Prince William's Latest Outing Takes Him Back to a Place Closely Linked to Kate Middleton
Prince William's recent visit to a county may have revived old memories of his wife, Kate Middleton, and their family life.
For a visit to a mental health charity, Prince William recently travelled to Norfolk ― a county that holds many sweet memories for him and Kate Middleton, as their country house, Anmer Hall, is located there. The property on the Sandringham Estate was gifted to the couple after their wedding in 2011 and has witnessed several milestones for the family.
William and Middleton shifted to Anmer Hall in 2015, and it is where their daughter Princess Charlotte spent the first few years of her life. At the time, the then-Duke of Cambridge was not yet a working royal and was employed as a pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance and was stationed at Cambridge. An estimated $2 million was spent on renovating the 10-room house according to the couple’s preferences, resulting in a modern layout with a spacious kitchen at its centre. The couple even tore out an old tennis court to build a new artificial turf court on the property. Although the area is a strict no-fly zone, the future monarchs also installed copious foliage for maximum privacy.
The family lived at the country retreat until 2017, when William became a full-time working royal. The family subsequently moved back to Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace, which served as their primary base until 2022. Although Anmer Hall is not their main residence anymore, the pair still maintains the property and continues to spend some quality time there.
The Anmer Hall grounds famously featured in the family's 2018 Christmas card, showcasing Prince George, Charlotte, and the newborn Prince Louis. In fact, many of the children's official birthday photos over the years were captured on the property. During the 2020 pandemic, the family of five shifted to Anmer Hall to quarantine there. The home's elegant sage green interiors became a familiar backdrop as William and Kate conducted frequent virtual engagements over those difficult months.
The family once again sought refuge at Anmer Hall after the Princess of Wales began her cancer treatment. The Waleses skipped the traditional Easter church service at St. George’s Chapel last year to spend some much-needed quality time together as a family at their country retreat. Even though the couple, along with their three kids, now reside in their “forever home”, Forest Lodge in Windsor, going to Norfolk must have brought back old memories for William. The county has been a witness to the growing Wales family and was their safe space during challenging times.
Along with Anmer Hall, Apartment 1A, and now Forest Lodge, the Prince and Princess of Wales have also stayed at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor. The property was closer to Middleton’s parents, who stayed nearby at Bucklebury. Ultimately, however, the royal couple decided to shift bases to Forest Lodge.
