Prince William and Princess Kate tied the knot on April 29, 2011, in a fairytale wedding at Westminster Abbey in London. The unforgettable event was watched by royal fans worldwide, with onlookers delighted to celebrate the happy couple. But according to a new royal biography, Princess Kate caused "panic at the palace" with one particular decision during wedding planning.

In his new book, William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story, royal expert Russell Myers discussed the huge undertaking palace staff faced in planning Kate and William's wedding.

"Courtiers were also surprised when Catherine announced her wish not to travel in the traditional horse-drawn Glass Coach, as used by Diana, Princess of Wales as well as Queen Elizabeth," Myers shared. "As much as tradition was at the forefront of her mind, Catherine wanted a modern slant on the proceedings and was of the view that she was not yet a 'princess' who would use such a mode of transport."

Princess Kate's choice to arrive at her wedding "in a 1977 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI that had been gifted by the manufacturer to The Queen on her Silver Jubilee" was apparently pretty unusual.

As palace courtiers hadn't anticipated Princess Kate's unexpected choice of transport, they were allegedly thrown into disarray.

"This prompted panic at the palace, who feared that an alternative vehicle might be necessary: in December 2010 vandals had splattered the car with white paint and smashed a rear window as [King] Charles and [Queen] Camilla were heading to the Royal Variety Performance," Myers shared.

According to the royal author, "An immediate review was undertaken by the Metropolitan Police, with extra briefings to all officers to remain vigilant for similar protests."

Looking back on Princess Kate's special day, it's clear she made the right choice by arriving at Westminster Abbey in a classic Rolls Royce. The photographs of Kate and her dad, Michael Middleton, traveling in the car remain iconic.

Prince William has been dealing with a plethora of high-profile issues in recent years, including the demotion of his disgraced uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Now, the Prince of Wales has reportedly "hired" a brand new "crisis manager" to aid public relations at Kensington Palace.

As reported by the Daily Mail, "Prince William has hired a crisis management expert as the Royal Family continues to wrestle with the fallout from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's association with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein."

According to the outlet, the Prince of Wales has hired Liza Ravenscroft, who has been described as "bulletproof sunshine" and is known to work "arm in arm with big names facing into their toughest times."

The Daily Mail suggested that the new royal hire might be related to "the Andrew saga," which "rumbles on," or the "cancer treatments undertaken by both The King and the Princess of Wales."

A source suggested to the Mail on Sunday that Ravenscroft had been hired "after a period of turmoil—and when they are looking for closer alignment between Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace as minds turn to William's eventual succession."

However, a Kensington Palace insider reportedly told the outlet that Ravenscroft would be working with Prince William in a "'non-crisis' role."

The publication noted that Ravenscroft's resume allegedly states that she works with clients "to get past an issue as quickly as possible with minimum dents...It's often front-page stuff: from boycott campaigns to sexual allegations to serious safety issues, geopolitical and ethical risks."

As a source told the outlet, Ravenscroft will be "working on the day-to-day press interaction Kensington Palace has." The source continued, "People who work in communications for the Royal Household come from an array of backgrounds."

Following the sad news that the Duchess of Kent has passed away at the age of 92, Buckingham Palace has shared details about the royal's funeral. Katharine, the Duchess of Kent died in her Kensington Palace home on Sept. 4, and her funeral—which will break from royal tradition in one particular way—will take place on Sept. 16.

The Royal Family shared a press release announcing details regarding the Duchess of Kent's funeral, which will take place at Westminster Cathedral on Sept. 16. As Katharine was a Catholic, her funeral will include a Requiem Mass, making it "the first royal Catholic funeral in the U.K. in modern history," the BBC reported.

King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to attend the funeral, along with other members of the Royal Family, including Katharine's husband, the Duke of Kent. "Afterwards, the coffin will be taken by hearse to the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, Windsor," the Royal Family's press release explained.

