London ( CNN ) -- A treasure trove of old photos has revealed how Queen Elizabeth once took to the stage -- sometimes dressed as a boy -- in a series of holiday pantomimes during World War II . The archives feature more than a dozen signed photographs of Princess Elizabeth and the late Princess Margaret , her younger sister , as the teenage stars in Christmas productions of the traditional plays at Windsor Castle in the 1940s . A pantomime -- or `` panto '' as it is also known -- is a mixture of slapstick and music performed across Britain during the holiday season . They are typically based on children 's stories and usually feature male leads played by women ( and vice versa ) , comedic twists and audience participation . After the outbreak of World War II in 1939 , King George VI and Queen Elizabeth -- the current queen 's mother -- spent most of their time in London while their daughters remained in Windsor , just outside the capital . But at Christmas they would return to join a privileged audience at the luxury pantomimes their daughters starred in at the Royal School . In 1941 Elizabeth , then 15 , played Prince Florizel , the male lead , in a pantomime of `` Cinderella '' , while 11-year-old Margaret took the title role . The following year the future queen starred as Prince Salvador in `` Sleeping Beauty '' with Margaret as Fairy Thistledown . In 1943 Elizabeth won her first title role in `` Aladdin '' with Margaret as Princess Roxana . The next year the royal sisters starred as Lady Christina Sherwood and the Honorable Lucinda Fairfax , respectively , in `` Old Mother Red Riding Boots. `` The fascinating images are owned by the estates of Hubert Tannar , an amateur actor and headmaster of the school the princesses attended , and Cyril Woods , who shared the stage with the young Windsors and became a friend of the future queen during rehearsals . The archive of royal pantomime photos -- along with documents , Christmas cards and over twenty letters from the Queen to Tannar 's widow -- are expected to fetch thousands of dollars at auction next week . `` This is the best royal archive I have ever handled , '' said Chris Albury , the senior valuer at Dominic Winter Auctioneers , based in Gloucestershire , England . `` The pantomime albums are highly atmospheric and you can see both princesses growing from childhood to adulthood , but the albums are further dramatically charged when you consider the wartime backdrop to these luxury pantomimes performed at Windsor Castle . '' Read more : Prince William talks fatherhood with CNN .
Photos of teenage girls Elizabeth and Margaret acting in plays to be auctioned . Britain 's future queen appearing in a series of pantomimes at Windsor Castle in 1940s . Photos belonging to headmaster of the school and a co - worker of the royal sisters .