A two-up, two-down love nest with a Royal pedigree
NOTTINGHAM Cottage, a snug, twobedroomed property in the grounds of Kensington Palace, will be home to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
The cottage was previously occupied by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who used it as their London base for around two-and-a-half years.
Just a stone’s throw from the palace, Prince Harry’s childhood home, the property, known by royal insiders as “Nott Cott”, boasts two bedrooms, two reception rooms, a bathroom and a small garden. The ceilings are said to be so low that the Duke of Cambridge, who is a few centimetres taller than his younger brother, had to “stoop” to avoid banging his head on them.
An ideal starter home, the property provides unrivalled access to the trendy shops, boutiques and spas on Kensington High Street with which Ms Markle is already familiar.
Having stayed with Prince Harry at the private cottage whenever she has flown over from Toronto to visit him, she will already feel very much at home there.
Nottingham Cottage, one of the smallest properties within the grounds of Kensington Palace, was formerly the home of Brigadier Sir Miles Hunt-davis, the Duke of Edinburgh’s private secretary, and his wife, Gay. Lady Jane Fellowes, Princess Diana’s sister, and her husband Sir Robert Fellowes have also lived there.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge lived there, when in London, from July 2011, moving in permanently when they left Anglesey as they waited for renovations to be completed in Apartment 1A, their current home. It is where they took Prince George following his birth in July 2013 and spent their first few months as a family-of-three before moving out that autumn.
Prince Harry moved in shortly afterwards and has lived there ever since. The first thing he reportedly did was install a hammock in the yard.
The Cambridges employed Antonella Fresolone, an Italian housekeeper, who worked as a housemaid for the Queen for 13 years, to run their home when at Nottingham Cottage as well as in Anglesey. It is not known whether the Prince and Ms Markle will employ their own staff.
King William III and Queen Mary II bought Nottingham Cottage in 1689 and it was remodelled into the palace by Sir Christopher Wren, the architect who designed St Paul’s Cathedral.