The Prince and Princess of Wales have had several royal residences throughout their marriage

The Princess of Wales, a devoted wife to Prince William and mother to their three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – typically keeps details about their domestic life private. However, it’s understood that their sleeping arrangements at Kensington Palace are somewhat unconventional.

This is due to the fact that they don’t sleep in an upstairs bedroom like most couples. A floor plan of their home in Apartment 1A of the historic London building reveals the location of the bedrooms.

Interestingly, the main bedroom they previously used was located on the ground floor of Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace. This apartment, once the residence of Princess Margaret, boasts 20 rooms across four floors, and has its own lift, gym, and nine staff quarters.

The late Royal author Christopher Warwick shed some light on why it’s referred to as an ‘apartment’ during an appearance on True Royalty’s Royal Beat, reports the Mirror.

He clarified: “All of these royal residences at Kensington Palace are called apartments, which of course makes people immediately think they are flats like the American term for an apartment.

“They are not. If you think of Kensington Palace in a way, it is built around three courtyards. If you kind of think of them as being these wonderful red brick terrace houses. Because they are all joined, but separate houses.”

The couple has faced a challenging period following the Princess’s cancer diagnosis and her father-in-law King Charles’s health issues. They have access to Anmer Hall in Norfolk but relocated to the eight-bedroom Forest Hall in Windsor last year. Prior to that, they lived at Adelaide Cottage, a more modest property also in Windsor.

Nestled within the Crown Estate’s private 655-acre royal park, this historic residence was built in 1831 as a retreat for Queen Adelaide, consort of King William IV, and has a colourful and contentious past. Adelaide Cottage was a beloved retreat of Queen Victoria, who frequently enjoyed breakfast there. Another notable former occupant was Group Captain Peter Townsend, famously linked romantically to Princess Margaret.

Townsend, an ex-RAF pilot and equerry to King George VI, had a widely publicised romance with Princess Margaret. Their relationship caused significant controversy as Peter was a divorcé who was 16 years her senior.

In 2015, Adelaide Cottage underwent extensive renovation and now features some exceptionally lavish interior design. Reports suggest that the master bedroom boasts a ceiling decorated with gilded dolphins and intricate rope detailing.

Following Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018, there was brief speculation that the cottage might become their new Windsor residence. The couple were said to value the cottage’s privacy and its convenient proximity to London.