The Queen’s Mini Cottage Ensures That Prince George, Princess Charlotte And Prince Louis Will Always Remember Her

Nov 19, 2020

Queen Elizabeth II was the reigning monarch of England for an incredible 70 years, but sadly her time came to an end when she passed away on Sept. 8, 2022. She passed away while at her home in Balmoral after Buckingham Palace had earlier announced that she was under medical attention. It was a devastating day for the royal family as many members gathered to be by her side in her final moments. 

Before her death, Queen Elizabeth II was a mother of four, a grandmother of eight, and a great-grandmother of 12. While she ruled as Britain’s monarch, she also presided as a very loving grandmother and great-grandmother to her family members. Over the years, many royal family members have found sweet ways to pay tribute to the queen – even before her passing – and do their part to make sure her legacy would forever be carried on and remembered.

Many people have continued to look back on the late monarch’s life. Queen Elizabeth II's childhood seems to have been a very happy one, and it might have something to do with an incredible playhouse that she was gifted all the way back in 1932 when she was 6 years old.

A gift from the people of Wales, the child-size playhouse was enjoyed by the queen and her sister Princess Margaret, and in the decades since, many royal children have played there, including the queen's great-grandchildren Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

The playhouse is absolutely adorable, so it’s easy to see why William and Kate’s kids love it!

Back when she was just a child, the late queen lived with her family at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, and one place where she and her sister Princess Margaret often played was a life-size playhouse on the property. Given to Queen Elizabeth in 1932, when the royal was only 6 years old, the playhouse was a gift from the people of Wales. It even has an official name, Y Bwthyn Bach, which means "the little cottage." The two-thirds scale cottage is not only incredible for its size, but inside, it features running water and electricity, as well as a fully functioning kitchen and bathroom, and a living room and bedroom.

Royal family members usually are not able to accept gifts from the public due to security reasons, but as the playhouse was given to young Princess Elizabeth herself instead of the Royal Collection Trust, the future queen was able to keep it.

From the pictures that show Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret playing at the house, it's clear that the house was full of adventure and dearly loved by the young royal sisters. In the photos, the house's impressive details can be seen, including windows with white frames, a coordinating front door, and a gorgeous thatched roof. In front of the house, a low brick wall surrounds the building and is decorated with two concrete balls. A path leads from the front door up to the garden.

Jean Sharman, whose dad helped make the mini cottage, told the BBC, “Princess Elizabeth must have been thrilled to have had it. I think it was charming and inside you wanted to touch everything because it was so small, in miniature, lovely china.”

The cottage is so charming that Sharman herself even envied the queen. Sharman added, “(I thought) ‘Oh, isn’t she lucky,’ then I probably went home discontented because I didn’t have it. I’m sure I felt that.”

Architect Edmund Willmott designed the little cottage using materials left over from the construction of Llandough Hospital in Vale of Glamorgan, according to the BBC. With rooms upstairs and downstairs, it’s easy to see why the queen adored playing in so much with her sister during their youth and why the younger generation of royals have grown fond of it as well.

And ever since, generations of royal children have been lucky enough to be able to play at the dreamlike playhouse, including the queen's own children. One vintage photo shows an adorable young Prince Charles, now known as King Charles III, standing in front of the house's doorway.

Now that the queen has not only grandchildren but great-grandchildren, so there are plenty more kids enjoying the beautiful house. This includes William, Prince of Wales, and Kate Middleton's three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. It was also presumed that whenever the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to the UK from the US, their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor would also be able to play there.

Princess Beatrice, who is well known for having a close relationship with her grandmother, the queen, even spoke about how delightful it was to be able to play at the house growing up. Back in 2012, she told Andrew Marr in the documentary The Diamond Queen, as reported by Hello! Magazine.

Beatrice said:

"Granny and her sister played here growing up and we've been lucky enough to play here with cousins and second cousins and it's a big family treat."

Imagine growing up as a royal and being lucky enough to be able to play at the queen's life-size playhouse that's belonged to her for nearly 90 years! It's even had some renovations to keep it updated and in good working condition. Beatrice continued on:

"It's the most glamorous wendy house ever, but it's really beautiful and what you're seeing now is after a year's renovation process. It's been completely rethatched, new curtains, new wiring, a bit of a spruce up really! All the little china and glass was created especially for the house."

In the same interview, Beatrice even mentioned that the queen loved to "come back and visit." We can't blame her — if we owned such a wonderful playhouse that also had many memories tied to it, we'd be back there often as well! She also explained that it was the queen who took creative charge during the renovation, saying:

"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. I've been lucky enough to play here and now Granny's a great-granny, so now the great-grandchildren can enjoy it too." 

Who knew that the queen had such an eye for interior design? The playhouse is a complete dream, and we love that it's been used and enjoyed by generations of royal children and is now loved by the queen's great-grandchildren.

Are you impressed by this life-size playhouse? Let us know your thoughts about it and be sure to pass this story on to any royal fans you know!