Incidentally, the Duchess of Kent's funeral will take place during Donald Trump's state visit to the U.K. later this month.

The official press release further noted, "Flags will be half-masted at all official royal residences flying the Union Flag on the day of the Funeral.

Sharing news of the duchess's death, an official statement previously explained, "It is with deep sorrow that Buckingham Palace announces the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent." The statement continued, "Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night [on Sept. 4] at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family."

The statement further elaborated, "The King and Queen and all members of The Royal Family join the Duke of Kent, his children and grandchildren in mourning their loss and remembering fondly The Duchess's life-long devotion to all the organizations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people."

It was recently confirmed that Princess Kate and Prince William would be leaving their "modest" Windsor home, Adelaide Cottage, in favor of the much larger Forest Lodge. The mansion is being described as the Prince and Princess of Wales's "forever home," and they seemingly have no intention of leaving the estate, even once William becomes king. Now, one royal expert has shared why Prince William is so averse to living at Buckingham Palace, despite Royal Family tradition.

"I don't think it was ever loved," royal biographer and expert Robert Lacey told The Telegraph of Buckingham Palace. "If you read what kings have said in their diaries, it was always seen as an office. I think, actually, as an office it has been very successful. As a ceremonial figurehead for the Royal Family, as the place that visitors identify with, it's been a great success."

A royal source told the publication that Kate and William's "move" to Forest Lodge is "for the long term," suggesting they're unlikely to move their children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—again. "It is the family's intention to stay in their new home after [the] reign change." The source also claimed that the Prince of Wales would handle Buckingham Palace in a "pragmatic" way when he's on the throne.

As an actual residence, Lacey believes Buckingham Palace hasn't been entirely successful overall. "People forget that at the beginning of the [late] Queen's reign, no-one went into Buckingham Palace," Lacey said. As noted by the royal historian, Queen Elizabeth II changed how Buckingham Palace was viewed by the general public by giving visitors access to the royal collections. "It turns it from an impressive but perhaps empty facade into a meaningful exploration of the way in which constitutional monarchy works," Lacey explained.

The Telegraph also reported that, when Elizabeth II was young, her "governess described the experience of staying at Buckingham Palace as being 'like camping in a museum.'" It would seem as though Kate and William are focused on creating a warm and welcoming environment for their children and, as a result, are unlikely to move into Buckingham Palace in the future.

Following reports that Kate Middleton and Prince William were considering moving into the gothic-revival mansion Fort Belvedere, the couple's "forever home" has finally been confirmed. The couple's children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—are set for a huge move, as the family will be leaving the cozy Adelaide Cottage for a much bigger property in Windsor, Kensington Palace has revealed.

Rather than making King Edward VIII's former residence of Fort Belvedere their home, the Prince and Princess of Wales have settled on Forest Lodge. The 8-bedroom property is situated within Windsor Great Park, and will provide more space for the family.

Speaking to the BBC, a royal source said, "Windsor has become their home. However, over the last few years while they have lived at Adelaide Cottage there have been some really difficult times." The source continued, "Moving gives them an opportunity for a fresh start and a new chapter...It's an opportunity to leave some of the more unhappy memories behind."

According to the BBC, Kate and William "will not have any live-in staff as they focus on creating as private a family home as is possible." The publication also suggested that, when Prince William becomes king, the family will stay at Forest Lodge rather than moving to Buckingham Palace. Furthermore, Kate and William are reportedly "funding the move privately and they will pay market rent on the property," the BBC explained.

Before Kate and William move into Forest Lodge, a number of alterations are reportedly being made. "The works include replacing doors and windows, stripping out internal walls, renovating the ceilings, and replacing some floors," The Independent reported.

Since moving to Adelaide Cottage in 2022, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their family have faced a number of personal crises, including Kate's cancer diagnosis. The Princess of Wales has since completed chemotherapy treatment and has resumed her duties as a senior royal, making 2025 the ideal time to have a "fresh start" by moving into a new home.

