1953, to say in later years that he was the American president with whom she felt most at ease.”
“The queen, who is 83, is the only living head of state who served in uniform during World War II. As Elizabeth Windsor, service number 230873, she volunteered as a subaltern in the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service, training as a driver and a mechanic. Eventually, she drove military trucks in support roles in England.
Nice article from the New York Times but the King of England only sent his daughter into uniform just shortly before the German surrender (she was commissioned in March, just weeks before the formal surrender of May 8th.) according to the 'Women and War - Imperial War Museum'.
She did not become a "mechanic" while attending the three week course and living at the same time in Windsor castle.
Here is how the telegraph describes her military service.
"She was also, on her 16th birthday, appointed Colonel of the Grenadier Guards. The regiment presented her with a Colonel's Colour as a birthday present.
She inspected the regiment, an experience she found "a bit mark frightening but not as bad as she expected". Thus began her lifelong association with the Grenadiers, which she is known to cherish.
The training battalion of the Grenadiers was stationed at Windsor Castle during the war as a close protection force and the young officers became the princesses' first escorts, whom they called their "flirts". They included Hugh Euston, the heir of the Duke of Grafton, whom George VI looked upon as a future husband for his eldest daughter, though he remained merely a good friend."
"She was enlisted as 230873 Second Subaltern Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the ATS, [March, 1945] and sent to train as a transport officer at Camberley. The course was three weeks and Princess Elizabeth did not associate too closely with her fellow trainees.
She lunched in the officers' mess and slept the night at Windsor; 50 years later, her grandsons would eat cadet food, iron their own uniforms, polish their own boots and be shouted at on the drill square.
Despite her kid-glove treatment, Princess Elizabeth greatly appreciated her spell in the ATS, believing it gave her a confidence she had previously lacked.
The war in Europe was now drawing to a close and on May 8, 1945, the two princesses were allowed out of the Palace with their Guards officer friends to mingle with the crowds in the Mall and join in the shouts of "We want the King"
The entire WWII experience as a military member for Princess Elizabeth seems to have consisted of about 6 or 7 weeks when she lived in Windsor Castle, enlisted as a Lieutenant, attended a personalized 3 week course, had some photos taken of her touching trucks, never left the house, was promoted to Captain and was finished with the entire charade by the 6th or 7th week.
"Royalty"- they live differently than their "subjects", thank God I'm not one of those "subjects".