Prince William and Kate Middleton's unusual sleeping arrangements are going viral

The Prince and Princess of Wales smile on a visit to Paris
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Wales family is one of the most talked-about in the world, and while Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are steadily having their profiles raised, it is Kate Middleton and Prince William who are at the forefront. 

The royal couple has taken a temporary step back in 2024, with Prince William only returning to duties recently as Kate Middleton recovers from abdominal surgery.

The Princess of Wales is not expected to return to royal duties until after Easter, currently resting at their Windsor home.

It is their London residence, Kensington Palace's Apartment 1A, that made headlines this week, as Prince William and Kate Middleton's unusual sleeping arrangements at their London abode were revealed.

Instead of sleeping on the second or third floor of their home, Prince William and Kate Middleton's sleeping arrangements differ due to their unusual bedroom set-up.

Yes, going against the grain, the Prince and Princess sleep on the ground floor, with the bedrooms on higher floors reportedly reserved for their staff.

Opening up about their London residence on True Royalty’s Royal beat, royal expert and author Christopher Warwick explained that Apartment 1A "is not a small house". In fact, he explained that it "has 20 rooms from the basement to the attic".

It reportedly has its own walled garden, five reception rooms, nine staff bedrooms, multiple drawing rooms, luggage rooms, a gym and an elevator.

When asked why it was called an apartment, Warwick explained: "All of these royal residences at Kensington Palace are called apartments, which of course makes people immediately think they are flats like the American term for an apartment. They are not. If you think of Kensington Place, in a way, it is built around three courtyards. If you kind of think of them as being these wonderful red brick terrace houses. Because they are all joined but separate houses."

Well, that's that.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.