Prince William and Princess Kate moved their family out of Kensington Palace in London and into Adelaide Cottage in Windsor in 2022. Described as a "modest" building without live-in staff, the Prince and Princess of Wales have reportedly considered Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis's home to be a "peaceful refuge." However, a serious "alert" has now been issued, which affects the entire family living on the Windsor estate.

The U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office have both issued an "amber heat health alert," on account of unprecedented heat waves occurring across the country, the BBC reported. William and Kate's Windsor home could be particularly at risk, due to the cottage's location within the countryside, Hello! magazine reported.

"These fires are a stark reminder that the U.K. is not immune to the dangers of extreme heat," Steve Cole, director of policy at The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), told the outlet. "With temperatures soaring and vegetation drying out, the risk of wildfires increases dramatically, even in urban and coastal areas."

Cole continued, "The fact is that many wildfires are preventable. Simple actions—like properly disposing of cigarettes, and avoiding open flames can make a huge difference." He elaborated, "Climate change is contributing to longer, hotter summers, and increasing the frequency of extreme weather events."

It was recently reported that Kate and William were considering leaving Adelaide Cottage for a considerably larger royal property. According to the Mail on Sunday, the Prince and Princess of Wales have been weighing up a move to Fort Belvedere, "a magnificent gothic-revival mansion nestled in a hidden corner of Windsor Great Park," and the former home of King Edward VIII.

It was recently reported that Princess Kate and Prince William had agreed to send Prince George to Eton College for high school. However, an official announcement hasn't been forthcoming from Kensington Palace, and some royal experts have suggested the decision might not be as firm as originally thought.

"George's fate is almost certainly already decided, but Kensington Palace shows no sign of wanting to make an announcement about it imminently," The i Paper reported. "Some parents who know the Waleses are adamant that George is going to Eton, where his father Prince William and uncle Prince Harry were educated." However, plenty of people apparently disagree with this assessment, too.

"I just have that feeling that it won't be Eton," Joe Little, the managing editor of Majesty magazine, told the outlet. "I wonder whether it will be too elitist or too fuddy-duddy for a future king in the 21st century. My money is on Marlborough."

Of course, Marlborough College is Kate Middleton's alma mater, and has always been a potential contender in the royal school debate.

However, some commentators believe that Prince George will definitely be attending his dad's alma mater. Melanie Sanderson, who is the managing editor of The Good Schools Guide, told The i Paper, "One of the things that the Royal Family have got to really take into consideration is the security arrangements, and one of the reasons that I think he will go to Eton...is they are well versed there in educating senior royals."

Reporting on the lack of confirmation regarding the decision, GB News mused, "Kensington Palace has delayed its announcement of where Prince George will attend secondary school due to the upheaval it could cause."

For now, at least, royal fans will just have to remain patient until an official announcement is made.

Prince William will one day become king, making him an extremely important person on the world stage. According to a new report in The Sunday Times, a wealthy donor known to the Royal Family was found attempting to "sell access" to the Prince of Wales and the influence he carries. Luckily, the plan was foiled and Kensington Palace was able to halt any potential security breaches.

According to The Sunday Times, a Filipina-Swiss gallery-owner and millionaire named Minerva Mondejar Steiner "attempted to sell access to [Prince William] for £20,000 [approximately $27,400]." Mondejar Steiner's "art gallery was an official sponsor of William's annual charitable polo event," a connection they were allegedly hoping to exploit.

The former royal donor allegedly "offered a private meeting with the prince in exchange for cash," as well as attempting to charge advertisers as much as $68,500 "to feature in a magazine handed out at the fundraiser."

The Royal Charity Polo Cup match is only open to a select group of invitees. However, according to The Sunday Times, Mondejar Steiner asked wealthy individuals to donate to her own charitable fund in exchange for an invitation to the Prince of Wales's event.

In an email reportedly sent by the gallery-owner, and seen by The Sunday Times, recipients were told, "Patron contributions: £6,000 [$8,200]—admission for one patron. £20,000 [$27,400]—includes full access plus a private audience with Prince William and Princess Catherine."

"The charity polo event has been operated on the basis of strict confidentiality and the palace tends to publicly announce William's involvement and publish photographs after it has taken place," The Sunday Times noted. As a result, any attempt to breach the privacy of the sporting event could be of concern to the Royal Family.

According to the outlet, Kensington Palace revealed that "William did not 'condone' the behavior outlined in the email," and they would "terminate" any "relationship with the sponsor." GB News reported that "immediate action was taken" to stop the individual's unsanctioned plan.

Royal fans had likely been looking forward to seeing Kate Middleton's Royal Ascot outfit for 2025. However, the Princess of Wales has "abruptly" canceled her previously planned appearance at Royal Ascot, and Prince William is now attending the event without his wife. Plus, Kensington Palace referenced Kate's cancer diagnosis in their statement.

Royal editor for The Sunday Times, Roya Nikkhah, shared news of Kate's cancellation on X, writing, "The Princess of Wales will now not attend Royal Ascot today with the Prince of Wales as expected. Royal sources say the princess is 'disappointed' not to attend but has to find the right balance as she continues her recovery from cancer and a phased return to full duties."

The cancellation was so sudden that Princess Kate's attendance had been confirmed by Royal Ascot officials just 30 minutes prior to Kensington Palace's announcement, via the Daily Mail. Instead, Prince William was photographed arriving at the glitzy event without his wife.

Kate's mother, Carole Middleton, was also in attendance on June 18, and was seen spending time with Kate's brother James Middleton, and his wife Alizee Thevenet.

Princess Kate announced in September 2024 that she'd completed preventative chemotherapy treatment following her cancer diagnosis earlier in the year. Since then, the Princess of Wales has made a gradual return to her official royal duties, but as noted by Kensington Palace's announcement, she is continuing to adjust to her new normal.

Former royal butler Grant Harrold, speaking on behalf of Spin Genie, gave some insight into what Royal Ascot is really like for the Royal Family. "Queen Camilla is very much into horses," Harrold explained. "The King is, but I would say Camilla is more so, along with Princess Anne. If you're going to be taking advice on which horses, I would look at Camilla for a good tip."

Harrold served as King Charles's personal butler at Highgrove for more than 6 years, and said of The King, "Horse racing is a great tradition within the family—royals and horses go back centuries." He continued, "I'm sure [King Charles] won't be able to go to Ascot and not think of the late Queen, his mother. That was a huge highlight of her year."

Much has been written about Princess Diana's alleged desire to raise sons Prince William and Prince Harry to experience what life was like "beyond the castle walls." Now, a former royal chef has opened up about the moment Diana canceled lunch at Kensington Palace to take Harry and William for fast food.

Speaking exclusively to Heart Bingo, Darren McGrady—a chef who worked with the Royal Family for 15 years—said, "One lunchtime, I was getting lunch ready and the princess came in and said, 'Cancel lunch today. I'm taking them out.' I asked, 'Where are you going?' and she said, 'McDonald's.'" At this point, McGrady apparently tried to intervene, telling Diana, "I can do burgers better than McDonald's." However, Diana had an extremely relatable reason for wanting to take her sons to the fast food chain.

Recalling the conversation, McGrady explained, "She said, 'I know that Darren, but they want the toys in the Happy Meal.'" Just like so many children, Prince William and Prince Harry were apparently eager to collect the surprise toys contained in the children's meal.

According to McGrady, McDonald's wasn't the only fast food vice Princess Diana, Prince Harry, and Prince William enjoyed. "They would get fast food sometimes, just like normal families with children," the former royal chef explained. "Bill Wyman had a restaurant called Sticky Fingers...They would go there a lot. Especially Harry—he always loved the barbecue ribs."

