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Inside Kensington Palace Apartment 1A, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s London Home

Summer is over and school has begun, which means that the Cambridge family has left Anmer Hall in Norfolk and gone back to Kensington Palace in London. And they won’t be the only royals doing so: While Buckingham Palace is home to the Queen and Prince Philip alone, Kensington Palace actually serves as a grand compound for many Windsors. The Duke and Duchess of Kent, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent all live in the main building. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle live in Nottingham Cottage, a small two-bedroom home on the grounds, as, reportedly, do Princess Eugenie and her fiancé, Jack Brooksbank.

Amidst this royal community, the Cambridges live in Kensington Palace 1A, a 20-room, four-story apartment. Previously, it belonged to Princess Margaret, but William and Kate moved there in 2013 after it underwent a reported 1 million pound renovation. According to the Daily Mail, “it boasts generous living space, including five reception rooms, three main bedrooms, dressing rooms and bathrooms, a night and day nursery, staff bedrooms and 'ancillary' rooms.” The walls are filled with art from the Royal Collection. In addition to the main house, there are large staff quarters and a large walled-in garden.

It’s said that Kate Middleton did much of the decorating for Apartment 1A herself, rather than enlisting professionals. (And, like many of us, the Duchess admitted her vision includes some choice IKEA pieces.)

Back in 2013, a source described 1A to E News, saying it had a bright feel. "The entrance hall is beautiful with intricate cornicing and huge black and white flagstones. There are large open fireplaces in all the main entertaining rooms and lovely big windows overlooking the garden.“

President Obama, Prince William, Prince Harry, Michelle Obama, and Kate Middleton in the Drawing Room of Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace.

kensington-palace

President Obama, Prince William, Prince Harry, Michelle Obama, and Kate Middleton in the Drawing Room of Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace.
Photo: Getty Images

The world got a glimpse inside when President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama dined with William and Kate at their home. Photographers were allowed to capture the quartet in one of the reception rooms, which was full of warm beiges and floral pillows. In the middle sits a large octagonal coffee table, and up against a wall is a pink-patterned chair. Sounds like a perfect home for two future kings—and a queen, and a princess, and a prince.

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