In pictures: Remembering the Queen in festive pantomimes at Windsor Castle

A young Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret appeared in a production of Old Mother Red Riding Boots

For the first Christmas Day since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, we are taking a look back at the monarch's love of pantomime.

Her Majesty performed alongside her sister Princess Margaret between 1940 and 1944 at Windsor Castle, as a way of bringing festive cheer during World War Two.

The royal siblings acted with children from the Windsor community and the Royal Windsor School to put on performances in the castle's Waterloo Chamber.

Over the years, the pair acted in productions including Cinderella, Aladdin and Sleeping Beauty, for audiences of up to 600 people.

The princesses starred as Aladdin and Princess Roxana

Performing during the Aladdin production in 1943

The royal siblings would play to an audience of between 300 to 600 people over the course of three nights

The pair acted alongside children from the Windsor community and the Royal Windsor School

Each pantomime was performed three times and the princesses' parents, King George VI and his consort Queen Elizabeth, joined other members of the royal family to attend.

Money raised from ticket sales was donated to the Royal Household Wool Fund, which supplied knitting wool to make comforters for soldiers fighting on the front line.

The pair would dress in ornate costumes. Those costumes were put on display in Windsor Castle last year.

Queen Elizabeth II as Prince Florizel for the 1941 production of Cinderella

The programme given to audience members for the Cinderella pantomime

In 1941, Princess Margaret took the lead role in Cinderella with the then Princess Elizabeth playing Prince Florizel.

The following year, in Sleeping Beauty, the future Queen performed as Prince Salvador with Princess Margaret as Fairy Thistledown.

Princess Margaret took the lead role as Cinderella in 1941, while her sister took on the role of Prince Florizel

The Queen Mother with her daughters during a rehearsal of Cinderella - the first royal pantomime at Windsor Castle

The productions were aimed at bringing people festive cheer while also raising money for soldiers during World War Two

Then in 1943, Princess Elizabeth took the lead in Aladdin with her sister as Princess Roxana.

Finally in 1944, the siblings performed in Old Mother Red Riding Boots with Princess Elizabeth as Lady Christina Sherwood and Princess Margaret as the Honourable Lucinda Fairfax.

Young Princess Elizabeth taking on the role of Prince Charming performs with her sister

The princesses, dressed in elaborate gowns, pictured alongside fellow performers dressed as Royal Guards during Old Mother Red Riding Boots

The final pantomime in 1944, saw the sisters perform in Old Mother Red Riding Boots

All pictures subject to copyright.