As for what the young princes would eat at home, McGrady elaborated, "They came home on weekends from Ludgrove, and I prepared meals. It changed from Princess Diana's healthy eating—stuffed peppers, aubergine, vegetarian dishes—to nursery food. Wills and Harry loved cottage pie, pizza, chicken nuggets, french fries, potato wedges, macaroni cheese."

McGrady also revealed that Prince William had a penchant for sweet treats, saying, "William would walk into the kitchen and say, 'Darren, can I have some chocolate ice cream, please?' I'd say, 'Help yourself.' He'd grab Häagen-Dazs chocolate chip, that was his favorite, open it, and sit in the windowsill eating it. It was so much more relaxed over at Kensington."

Kate Middleton's style has always fascinated royal fans, and inspired people all over the world to copy her fashion choices. As a result, people were shocked when Kensington Palace announced they'd no longer be discussing Princess Kate's fashion credentials, instead hoping for a greater focus on her work projects. Now, a royal expert is suggesting that Kensington Palace has been forced to undergo some changes in the wake of backlash to their controversial comments about the Princess of Wales's style.

Speaking to GB News, royal commentator Gareth Russell explained, "We'll see the royal households try to create more of a balance between pieces written about what they're wearing versus what they're doing." Russell continued, "And I think that's probably what they're attempting to do—reset the balance."

Earlier this year, a royal source told The Times, "There is an absolute feeling that [the public work] is not about what the princess is wearing....She wants the focus to be on the really important issues, the people and the causes she is spotlighting." The source continued, "There will always be an appreciation of what the princess is wearing from some of the public and she gets that. But do we need to be officially always saying what she is wearing? No. The style is there but it's about the substance."

However, the palace source was forced to correct their earlier statement after people reacted negatively to the idea that Princess Kate's style choices weren't important or influential.

Speaking to People, the royal source explained, "I have received numerous questions about a story regarding the Princess of Wales's clothing and how Kensington Palace shares information about her outfits." The source continued, "To clarify, the comments that appeared in the article were from me, not the Princess of Wales...To be clear, there has been no change in our approach to sharing information about Her Royal Highness's clothing."

Royal fans are likely enamored with the way of life the British Royal Family appears to experience. However, some of the current Royal Family's relatives endured difficult living conditions, with one former queen even finding herself basically "imprisoned" in Kensington Palace.

Queen Victoria had a long and successful reign, making it hard to believe that she was ever anything but in control of her life. However, when Victoria was just a princess, she was forced to follow a set of rules known as the "Kensington System."

Queen Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent, apparently relied on the advice of her late husband's equerry, John Conroy, via Historic Royal Palaces. Conroy was ambitious and reportedly hoped to make his mark on the Royal Family, with a view to gaining power if Victoria took the throne before she was 18 years old. If Victoria was still a child when she became queen, her mother Victoire would have been made Regent, something Conroy hoped would happen, as he was more easily able to influence her.

Conroy "instigated a strict set of rules intended to bolster up the power and position of Victoria's mother, who was unpopular within the wider Royal Family," the outlet explained. "These rules became known as the Kensington 'System.'" However, Conroy's plan seemingly backfired, as "Victoria came to loathe" him and "his attempt to control her."

As a result of the "Kensington System," "Victoria grew up relatively isolated." She "was constantly supervised, not even able to walk downstairs without holding someone's hand in case she fell," the outlet explained.

Due to the "Kensington System," a young Queen Victoria was effectively held "prisoner" inside Kensington Palace, the Express reported. According to the outlet, the strict rules "forbade the young princess from reading popular books," and from "spending any time alone without her tutor or governesses."

Additional practical reasons for Victoria's isolation included her safety. "Behind the garden walls, she'd be isolated from both disease and assassination attempts," History Extra explained.

