While the most famous royal residence is Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace is where many more members of the family call home.
It’s one of the oldest royal residences still in use having been the home of royals since 1689 when William III bought the mansion from the Earl of Nottingham in 1689.
After that Nottingham House, as it was known at the time, was remodelled and transformed into the palace it is today.
Until the death of King George II in 1760, Kensington Palace was always described as the monarchs most popular residence.
His successor King George III preferred St James’s Palace and gradually Kensington Palace fell out of favour with successive monarchs.
The last monarch to have been born there was Queen Victoria and upon her accession to the throne in 1837 had been expected to rule from Kensington Palace before she chose to move and remodel Buckingham Palace.
Nevertheless, due to its central London location and its luscious surroundings, Kensington Palace has remained a popular residency for the royals and many members currently call the apartments and surrounding cottages home.
Here, Daily Mail takes a look at which current members of the Royal Family call Kensington Palace home as well which famous faces have also recently resided in the home’s many apartments.
The front of Kensington Palace. It’s one of the oldest royal residences still in use having been the home of royals since 1689 when William III bought the mansion from the Earl of Nottingham in 1689
Kensington Palace’s current residents
Apartment 1A: The Prince and Princess of Wales
Although Prince William and Kate Middleton are set to move into the 300-year-old Grade II listed Forest Lodge later this year, the Prince and Princess of Wales retain use of Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace for official business.
While their residency is described as an apartment it is far from your typical west London flat.
Apartment 1A is split across four floors and includes multiple reception rooms, staff bedrooms and even a gym.
It required quite extensive refurbishment before the couple moved in a few years after their 2011 wedding. And while the palatial home boasts suitably impressive furnishings, it also features homely touches like lots of framed family photographs.
The interior design of the home was curated by Ben Pentreath who has also designed houses for celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker.
Prince William and Kate Middleton joined by Prince Harry, US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama outside Kensington Palace in April 2016. The Prince and Princess of Wales retain use of Apartment 1A in the palace for official business
Prince William and Kate entertaining the Obamas inside their Kensington Palace home. The interior design of the home was curated by Ben Pentreath who has also designed houses for celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker
Famous guests at the apartment 1A include Barack and Michelle Obama who dined with the Waleses in their home.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, William and Kate conducted official business remotely from the palace which provided a unique and intimate look into their private quarters.
This included family photos and Kate’s collection of Penguin Clothbound Classic books.
The family moved out of the palace in 2022 reportedly to give George, Charlotte and Louis are more normal upbringing.
Wren House: The Duke of Kent
Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, had lived in Wren House with his wife Katharine Worsley, the Duchess of Kent, until her death aged 92 earlier this month.
Situated to the north of Kensington Palace, the property consists of five bedrooms and five reception. It also boasts excellent views of the palace’s walled garden.
The cottage was named after Sir Christopher Wren who helped redesign the palace and also designed the iconic St Paul’s Cathedral.
The Duke and the late Duchess of Kent outside Wren House in 2014. Situated to the north of Kensington Palace, the property consists of five bedrooms and five reception. It also boasts excellent views of the palace’s walled garden
Wren House was most recently seen last year in a video released by the Royal Family to mark the Duke of Kent’s 89th birthday. To mark the occasion, the Duke was treated to a performance by three pipers from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, of which His Royal Highness is Deputy Colonel-in-Chief.
In the clip the white picket fence and the front garden of Wren House can be clearly seen.
Ivy Cottage: Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank
While it is one of the smallest properties on the grounds of Kensington Palace, the cosy Ivy Cottage is still the perfect home for Princess Eugenie and her young family.
The Princess currently lives in the three bedroom home with her husband Jack Brooksbank and their two sons August and Ernest.
Despite its small size, the cottage is one of the most picturesque on the grounds with roses growing around the door and a perfectly manicured garden behind it.
Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank. The couple and their children live in Ivy Cottage which consists of three bedrooms.
An aerial view of Kensington Palace. The last monarch to have been born there was Queen Victoria
Before August was born in February 2021, the couple previously lived at Frogmore Cottage on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
The family now split their time between Ivy Cottage and Portugal where Jack is the head of sales for the exclusive Costa Terra Golf and Ocean Club development.
