This is how old Queen Elizabeth II was when she owned her first house

The Queen owns numerous properties across the UK. Some of these belong to the Crown Estate, while others are privately owned, meaning the Queen could sell them if she wished.

Buckingham Palace in London, Windsor Castle in Berkshire, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are all owned by the Crown Estate.

The Queen’s privately owned properties were inherited from her father.

They are Sandringham House in Norfolk and Balmoral Castle, Craigowan Lodge and Delnadamph Lodge, all three of which are in Aberdeenshire in Scotland.

Delnadamph Lodge is currently being rebuilt for Prince Charles and his wife Camilla Parker-Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall.

The Queen came into these properties on her coronation, but there is one British property that the Queen has owned from the age of six – albeit as a joint-owner.

On her birthday in March 1932 a straw thatched cottage in the grounds of the Windsor Royal Lodge was given to the Queen and her sister Princess Margaret in the name of the people of Wales.

Her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, then known as the Duke and Duchess of York, had started renovations on the grounds of the Royal Lodge.

The small house was fully furnished and had a garden with hedges and borders.

The house was designed by architect Edmund Willmott and at the time there was no expectation that the six-year-old princess would ever be Queen. Her father King George VI took up the role of monarch in 1936, when his older brother unexpectedly abdicated to marry Wallace Simpson, a divorcee.

The Queen’s granddaughter Princess Beatrice has described the house as “the most glamorous wendy house ever”.

The quaint property is called Y Bwthyn Bach, or The Little House.

The house was recently renovated under the watchful eye of Princess Beatrice.

The 29-year-old added new curtains and upholstery, had the paint refreshed and the roof rethatched.

She replaced the original blue colour scheme with pale green, cream and pink.

Do you know Kate Middleton’s real name?

Kate Middleton gave up the name at her wedding to Prince William in 2011. What is more, Kate is not her real name either.  This is just a nickname – and Kate was actually born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton.