Badges fit for a Queen
A deep dive into Queen Elizabeth’s time as a Guide and a Ranger
Badges fit for
a Queen
A deep dive into Queen Elizabeth’s time
as a Guide and a Ranger
Since the death of Her Majesty The Queen, lots of us have been reflecting on the impact she had on the world, and on Girlguiding in particular.
As our patron, she showed her love and respect for guiding in lots of ways.
The Queen had been involved in guiding since she was a young princess, as both a Guide and a Ranger. She fully participated in unit activities, and earned plenty of badges. Looking back at the skills she was able to learn through guiding is a great reminder of what our movement does for girls of all backgrounds.
In this article, we’re going on a deep dive into the Queen’s experiences as a young member in Girlguiding, and celebrating the unique place she had in our movement by introducing a very special set of commemorative badges...
Becoming a Guide
Queen Elizabeth’s parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, were involved in both Guiding and Scouting. Once they knew that Elizabeth would become Queen, guiding became a useful way for both her and her sister Margaret to learn new skills, and meet other children.
A Guide leader called Miss V M Synge was invited to Buckingham Palace where she met Princess Elizabeth, her sister Princess Margaret and 14 of their cousins and friends. Together they started 1st Buckingham Palace Guides in 1937, using a summerhouse in the garden as their base. They did everything an ordinary Guide unit would do including making a promise and wearing a promise badge, hiking, making campfires, learning first aid and going on scavenger hunts. Princess Elizabeth joined the Kingfisher patrol, and later became Patrol leader of the Swallow patrol. The patrol badges were navy and hand-stitched.
Maureen, one of the members of the 1st Buckingham Palace Guides, looks back on those days with fondness. ‘It was a very charmed life living in the lovely grounds of the royal estate. It was all great fun and we took it all for granted, but I came to realise later how lucky I was.
‘We camped in the grounds of Frogmore and held meetings in a summer house. We had campfires to which the King and Queen came and always had to include ‘under the spreading chestnut tree’, the King’s favourite action song. We took part in first aid, signalling, mapping and such things. We enjoyed Scottish dancing. Elizabeth was leader of the Swallow Patrol by this time.’
Minstrel badge
Achieving badges
As an active Guide, we know that Princess Elizabeth achieved a fair few badges! The badges were round and similar in size to our current interest badges but the designs were simple and they were all hand-stitched. Here are some badges we know the future Queen earned:
Child Nurse
This was all about learning how to look after a child between the ages of two and five. To earn the badge, you had to show practical knowledge of how to keep a child happy and healthy, know how to avoid accidents, and show some knowledge of sewing and washing.
Cook
To earn this badge, you had to demonstrate four different types of cooking – boiling, stewing, baking and frying. You might be asked to cook a wide variety of recipes, from custard to sausages. And of course, it was essential to know how to make tea, coffee and cocoa.
Dancer
You had to be light on your feet to earn this badge! You had to show off your mastery of four different types of steps, such as a polka or a gavotte, and have learnt three different national dances. You had to perform one of them in a test – it could be anything from an Irish jig to a mazurka (a Polish folk dance). Finally, you had to improvise some steps to a piece of music.
Interpreter
This badge was all about learning to communicate with other nationalities – an essential skill for a future Queen. You had to be able to speak, read and write in a foreign language, and be able to explain key things about your own culture and local town to visitors from other countries. You also had to be able to identify badges and flags used by Girl Guide and Scout groups from around the world.
Minstrel
You could play any instrument to earn this badge, but you definitely needed to practice! You had to be able to play the National Anthem and a march, do your scales and arpeggios in major and minor keys, play two contrasting pieces of modern and classical music, and pass a sightreading test.
Swimmer
This was all about survival skills in the water. You had to demonstrate different kinds of swimming strokes, show that you could swim 25 yards while fully dressed, be able to dive and float, and put on a lifebuoy in the water.
Child Nurse badge
Becoming a Ranger
In 1943, Princess Elizabeth became a Sea Ranger.
During the Second World War, the Ranger section of guiding was particularly important. Skills training for older girls was desperately needed, so that they could contribute to the war effort at home. It was so important, the government requested that the age for Ranger training be lowered from 16 to 14 in 1941.
In 1940, the Home Emergency Service scheme was introduced. This allowed Rangers to learn some essential skills during their first year in the section. The scheme included emergency first aid, how to deal with incendiary bombs, blitz cooking and other skills to assist the home front. After this year, Rangers could choose to specialise as Land or Sea Rangers. As a Sea Ranger, Princess Elizabeth focused on boating and nautical activities, and earned her Boating Permit. In 1946, she was appointed Chief Ranger of the British Empire.
Becoming a Ranger
In 1943, Princess Elizabeth became a Sea Ranger.
During the Second World War, the Ranger section of guiding was particularly important. Skills training for older girls was desperately needed, so that they could contribute to the war effort at home. It was so important, the government requested that the age for Ranger training be lowered from 16 to 14 in 1941.
In 1940, the Home Emergency Service scheme was introduced. This allowed Rangers to learn some essential skills during their first year in the section. The scheme included emergency first aid, how to deal with incendiary bombs, blitz cooking and other skills to assist the home front. After this year, Rangers could choose to specialise as Land or Sea Rangers. As a Sea Ranger, Princess Elizabeth focused on boating and nautical activities, and earned her Boating Permit. In 1946, she was appointed Chief Ranger of the British Empire.
A piece of history
After she became Queen in 1952, Elizabeth’s relationship with guiding continued. As our patron, she met hundreds of girls and volunteers over the years, and we’re incredibly proud and grateful that she’s such a big part of our history.
To celebrate her life and impact on our movement, we’re pleased to share our special new badge pack – a must-have for any badge collector. For the first time ever, we’ve replicated past badges from our archives. This special presentation pack features replicas of three of the badges that the Queen received during her time as a Guide – the Promise Badge, her Swallow Patrol badge, and the Interpreter badge. We hope you enjoy owning such a special piece of our history, celebrating a truly inspirational Guide.
The Queen's badges: Promise badge, Patrol badge and Interpreter badge
Promise badge
The Promise badge is a symbol of every Girlguiding member's commitment to uphold our values. The badge the Queen received was launched in 1932.
Patrol badge
Patrols have always been at the heart of Guide units. The Queen was leader of the Swallow Patrol of the 1st Buckingham Palace Guides.
Interpreter badge
The Queen earned many interest badges in her time as a Guide, including the Interpreter badge.
References
Lesley's guiding badge history
‘Royal Album, created by the Arc Angels May 1922’, Girlguiding Norfolk County’s Archive Resource Centre
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