A Real Princess Playhouse

 Y Bwthyn Bach or "Little House"

At first glance you may mistake this picturesque playhouse for a quaint Welsh cottage, but Y Bwthyn Bach or "Little House" was built  in 1932 for Princess Elizabeth's sixth birthday.  The playhouse has recently undergone renovations headed up by Princess Beatrice, and include a new thatched roof, updated wiring, a fresh coat of paint and new curtains among other things. 

The playhouse, two-thirds the size of a real house,  is perfectly scaled for children.  After ducking  through the 4 foot door, you inter into a small hallway with a kitchen on the right and a little chamber on the left.  Upstairs is a bedroom and bathroom with hot and cold running watter, a heated towel rail and electricity (not too shabby for a playhouse built in 1932).  The overall size is 24 feet long and eight feet deep with a ceiling height of only 5 feet. 

The playhouse also known as a wendy house is furnished top to bottom complete with a portrait of the Queen's mother, the Dutchess of York, hanging over the fireplace mantle.  It also has a working telephone, gas cooker (is that safe), fridge and radio. Blue and gold china and glass made specially for the tiny house fill the china cabinet, and the bookcase is stocked with Beatrix Potter's miniature best-sellers.  What more could a girl ask for? 

Postcard of Y Bwthyn Bach, The Little House 

with Princess Elizabeth standing in the doorway

The charming cottage is tucked away in a very private area on the grounds of Windsor's Royal Lodge, and is not open to the public.  Few have even caught a glimpse of the adorable hideaway until recently when  a documentary made by the BBC, called Our Diamond Queen, revealed the tiny treasure.

Image sources:  The Royal Windsor Website, & Daily Mail
Check out the video clip:  People