Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Prince and Princess of Wales, have spent more than two decades in the public eye—yet they’ve also built a life that balances royal duty, family, style, and a hint of wanderlust. The couple met as students at the University of St Andrews in Scotland in 2001, fell in love (and famously broke up for a time), and in 2010, William proposed atop the foothills of Mount Kenya with his late mother’s iconic sapphire ring. They exchanged vows at Westminster Abbey in 2011 and have since welcomed three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Philanthropy is a cornerstone of their work. The couple channels much of their charitable efforts through The Royal Foundation, focusing on early childhood development, mental health, homelessness, and conservation. Kate launched the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021, and William founded the Earthshot Prize in 2020 to identify and fund solutions to global environmental challenges.
Outside their homes, the royal family enjoys a well-curated collection of rides—Range Rovers, Audis, and the occasional royal motor pool car—and keeps time in style, with William often sporting an Omega Seamaster and Kate wearing her signature Cartier Ballon Bleu.
Their residences are as storied as their family milestones. From their London apartment at Kensington Palace to the pastoral charm of Anmer Hall—and now their long-term family base at Forest Lodge—the couple’s portfolio reflects a balance of privacy, tradition, and modern family life. Beyond these properties, William and Kate also oversee the Duchy of Cornwall, a 135,000-acre estate in southwest England that generated a surplus income of $30 million between 2023 and 2024. Here’s a look inside the places they call home.
Anmer Hall
Image Credit: Indigo/Getty Images Anmer Hall, the Prince and Princess of Wales’ 10‑bedroom Georgian country house, sits on the historic Sandringham Estate and was gifted to them by Queen Elizabeth II around their 2011 wedding. Built around 1802, the Grade II‑listed, red‑and‑brown brick home features dormer windows, a symmetrical 13‑bay facade, high ceilings, and decorative moldings. Interiors, updated by architect Charles Morris and designer Ben Pentreath, mix classic English elegance with a modern sensibility. Think soothing neutrals, gilt‑framed art, antiques, and bold pops of color.
The estate has long been a private family retreat, hosting holidays, weekends, and even extended stays during the COVID‑19 lockdown. Its grounds include walled gardens, a swimming pool, a tennis court, and even a honeybee colony. Just minutes from Sandringham House, Anmer Hall remains a beloved country escape for the family, where they can unwind away from public life. The house was reportedly acquired by the monarch’s Sandringham Estate after Queen Victoria purchased the property for the future Edward VII.
Kensington Palace Apartment
Image Credit: Indigo/Getty Images William and Kate’s so‑called “apartment” at Kensington Palace is anything but a typical flat. Their 22‑room, four‑story home—once Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon’s—became theirs after a reported $7.6 million renovation in 2013, kicking off a defining decade for the family as their three children were born and raised in London. The sprawling residence features five reception rooms, three main bedrooms, nurseries, and staff quarters, with walls adorned by pieces from the Royal Collection. It also has a walled private garden. The family relocated to Windsor in 2022, but Apartment 1A remains their official London address. The palace itself has been a royal home since 1689 and is technically held by the Crown Estate (in the sense that the land/residence is managed for the sovereign).
Adelaide Cottage
Image Credit: Samir Hussein/Getty Images In 2022, the family shifted their main base from London to Adelaide Cottage, a four‑bedroom Georgian home tucked within the grounds of Windsor Castle and Home Park. Built for Queen Adelaide in 1831, the abode is smaller than their London pad but offers generous green space and privacy within the 4,800‑acre park. The move brought them closer to Kate’s parents in nearby Bucklebury and allowed George, Charlotte, and Louis a countryside‑style upbringing, including school at nearby Lambrook.
Steeped in history, Adelaide Cottage hosted monarchs such as Queen Victoria and residents like Peter Townsend. It retains its original Georgian features, such as manicured gardens and period detailing, with later renovations adding decorative flourishes, like a Greco‑Egyptian marble fireplace and gilded ceiling motifs.
The property also served as a private refuge during challenging times. Following Kate’s major abdominal surgery and subsequent cancer diagnosis in 2024, the family spent significant time at Adelaide Cottage recovering and maintaining privacy. King Charles was also diagnosed with cancer the same year. Adelaide Cottage is now vacant after Prince William and Kate moved to their new, long-term home, Forest Lodge, within Windsor Great Park.
Forest Lodge
Image Credit: English Heritage/Heritage Images/Getty Images Forest Lodge is now the Wales family’s permanent base, The Telegraph reported. The move was officially confirmed by Kensington Palace last August, with the plan to be fully settled “before Christmas.” To make it work smoothly, the family’s belongings were moved gradually from Adelaide Cottage, ensuring the kids didn’t miss a beat and the transition fit around school holidays.
This Grade II‑listed Georgian mansion, built in the 1770s and once known as Holly Grove, has eight bedrooms, period architectural details, and sprawling grounds. The Crown Estate acquired the property back in 1829, and it’s remained part of the royal holdings ever since. The red-brick mansion is a big upgrade in space compared with Adelaide Cottage, which has just four bedrooms. Forest Lodge doubles that, plus it comes with plenty of green space, including a pond, tennis court, and several outbuildings.
Nestled in Windsor Great Park, the house gives the couple peace and privacy, while still being close to Windsor Castle and about an hour from London, where they travel frequently for royal duties as William’s future kingship looms. Before moving in, they reportedly funded all the renovations themselves to update the interiors, and they’ve chosen not to have live-in staff. If the eight-bedroom, 18th-century property were to hit the open market today, estimates suggest it could be worth around £16 million (about $20.8 million).
Source: Luxury - robbreport.com
