Inside Prince William and Kate Middleton’s dramatic transformation of their home into a ‘noxious, unattractive icebox’

Adelaide Cottage, home of the Prince and Princess of Wales, may have striking pale pink exterior walls, is surrounded by mature trees and offers much-needed privacy these days, but the property wasn’t always so “homey”. Before Will and Kate made it their primary residence in 2022 – after moving out of their palatial apartment, 1A Kensington Palace – the cottage was in need of some major repairs, with one former resident describing it as an “icebox” and a other critics called it “shabby and unattractive” due to its Victorian wallpaper and heavy furniture.

Before Kate and William moved in, the property was home to Simon Rhodes, the son of Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin Margaret Rhodes, and also Sir Hugh Roberts, the former director of the Royal Collection. However, the most famous – and controversial – resident was Princess Margaret’s lover, Royal Air Force Group Captain Peter Townsend, who lived there with his wife Rosemary and their children in the 1940s. The couple divorced in 1952 and a year later Townsend proposed to Princess Margaret, then 22. But under the Royal Marriages Act of 1772, the queen refused her sister permission to marry on the grounds that the war heroine was divorced.

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Townsend, an equerry to King George VI, was not a fan of his “grace and favor” accommodation and once referred to Adelaide Cottage as an “icebox” because it only had two radiators. Worse still, the electricity was delivered via cables from Windsor Castle, meaning the power was always weak. One reviewer stated that the interior was “shabby and unattractive” with its Victorian wallpaper and heavy furniture.

Luckily for William and Kate, the Grade II-listed building – where the master bedroom ceiling is decorated with gilded dolphins and rope-like detailing from the 19th-century Royal George yacht – underwent a major renovation in 2015, meaning that the couple did not need to renovate the interior before moving in. Now the four-bedroom property has manicured gardens enclosed by immaculately trimmed hedges and pretty roses and greenery.

“It’s cozy, not too big and feels like home,” says Katie. “It’s perfect for raising a young family – in the way Kate and William do, with a nod to their royal status, but a far greater nod to raising them as normal and normal as possible.”

In October 2022, shortly after her move, Kate gave royal fans a glimpse inside Adelaide and released a short video to highlight Addiction Awareness Week. The clip, partially filmed in the family’s living room, showed a simple cream sofa decorated with pink, white and red cushions, with framed family photos and houseplants in the background.