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But the Queen’s first house was just 24ft-long, and was presented to her as a sixth birthday present in 1932.
This charming Wendy house was given to the future queen on behalf of “the people of Wales” and holds a special place in the heart of the monarch.
These newly released pictures, recently discovered in royal archives, show the then Princess Elizabeth posing outside the house with her sister Princess Margaret, who was then nearly two.
The life-size doll house, entitled The Little House, was intended as a symbol of the love and fascination of the Welsh people for the beloved young princess.
The two-thirds size cottage, with 5ft-high rooms, was moved from Wales to the grounds of the Royal Lodge of Windsor, where it remains to this day, tucked away from public view in the south side of the gardens.
Over the years, the Queen’s children have also played in the Wendy house and, more recently, her grandchildren.
It has a thatched roof, a working doorbell and a sign above the door reading “Y Bwthyn Bach”, which means The Little House in Welsh.
The whitewashed building is entered by a small hallway with a kitchen to the right, while a staircase gives access to a bedroom and a bathroom, which, when it was first built, was very modern, with hot and cold running water, a heated towel rail and electricity. In the kitchen there was a gas cooker, fridge and even a miniature-sized telephone.
The house is set in its own garden, with manicured lawns, a path, shrubs and a sundial.
But the charming gift did not come without its drama.
While the Wendy house was in transit from Wales, a tarpaulin protecting it caught fire, destroying the thatched roof and many of the timbers.
Luckily, the Sea Insurance Company had issued a miniature fire policy for £750 on the building and £500 on the contents.
The pictures show craftsmen working to repair the damage, before the house was reconstructed in Windsor Great Park for Elizabeth after it was displayed at London’s Olympia exhibition centre.
It holds a special place in the hearts of all the royal children, but Princess Beatrice was especially captivated by it, once calling it “the most glamorous Wendy house ever”.
In 2012, she oversaw its complete refurbishment over the course of a year.
Speaking at the time, Beatrice said: “Granny was very clear that for all the fabric she wanted very little designs. It’s such a little house that she wanted little flowers and patterns. It’s beautiful.”
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