A cottage, London pad and country retreat — inside Kate and William's three properties

They all sound pretty dreamy

Kensington Palace
(Image credit: Getty Images)

They all sound pretty dreamy

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are moving to a new home in Windsor, in a bid to give their three children the most “normal” upbringing possible. In September, Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four, will start their new co-educational school in Berkshire. 

We know that the cottage is too small to accommodate the children's nanny. But what is their new home going to be like, and how does it compare to the family’s other two properties? 

Adelaide Cottage is a relatively modest four-bedroom home and just a 10 minute walk from Windsor Castle. Owned by the Crown Estate, it’s said the couple will be paying market rent to live there. 

The Grade II-listed cottage was renovated in 2015. Reports claim its interiors once featured a ceiling covered with gilded dolphins, and that there is still a stunning marble Graeco-Egyptian fireplace.

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Surrounded by the Windsor Estate, the family will enjoy a high level of security and privacy at the cottage, especially when compared to their residence at Kensington Palace

At KP, the Cambridges live at Apartment 1A — but it’s much bigger than your average flat, with 20 bedrooms and a large, private walled garden. With several rooms overlooking neighbouring Kensington Gardens, and with parts of the palace open to the public all year round, the apartment has been described as “a goldfish bowl”. 

William and Kate host Barack and Michelle Obama in the Drawing Room of Apartment 1A Kensington Palace, April 2016. (Photo by Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

When the Cambridges refurbished the apartment, spending £4.5m, they added a second kitchen to provide the family with more privacy. 

The home used to belong to Princess Margaret, and will continue to be the Cambridges’ official working residence.

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The Cambridges’ third property is a country retreat that the Queen gifted the couple as a wedding present.

Amner Hall is a 10-bedroom red brick mansion on Her Majesty’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk. The secluded property has a swimming pool and tennis court — the perfect place to enjoy time away from the spotlight. The family also chose to spend the first UK lockdown at the property in 2020. 

From a pretty cottage to a luxury palace apartment to a rural bolt-hole, the Cambridges have got it all. If you had to pick... which one would you choose?

Kate Hollowood
Kate Hollowood is a freelance journalist and writes about a range of topics for Marie Claire UK, from reports on royal news and current affairs to features on health, careers and relationships. Based in London, Kate has also written for titles like the i paper, Refinery29, Cosmopolitan and It’s Nice That.