Queen does the washing up

Britain's Queen Elizabeth does her own washing up.

The 86-year-old monarch - who celebrated her Diamond Jubilee last the weekend - likes to be quite hands-on when she's entertaining her guests, as does her husband Prince Philip.

Former BBC royal reporter Jennie Bond said: ''We know she likes to have a supper tray while watching television, she likes simple food and she's probably happier than when she hasn't got a big dinner to go to in the evening. Probably not at Buckingham Palace but at Windsor Castle, she can relax. Or the long summer, when she's up at Balmoral, is when she's really happy. You can imagine her sitting in her tweed skirt, surrounded by dogs.

''And when you have a barbecue or picnic with her in one of the cabins by the river. Prince Philip will do the barbecuing and she'll always make a point of doing the washing up.''

Jenny also revealed how the queen is quite funny, but doesn't like to show her sense of humour to many people.

She said: ''I think she does have quite a dry sense of humour, but it's not something she readily shares with journalist.''