All The Gorgeous Places Prince William & Kate Middleton Have Called Home
When it comes to active members of the royal family, many would say that Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, appear to be the most down to earth, despite Prince William being directly in line for the throne. Middleton, for example, often repeats outfits that she wears at events, while Prince William has made it a point to break out-of-touch royal traditions. However, it's safe to say that their real estate portfolio is something that is not relatable at all, considering that they own several luxury homes.
While the Prince and Princess of Wales aren't necessarily living in fairytale-like castles, they have split their time between an array of houses that aren't too shabby, either. In fact, don't be fooled by what the royals call "cottages" or "apartments," since most of the residences are actually large estates. That kind of lavish lifestyle doesn't always bode well with some Brits, though. According to Newsweek, an anti-monarchy group CEO, Graham Smith, said, "While the country faces an ever-growing cost-of-living crisis it is shocking to see William and Kate acquire a fourth home, at great expense to the taxpayer."
Even so, a lot of the mansions belonging to Prince William and Kate Middleton have been in the royal family for centuries. The couple has also made an effort to downsize in recent years to feel more "normal" (per Vanity Fair). Yet from the looks of their estates, normal isn't really an option. Let's examine all the gorgeous places they have called home.
Prince William and Kate Middleton's first home was a farmhouse in Wales
Prince William and Kate Middleton's first home together was not one of the royal family's palaces in London, but actually a farmhouse in Wales. The couple lived on the Bodargan Estate in Anglesey as newlyweds following their 2011 wedding. Many may be surprised to learn, though, that the prince and princess didn't own the home, but rented it from Lord and Lady Meyrick for £750 a month. Of course, it was still pretty nice for a starter home, boasting four bedrooms, two bathrooms, private beach access, and stunning scenery, with Newborough Forest nearby.
If you're wondering why the couple chose to start their lives together in Wales, it was because Prince William was stationed with the Royal Air Force there. However, it seemingly worked to their favor. Anglesey councilor Gwilym O Jones told BBC, "He lived in a very low-key way in a very relaxed manner," adding, "They weren't hounded by the press and the media."
Anglesey is also where Prince William and Middleton became parents since they welcomed their first child, Prince George, while there. That's probably part of the reason why, per Express, Prince William later said, "It will always be an immensely special place for us both." Middleton, however, may have been happy to eventually leave the farmhouse so she could have more support as a new mom. She explained, "It was so isolated, so cut off, I didn't have my family around me."
Queen Elizabeth II gave them Anmer Hall as a wedding present
You could say the late Queen Elizabeth II's wedding gift to Prince William and Kate Middleton was much better than your average toaster: Anmer Hall, a two-story, ten-bedroom, Georgian mansion. The house was to serve as the couple's country home, since it's located in Norfolk on the queen's Sandringham estate, which is where the royals often spend the holidays. However, Hello! reports that Prince William had briefly moved his family there in 2015 when he worked as a pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
While Prince William and Middleton eventually moved to London full-time, Anmer Hall remained important, because it's where they retreated for much of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, people were able to get a peek inside of the home thanks to Zoom meetings the couple did from there. People reports that it's still where the family spends holidays and school breaks to escape the public eye and enjoy the peaceful countryside. "It isn't grandiose. But it's a great, friendly family environment," a source explained.
The home did undergo £1.5 million in renovations before the Waleses moved in, which included a new kitchen and roof. Considering that the home was built in the 18th century, that seems fair. Middleton got to do some decorating herself: As an insider dished, "Instead of hiring a royal interior designer, she wants to furnish it in her own style...she wanted softer pastel shades rather than strong colors."
Prince William and Kate Middleton briefly lived at the controversial Nottingham Cottage
Prince William and Kate Middleton may not have lived in Nottingham Cottage for long, but it seems to be somewhat of a tradition for young royals, like Princess Eugenie who lives there now. This home accurately reflects its name — it is a small cottage located on the grounds of Kensington Palace. According to Express, it contains just two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, reception room, and a small garden, which is apparently rather cozy by royal standards. Per Hello!, Prince William and Middleton had lived there for a few months in 2013, while renovations were being done to their "apartment" in Kensington Palace.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also lived in Nottingham Cottage, years after Prince William and Middleton moved out. The Sussexes seemingly took issue with the 1,324 square foot house, though. As Markle said in their docu-series "Harry and Meghan"(via Daily Mail), "Kensington Palace sounds very regal...but Nottingham Cottage was so small." Prince Harry also pointed out that "the whole thing's on a slight lean. Really low ceilings."
That smaller home was even a source of tension for the royal family because the Sussexes had lived there when Prince William and Middleton moved into their larger home on the same grounds. As Prince Harry explained in his book "Spare," "We congratulated them on the renovation... while feeling embarrassed of our IKEA lamps and the second-hand sofa we'd recently bought on sale."
Kensington Palace is the Waleses' official residence
Kensington Palace is probably Prince William and Kate Middleton's best known home, since it's their official residence where they conduct royal business. The family moved into the Apartment 1-A quarters in 2017 after renovations were done to the former home of the queen's sister, Princess Margaret. Of course, their quarters aren't necessarily a traditional apartment in that it has four stories with 20 rooms, and contains a private gym, elevator, and walled garden. As a source told E!, "There are large open fireplaces in all the main entertaining rooms and lovely big windows overlooking the garden."
