The modest residence had one major perk for the prince and princess.
When Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, chose to live at Adelaide Cottage, many royal insiders were perplexed. The house is one of the smaller options that they had and is much, much more compact than the apartment that they have at Kensington Palace, but according to royal expert Robert Jobson’s new book, Catherine, the Princess of Wales: A Biography of the Future Queen. The Prince and Princess of Wales opted for Adelaide for a very meaningful reason. Per the Daily Mail, Jobson explained that the couple wanted to be close to Queen Elizabeth as she was getting older, so they chose Adelaide for its proximity to Windsor Castle.
“[Prince William] knew his time with his grandmother was precious and he is delighted they, as a couple, made that decision,” Jobson explained. “Catherine understood that for William, as a future king, it was important for him to be geographically closer to the late queen in her final months, when he was required to support both her and his father.”
He noted that the queen appreciated how much time they managed to spend together and that many other royals also commended Kate and Wiliam for the move. Previous reports stated that they also had the opportunity to live at Frogmore Cottage, which eventually went to William’s brother, Prince Harry. Adelaide Cottage was just a 10-minute drive away from the queen and is also close to the school that Prince Louis, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte attend.
“It made a real difference,” Jobson wrote. “They were in regular contact, seeing each other in person and speaking on the phone several times a week, bringing them even closer.”
Adelaide Cottage has four bedrooms and famously has no room for live-in staff. When Kate, William, and Co. aren’t at Adelaide, they spend time at Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace and Anmer Hall at the Sandringham Estate. The couple also share Tam-Na-Ghar, a three-bedroom home on the Balmoral grounds. The Queen Mother gifted William the residence back in 2002.
