Inside William And Kate’s Gorgeous Apartment
When you think of royalty, castles and palaces are the types of homes you picture. Since 2013, however, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — call Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace home. Before you raise an eyebrow in surprise that these British royals live in an apartment, let us explain: William and Kate’s “apartment” is actually a four-story home with 20 rooms, surrounded by courtyards and lush gardens.
Royal expert Christopher Warwick, the author of Princess Margaret’s biography, cleared up misconceptions and shared what the home is really like on a 2020 episode of True Royalty TV’s “Royal Beat” (via Hello!). “All of these royal residences at Kensington Palace are called apartments,” Warwick said, adding, “which of course makes people immediately think they are flats like the American term for an apartment meaning it is a flat. They are not.” Instead, Warwick explained that Kensington Palace is built around several courtyards, so he suggested thinking of these royal residences as “red brick terrace houses” that are “all joined but separate.”
Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s get to the nitty gritty. What does William and Kate’s apartment actually look like? Follow along as we take you inside William and Kate’s gorgeous apartment.
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s four-story Kensington apartment is massive
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With four stories and 20 rooms — from the basement to the attic — Prince William and Kate Middleton’s apartment is massive, taking up half of the Clock Tower Wing at Kensington Palace. The home features three main bedrooms — including two main-floor master suites and his-and-hers dressing rooms — along with five reception rooms, a gourmet kitchen, two separate nurseries, and staff quarters (via Hello!).
E! News shared that the royal residence also includes two living rooms, three main bathrooms, an elevator, a large basement complete with a gym and luggage room, and two nurseries — one for daytime play and one for sleep. Royal staff even have their own separate quarters, with an additional nine bedrooms and two kitchens. The living and reception rooms also feature several fireplaces – perfect for cozying up on London’s rainy days. On sunny days, the private walled garden is the perfect place to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the outdoors.
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s apartment has quite an interesting history
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Though Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their three children have called Kensington Palace’s Apartment 1A home since 2013, they are, by far, not its first residents. According to The Week, Kensington Palace was originally known as Nottingham House when it was built in 1605. King William III and Queen Mary II purchased the property in 1689 and worked with architect Christopher Wren to expand it.
However, according to the Daily Telegraph (via The Week), the property “fell out of [favor]” among the rulers who followed William and Mary and was divided into individual apartments for “minor royals.” Edward VIII even once reportedly called the place an “aunt heap,” presumably because of the older age of its residents (via The Straits Times).
Well, this former so-called “aunt heap” has been transformed over the years (more on that soon), making it perfectly suitable for other members of the British royal family — including William, Kate, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are not the first royals to inhabit their apartment
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We know that Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Kensington Palace apartment originally was home to King William III and Queen Mary II during the 17th century. But what other members of the British royal family lived in Apartment 1A before William and Kate? According to The Week, the apartment was presented to Princess Margaret — Queen Elizabeth’s sister — and Lord Snowdon in 1960. Not wanting the space to “go to waste,” the couple moved in and embarked on an £85,000 renovation — equivalent to about £1.5 million today.
The apartment also happens to be located very close to Apartment 8, where William’s parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, lived together and raised William and Prince Harry. The Daily Mail noted that William had initially suggested living there to Kate; however, given William and Harry’s childhood memories of the home, it’s understandable why William and Kate did not ultimately choose to live there. Additionally, a source told the Daily Mail that, “Kate thought [that living there] would be too creepy.” Makes total sense to us! Plus, it’s kind of nice to start fresh as a newly married couple in a new place and create your own memories, don’t you think?
Prince William and Kate Middleton have several royal relatives as neighbors
Prince Charles and Princess Diana raised Prince William and Prince Harry in Kensington Palace’s Apartment 8. But William and Kate Middleton currently have other royal family members as neighbors. So whose door can they knock on when they’re out of milk?
According to Hello!, William and Kate’s next-door neighbors include the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester in Apartment 1. Apartment 10 belongs to Prince and Princess Michael of Kent (via Hello!). The Duke and Duchess of Kent live at Wren House, while Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank live at Ivy Cottage, both on the grounds of Kensington Palace. In addition, before getting married in May of 2018, Harry and Meghan Markle lived at Nottingham Cottage, which is situated on the grounds of Kensington Palace. They later moved to Frogmore Cottage at Windsor Castle (via Hello!) before making the big move overseas to Southern California, where they currently live (via the Independent).
Victoria Arbiter, who lived at Kensington Palace when her father was the queen’s press secretary, told Us Weekly, “It’s a bit like [‘Melrose Place’]. You can knock on a neighbor’s door if you need sugar.” Sounds good to us!
Prince William and Kate Middleton hosted this former U.S. president and first lady here
In 2016, the public got a first glimpse of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s home at Kensington Palace when the royal couple hosted former U.S. President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama in the apartment’s drawing room. Vogue described the space, one of the apartment’s several reception rooms, as featuring elements like antiques and gold accents, which add flair to the neutral tones of cream and beige.
The elegant space also includes several tall windows, bringing in natural light. Cream-colored sofas with floral-print pillows and an ottoman-style coffee table resting on a patterned area rug warm up the room, while the historic artwork framed in gold easily catch one’s eye. In one corner of the room is a wooden piano topped with family photos, while another corner of the room is a designated spot for drinks and refreshments, similar to that of a butler’s pantry (which we personally consider #lifegoals). However, it’s the little things that really envelope the space in elegance: Multiple lamps bring warm light, candles and books rest on glass end tables, and vases with fresh flowers bring the outdoors in.
Kate Middleton was very hands-on with the apartment’s deco
Like most of us ladies, Kate Middleton took the lead when decorating the apartment she shares with Prince William and their three children. E! News noted in a 2013 article that Kate was super “excited” about decorating the home during her and William’s early days in Apartment 1A, and that she was still shopping for items while in the third-trimester of her pregnancy with Prince George. “Kate has taken a very personal role,” a source explained at the time. “She has staff helping her, but she makes some of the calls herself and visited shops. She’s very professional and organized.”
When it came time to decorate the nursery in anticipation of George’s arrival, Kate was spotted shopping for the nursery at London’s Bernard Thorp & Co. E News! noted that she chose a more “gender-neutral” look for the nursery with earth tones including brown and sage green.
Reports are conflicting whether or not Kate sought the help of an interior designer to decorate the nursery. E! News noted that Kate may have worked with interior designer Kelly Hoppen, though the Daily Mail claims that the Duchess oversaw the decor on her own. No matter who took the lead, we’re sure the nursery turned out just beautiful.
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Kensington apartment features a flair for florals
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s apartment is a mix of pieces and styles
Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their children enjoy family time in the private palace garden
Prince William and Kate Middleton reportedly spent £170,000 renovating the main kitchen
Prince William and Kate Middleton each have their own elegant and comfortable home office
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s stunning Kensington apartment is said to be haunted
Royal biographer Andrew Morton claimed that the nursery and other areas of the home are haunted by ghosts that date back centuries, like the ghost of Caroline of Brunswick. The ghost of King George II, who died in 1760 at Kensington Palace, was reportedly seen in various rooms, including the nursery and by a window. And, reports of a spinning wheel heard point to the ghost of Princess Sophia, who died at Kensington Palace in 1848.
While we may not be so sure of the presence of ghosts, one thing we do know is that William and Kate’s apartment is stunning.