While the home sounded very grandiose, it was apparently the perfect place for Prince George at the time, who was just a baby when they moved in. An insider dished, "It doesn't feel like a palace, more just a lovely townhouse, but there will be plenty of room for Prince George to run around." Like at Anmer Hall, Middleton also did some decorating there, with a source explaining, "Kate has taken a very personal role. She has staff helping her, but she makes some of the calls herself and visited shops."
The major downside of living at Kensington Palace though was how public it is as a tourist attraction. An insider told the Mirror, "Apartment 1-A at Kensington Palace is perfect in so many ways but the Duke and Duchess and their children are unable to come and go as they might like...because of the ever-present privacy issues."
The Prince and Princess of Wales downsized with Adelaide Cottage
By September 2022, Prince William and Kate Middleton were apparently ready for a change and moved to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor. They not only downsized, but became closer to Queen Elizabeth II, who was staying at Windsor Castle before her death. The move also meant an opportunity to give their children a more normal childhood than they would have had in the fishbowl of London. A source told Us Weekly, "George, Charlotte and Louis are really excited about going to a new school and being in the countryside in the fresh air where there's lots of space for them to play freely."
The cottage isn't part of a palace but has its perks, like how private and historical it is. Interior designer Deepa Mehta-Sagar explained to Express, "[It] is smaller in comparison with the family's other two homes and yet again represents a desire to bring up the children in an ordinary manner, while still ensuring they remain rooted in the royal history." Part of that history is that it's where Group Captain Peter Townsend lived, who was famous for his forbidden love affair with Princess Margaret.
Adelaide Cottage also has a different look in terms of its interior design. "The four-bedroom residence reportedly holds onto the traditional furnishings such as a nautical-inspired theme in the main bedroom, recycled from a 19th-century royal yacht," Mehta-Sagar said, adding, "The décor is almost iconic."
Prince William has had property in Scotland since college
Prince William and Kate Middleton don't just own homes in England. They also have a residence in the nearby country of Scotland: Tam-Na-Ghar, a house that, per Hello!, Prince William's late great-grandmother, the queen mother, had gifted him several years before he married Middleton, way back in 2002. While a house is a pretty good gift, Tam-Na-Ghar is smaller than other royal homes, as it is a three-bedroom cottage. It is, however, part of the 50,000-acre Balmoral estate.
If you're wondering why that sounds familiar, it's probably because Tam-Na-Ghar is on the grounds of Balmoral Castle, which is where Queen Elizabeth II would spend her summers before her death. Prince William and Middleton would often take vacations on the estate, visiting the queen there. They wouldn't stay at the castle with her, though, since they reportedly preferred staying in their cottage with their kids instead (per Marie Claire). The royals apparently have a lot of homes to choose from when they're there, considering that there's 150 buildings on the Balmoral grounds (including Queen Victoria's favorite, Garden Cottage).
Yet, it seems that Prince William and Middleton may favor Tam-Na-Ghar because of all their happy memories there. Reportedly, the couple would often sneak off to the home when they were in college together at St. Andrew's University, which is also in Scotland. They have told people that they've had some of their best times there, which would have been early in their courtship.
Prince William may inherit Highgrove and Frogmore Houses
If you think Prince William and Kate Middleton have enough homes, think again, considering that as of 2023, they may be adding two more to their collection. One of those is Highgrove House, which was King Charles III's residence before he inherited the throne after Queen Elizabeth II's death. Now that he's King, Prince William has taken over the Duchy of Cornwall, which, according to Hello!, includes the Highgrove estate.
Highgrove House is certainly not a bad home to inherit. It consists of nine bedrooms and six bathrooms. It's also enclosed in 900 acres of land, which includes a farm King Charles had built, as well as luscious gardens that are often featured on the estate's Instagram. That could be why King Charles wasn't in a hurry to move out of the house and instead, per The Sun, pays his son $785,800 in rent so he can continue to stay there.
King Charles is also expected to pass on another property to Prince William and Middleton in the near future. The Sun reports that he is setting aside Frogmore House on the Windsor estate for them. He not only wants to change up his real estate portfolio now that he's king, but reportedly doesn't like how that 17th century mansion is located close to Heathrow Airport. Frogmore House is also where the royals hold a lot of events, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who used it for their wedding reception in 2018.
Prince William and Kate Middleton will eventually live in Windsor Castle
Prince William and Kate Middleton may have found the perfect home in Adelaide Cottage, but they probably won't be there for long. Many royal insiders have reported that the family will eventually move into Windsor Castle now that Queen Elizabeth II has died and Prince William is next in line for the throne after King Charles III. However, they may not be excited by that, since royal correspondent Camilla Tominey told "This Morning," (via Express), "The Waleses' don't want to move into Windsor Castle because they're actually quite happy in Adelaide Cottage, which by comparison is modest accommodation."
It seems Prince William and Middleton enjoy the normalcy Adelaide Cottage gives their children, and aren't in a rush to uproot them anytime soon. A source explained to The Telegraph, "For the next decade or so everything will be pretty much dictated by what is right for the children." Yet, the couple knows Windsor Castle is somewhere in their future, which is seemingly why they moved to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, so that the eventual transition would be easier.
Windsor Palace wouldn't be so bad, either, considering that it's the world's largest occupied castle. It's also the oldest, having been built over 1,000 years ago by William the Conqueror. All in all, Prince William and Kate Middleton have lived in a lot of lavish places during their marriage, but we have a feeling that the actual castle that awaits them might top them all.