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Amazing and Extraordinary Facts: Royal Family Life
Some things you might not know about Elizabeth II:When she was a girl her grandmother Queen Mary had the pockets of her dresses sewn up to prevent her from fidgeting - and taught her how to wave to the crowds.
One of her favourite childhood Christmas presents was a dustpan and brush.
With her sister Princess Margaret she acted in royal pantomimes to raise money during World War II - with Prince Philip in the audience.
For her wedding in November 1947, when clothes were still rationed, the public sent in their coupons for her. However it was illegal to give them away and Elizabeth returned them all with personal notes of thanks.
In 1992 she issued a writ against The Sun newspaper after it printed her Christmas speech two days before transmission. The £200,000 compensation paid by the paper was donated to charity.
December 11, 1997, the day on which she had to bid farewell to the Royal Yacht Britannia is said to be the only time the Queen has been seen shedding a tear in public.
Taken from the book Amazing and Extraordinary Facts: Royal Family Life.