Cambridge And Sussex Households

William 1983

Prince William of Wales, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry of Wales, Duke of Sussex grew up primarily in Apartments 8 & 9 in Kensington Palace and Highgrove House in Gloucestershire.

After their parents divorced, Prince Charles's London residence became St James's Palace and later, after the Queen Mother died, Clarence House on The Mall.


In 2011, Prince William and new wife Catherine moved into Nottingham Cottage in Kensington Palace. Later, after Prince George's birth in 2013, Apartment 1A became the Cambridge's home where they are raising their three young children.

Wales brothers 1985

Prince Harry moved into Nottingham Cottage when his brother vacated it and Kensington Palace also houses the official offices for the Cambridges and Sussexes. This has been a secure, convenient and convivial arrangement for the royal brothers, however this will now change.

Late last year, it was announced that Prince Harry and wife Meghan will move to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor Great Park. The property has been converted from five apartments for Estate workers to a comfortable family home for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their new baby, due in the next few weeks.

Last week Buckingham Palace confirmed that the newly formed Household of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be located in the Queen's official London residence. Harry's father the Prince of Wales along with the Queen will assist with the establishment and staffing. This is much the same arrangement for the Queen's sons the Duke of York, the Earl and Countess of Wessex and daughter the Princess Royal and husband Sir Timothy Laurance. Most likely apartments will be allocated to the Sussexes for their London engagements. 

Prince William and wife Catherine will continue to have their household offices in Kensington Palace as they prepare for the time when William is heir to the throne and thus Prince of Wales. 

Diana's sitting room 1985

William in Palace walled garden

The future of the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is unknown. Perhaps it will soon be time to split the Foundation to allow the couples their own areas of charitable interest.

Cambridge's Apartment

Cambridge's Apartment

George 2016

I hope you enjoyed a peek inside the Wales and Cambridge apartments at Kensington Palace over the years!


Baby Sussex
As previously stated, Harry and Meghan's first baby is due to arrive in the coming weeks. There has been no official advice as to where Meghan will give birth- London's Lindo Wing, Frimley Park Hospital near Windsor where the Countess of Wessex had Lady Louise and Viscount Severn or perhaps the Portland Hospital in London where Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were born. 

In public, Prince Harry has become a much more serious character since his engagement to Meghan and information flow is quite controlled. So we wait and see whether we welcome a new Lord or Lady Sussex, their birthplace and names. 

 

Blog author outside Kensington Palace 2017

Prince Harry Engaged

Prince Henry of Wales has announced his engagement to American actress Ms. Meghan Markle. The couple has known each other for sixteen months after being introduced by a mutual friend in London.

Harry, 33 and Meghan, 36 are to be married in the spring of 2018 and more details of the wedding will be released in due course.No doubt they will have to plan the wedding date around the Duchess of Cambridge's pregnancy due date in April. Catherine was overdue with her first two babies so this will be tricky. 

Prince Harry presented Ms Markle with an engagement ring made of two diamonds from his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales plus a diamond from Botswana where the couple has holidayed.

Meghan and Harry were photographed by the media in the sunken garden at Kensington Palace. This is the same garden that was transformed this last summer with a beautiful collection of Diana's favourite flowers to mark the 20th anniversary of her death.

The couple will live in Nottingham Cottage in Kensington Palace which was once the home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge before they renovated Apartment 1A. It is expected that an apartment at the Palace will be made available to Prince Harry and then modified to suit his needs.

As this blog chronicles the lives of the children of both Princes William and Harry, no doubt we will be covering a few more royal babies in the coming years.

Kensington Palace

Monday 23rd February, 2015

1A covered in scaffolding. Copyright: Blog Author

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have lived at Kensington Palace since 2011. 

Shortly after their marraige, the couple moved into Nottingham Cottage in the grounds of the Palace. This was a perfect base for the newly weds as it was a secure, private but still intimate London base. At this time Catherine and William were spending most of their time in Angelsey, Wales where The Duke was based as a search and rescue helicopter pilot. 

Plans were made for William and Catherine to eventually move into Kensington Palace's Apartment 1A which was previously the home of the late Princess Margaret. The Princess passed away in 2002. 

1A needed an extensive renovation (see photo above which shows apartment on left covered whilst asbestos removed in April 2013) to replace plumbing, wiring, removal of asbestos and new modern kitchens installed. The apartment was finally finished in October 2013, a few months after Prince George was born. 

Prince George Outside Apartment 1A

 
 Apartments 8 & 9

Diana's Sitting Room

Princes William and Harry spent most of their formative years in the Palace's apartments 8 &  9. After their marraige in 1981, The Prince and Princess of Wales had these apartments combined to provide a large family home.  It was ready just a month before William was born.

Prince William and his brother spent their early years at Kensington Palace during the week and the country home Highrove House in Tetbury, Gloucestershire on weekends. 

Dudley Poplack was in charge of interior decoration for both Kensington Palace and Highgrove House.  

Diana's eldest sister Lady Jane Fellowes also lived at the Palace in a grace and favour home. Lady Jane's husband, Sir (now Lord) Robert Fellowes was equerry to Her Majesty The Queen. 

Jane and Diana's children are of similar ages so the young princes had easy access to their cousins.

William & Harry's Nursery

Diana continued to live at Kensington Palace until her death in 1997. The Princess' coffin was at the Palace the night before her funeral. The gun carriage carrying the Princess left Kensington Palace for the long journey to Westminster Abbey via Buckingham Palace.

After her death, Apartments 8 & 9 were emptied and  once again separated. It is believed that one apartment is being used by William, Catherine & Harry for official use. 

Prince Harry has indicated he would like to live at Kensington Palace  when he needs a family home. But the future home he prefers is currently being used by either a member of the extended royal family or a servant with a grace and favour lease.

Entrance to State Apartments. Copyright: Blog Author

Royal Visitors

Wednesday 24th July, 2013
 

Baby Cambridge has already been visited by his close relatives who were keen for a cuddle.

Catherine's sister Pippa Middleton was waiting for the Duke and Duchess at their Kensington Palace home, Nottingham Cottage when they left hospital on Tuesday evening.

And on Wednesday, Prince Harry travelled to London from his Air Corps base in Suffolk to meet his nephew. The Queen spent around half an hour with the baby who will one day reign as she does now.