KATE Middleton is currently recovering from her abdominal surgery in Windsor in their pink-hued countryside Adelaide Cottage.
But before the Prince and Princess of Wales relocated to their idyllic pad, they resided in their lavish 20-room Kensington Palace apartment, which has been dubbed a “prison for kids.”
The family lived in Apartment 1A with Prince George, 10, Prince Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, for numerous years – and Kate and William still use it as their official office.
Although it is called an “apartment”, royal experts have said the royal dwelling is anything but small.
The “enormous” Apartment 1A is spread over four floors and takes up half the Clock Tower wing designed by Sir Christopher Wren for King William and Queen Mary.
It has five reception rooms, three main bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, as well as his-and-hers dressing rooms.
Of course the family has lots of staff at their beck and call, and there are nine bedrooms for employees on the top floor, which can be reached by a lift.
Meanwhile, in the basement there is a gym, laundry room and space for luggage.
And for the royal kids, there is a day nursery for playtime, a night nursery for them to sleep in and their own walled garden for them to do their favourite outdoor activity, spider hunting.
Kensington Palace is also familiar to William as after their marriage, the late Princess Diana and then-Prince Charles lived in apartments 8 and 9 in the royal residence.
Despite the impressive amenities, William and Kate uprooted their kids during the summer of 2022 for a more rural and private life out of central London.
Royal biographer and editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, Ingrid Seward, told Fabulous: “I think Wills and Kate need space to bring up their children.
“Kensington Palace is a glorious prison for kids – they want to be able to play football without being watched from behind the gates.
“I think Windsor will be perfect for them, as they will have lots of freedom and they can all be at school together.”
It is thought William and Kate were also keen to get out of the “goldfish bowl” of London to create more privacy for their kids.
Sources said the couple dreamt of having a “modest” home with a garden so the children could play outside together – and they seem to have achieved that goal.
Adelaide Cottage is nestled in the heart of the 655-acre Windsor estate so there is plenty of room for the kids to run around and walk the family’s dog, Orla.
William and Kate’s charming Adelaide Cottage couldn’t be further from their four-storey apartment in Kensington.
It has just four bedrooms – one bedroom for each of the children and the royal couple.
Kensington Palace is a glorious prison for kids – they want to be able to play football without being watched from behind the gates
Ingrid Seward
Built in 1831, it featured parts of the Prince Regent’s Royal Lodge at the time, which was partly demolished and re-used for Princess Adelaide’s cottage.
The Grade II listed property underwent major renovations in 2015 and has been a grace-and-favour property since 1945.
This means it is owned by the monarch and can be given rent-free as part of an employment package or as a gift.
KENSINGTON Palace released a statement in January after Kate had undergone surgery.
Sources made it clear Kate would be out of action until at least Easter.
The palace said: “The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate.
“She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.
“Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share.
“The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements.
“She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible.”
William and Kate reportedly spent around a year hunting for a home in Windsor, which would be close to a school that the kids could all attend together.
They settled on Adelaide Cottage, as first revealed by The Sun, because they believed it needed no major renovations.
With its candyfloss pink exterior and rolling grounds, the royal pad looks straight from a fairytale.
It’s also perfect for the school run, as it’s a nine-mile drive to Ascot where the kids attend the £7,000-a-term Lambrook School.
It’s understood the family have no live-in staff, with any aides commuting to Windsor instead.
This includes the couple’s former live-in nanny, Maria Borrallo, who has resided with the couple since George was a baby.
Kate is said to help her kids be independent with getting ready for school, without relying on staff.
A royal source said: “The children are also asked to help to pack their school bags the night before and hang their new uniforms out, before an early night’s sleep.
“The number one piece of advice Carole imparted to her eldest was the value of discipline and routine from the start.”
The pad is closer to Kate’s family though, who live in Bucklebury, Berkshire, which is a 45-minute drive away.Kate’s sister Pippa also lives in a massive property in Berkshire with her husband and three children.
The Princess of Wales, 42, has not done royal duties since Christmas Day and is recovering following abdominal surgery at the London Clinic in January.
Kensington Palace said at the time Kate was unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.
At the time, the mum-of-three apologised for postponing her Royal engagements following the surgery which was not cancer-linked.
The statement read: “The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements.
“She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible.”
