Prince William and Kate Middleton, like almost every other newly married couple, have chosen their first permanent home together. Unlike every other newly married couple, their new pad has four storeys, twenty rooms, a private walled garden, and is slap-bang in Zone 1 London.
That’s because William and Kate have chosen Princess Margaret’s old flat at Kensington Palace, otherwise known as Apartment 1a. Roughly £1?million will now be spent on a refit, ensuring the apartment is renovated to ensure it is inhabitable. New plumbing needs to be installed, electrics must be rewired, and asbestos requires removing.
The £1?million bill will be met by a mix of public grants and contributions from the Royal Family’s own fortune.
Apparently, most of the rooms are still painted in the … interesting combination of pink and turquoise, Princess Margaret’s favourite colors (I’d severely question combining those, but that’s exactly what the old gal did). Margaret passed away in 2002, and since then the apartment has been hired out for private functions and parties.
All of which means the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will have to wait until 2013 before they can move in. I imagine it’s a hardship they can endure – their current official home is a smaller property called Nottingham Cottage, also on the grounds of Kensington Palace.
The house includes a dining room (pictured below), a drawing room, Lord Snowdon’s former study, Princess Margaret’s garden room, expansive staff quarters and a nursery – which could be important if there’s anything in this story .