Apartment 10: Prince and Princess Michael of Kent
Back inside the main palace, Prince Michael – and his wife Marie Christine von Reibnitz have lived in Apartment 10 for the past 40 years.
Apartment boasts five bedrooms and five reception rooms split across three floors.
Prince and Princess Michael of Kent have lived in Apartment 10 at Kensington Palace since the 1970s
The Georgian architect William Kent was hired by George I in 1719 to decorate the state apartments and much of his original work can still be seen today including an eagle console table.
In 2002, the couple sparked controversy when it was revealed that they paid just £69 per week for the home.
The Kents have since 2010 been made to pay £120,000 per year for the luxury home.
The Old Stables: The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester moved to the Old Stables at Kensington Palace in 2019 having lived in Apartment 1 for over 40 years
Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, and his wife Birgitte van Deurs have lived in the Old Stables since 2019 after it underwent a £1million renovation.
The property is separate from the other family units towards the back of the grounds.
For over 40 years, the duke and duchess lived in the much more central 21 room Apartment 1 which is directly adjacent to William and Kate’s apartment.
Former residents of Kensington Palace
Nottingham Cottage: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
During their brief time as working royals the Duke and Duchess of Sussex lived first in Nottingham Cottage before they moved to Frogmore Cottage, near Windsor Castle.
By royal standards it is a modest home featuring two bedrooms, one bathroom, small reception rooms and a kitchen.
Nottingham Cottage where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lived briefly before Archie was born
In their Netflix series, Harry and Meghan shared a peek inside Nottingham Cottage when they shared intimate pictures from their time living there including a picture of Meghan gardening
But it did also have access to all the amenities in Kensington Palace and the other royal homes.
According to Royal insider Ingrid Seward, Harry and Meghan were not a fan of the home with Harry reportedly describing it as a ‘hovel’ while Meghan was ‘incredibly envious’ of Kate Middleton‘s apartment.
‘I think that Meghan must have been incredibly envious and then jealous of Kate. I heard Meghan actually thought she was going to be a princess and live in Windsor Castle.
‘Instead, there’s William and Kate with this beautiful house, while they are stuck in Nottingham Cottage which Harry used to call “my hovel”,’ Seward told the Daily Telegraph while promoting her book My Mother and I.
In their Netflix series, Harry and Meghan shared a peek inside Nottingham Cottage when they shared intimate pictures from their time living there.
This included Harry getting changed into his military uniform and pictures of Meghan gardening in the cottage’s grounds.
Apartment 8 and 9: Prince Charles and Princess Diana
After Prince Charles and Princess Diana said ‘I do’ in 1981, they moved into Apartments 8 and 9 which was originally built for King George I’s mistress the Duchess of Kendal.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana with a young Prince William inside their Kensington Palace home. After the couple said ‘I do’ in 1981, they moved into Apartments 8 and 9
The apartments are located on the opposite side of the palace from Apartment 1A closeby to Ivy Cottage.
Although the Princess of Wales’ struggles with royal life were well documented, it is understood she grew very fond of her in the palace, which is affectionately referred to as KP.
Even after her and Charles separated and subsequently divorced, the apartment remained Diana’s primary residence until her death in 1997.
Since then the apartments have been used as office space for entertaining various charities.
Apartment 1A: Princess Margaret
Princess Margaret in her study in 1988. The Princess lived in Apartment 1A from 1963 until her death in 2002
Margaret and her husband Antony Armstrong-Jones with their two children – David and Sarah.The late Queen Elizabeth II gifted the apartment to Margaret and her husband following their wedding in 1960
Before William and Kate moved into the apartment, Princess Margaret and her family called Apartment 1A home.
The late Queen Elizabeth II gifted the apartment to Margaret and her husband, Lord Snowdon, following their wedding in 1960. It then underwent a £1.7million renovation.
Once the renovations were completed in 1963, Margaret remained in the apartment even after her divorce from Antony Armstrong-Jones.
It remained her primary residence until the Princess’ death in 2002.
