 She visited troops , hospitals , factories , and parts of Britain that were targeted by the German Luftwaffe , in particular the East End , near London 's docks . Her visits initially provoked hostility ; rubbish was thrown at her and the crowds jeered , in part because she wore expensive clothes that served to alienate her from people suffering the deprivations of war . She explained that if the public came to see her they would wear their best clothes , so she should reciprocate in kind ; Norman Hartnell dressed her in gentle colours and avoided black to represent " the rainbow of hope " . When Buckingham Palace itself took several hits during the height of the bombing , Elizabeth was able to say , " I 'm glad we 've been bombed . It makes me feel I can look the East End in the face . " 
