 Though the King and Queen spent the working day at Buckingham Palace , partly for security and family reasons they stayed at night at Windsor Castle about 20 miles ( 32 km ) west of central London with the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret . The Palace had lost much of its staff to the army , and most of the rooms were shut . The windows were shattered by bomb blasts , and had to be boarded up . During the " Phoney War " the Queen was given revolver training because of fears of imminent invasion . 