Ultimately, Queen Victoria's mother never became Regent, and didn't gain the control Conroy hoped she would. Basically, Queen Victoria didn't remotely have a normal childhood.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Kensington Palace would no longer be sharing information regarding Kate Middleton's outfits. The palace subsequently clarified their comments, leading to some confusion about the initial announcement. And according to a new report, Prince William wasn't happy about the backlash Princess Kate was subjected to.

"There's a huge feeling amongst not just the Royal Family but also within all the people that work for them, that Kate can do no wrong, so of course everyone is appalled that she's even being questioned over this," a source told In Touch (via GB News). As for how the royals are handling the issue, GB News reported, "The princess is being encouraged to ignore critics and continue handling her public duties in whatever way makes her comfortable."

It's perhaps unsurprising that the general public had a strong reaction to Kensington Palace's statement regarding Kate's fashion choices. A statistical analysis—using data from 2023—carried out by "The Royal Dress Code" podcast revealed that Princess Kate's outfits hugely influence internet traffic. The podcast's hosts, Afua Hagan and Christine Ross, said in a press release, "Engagements where Kate wore a new outfit saw an average of 16.9 news article headlines posted on X within 48 hours." They continued, "News articles about engagements featuring a new outfit received an average of 80,000 views on X." Basically, the outfits Princess Kate wears to public engagements matter and generate a lot of interest with readers—both for the Princess of Wales and the charitable causes she supports.

To recap, the unexpected drama began on Feb. 1 when a source told The Times, "There is an absolute feeling that [the public work] is not about what the princess is wearing." They continued, "She wants the focus to be on the really important issues, the people and the causes she is spotlighting. There will always be an appreciation of what the princess is wearing from some of the public and she gets that. But do we need to be officially always saying what she is wearing? No. The style is there but it's about the substance."

On Feb. 11, the source revised their position in a statement to People. "Over the last week, I have received numerous questions about a story regarding The Princess of Wales's clothing and how Kensington Palace shares information about her outfits," the source said. "To clarify, the comments that appeared in the article were from me, not the Princess of Wales. The comments that were reported should not be directly attributed to the Princess of Wales." They continued, "To be clear, there has been no change in our approach to sharing information about Her Royal Highness's clothing."

In 2024, Princess Kate largely stayed out of the public eye as she was treated for cancer. Aside from attending a few major events like Trooping the Colour and Wimbledon, the Princess of Wales wasn't seen until autumn after she announced she'd finished chemotherapy. While Kensington Palace has been sending press releases about her royal visits this year, they made a change to their usual procedure on Thursday, Feb. 20.

Until now, any news on the Princess of Wales's 2025 duties has been strictly embargoed—and in the cases of her visit to the Royal Marsden hospital and her participation in a Holocaust memorial ceremony, Kate's appearances weren't announced ahead of time at all. But on Thursday, the palace sent out a press release stating that the Prince and Princess of Wales would be making a joint trip to Pontypridd, Wales on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

"Understandably, they have been hesitant in the last year to confirm any engagements should they need to adapt, but this is a clear step forward," royal historian Jessica Storoschuk tells Marie Claire of Thursday's news.

"William and Catherine's announcement of their upcoming trip to Wales without a press embargo is certainly signaling a new chapter for the couple, as it shows their confidence that they will not need to cancel or postpone due to health issues," the An Historian About Town blogger continues.

William and Kate's visit is timed ahead of Welsh national holiday St. David's Day, which falls on March 1, and according to the palace, William and Kate "will spend time with members of the local community."

The area was hit hard by flooding as a result of Storm Bert and Storm Darragh in December 2024, and the Waleses will speak with residents who were impacted by the floods.

Their trip to Wales will mark the first royal engagement since the couple skipped the 2025 BAFTAs to head to Mustique with their three children. Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, are enjoying their half-term school holiday at the ultra-private destination frequented by a number of celebs.

With Mustique offering everything from world-class scuba diving to a waterfront bar, it sounds like William and Kate will be showing up to Wales with a tan.

Kate Middleton's style never fails to make headlines, but in an unexpected turn of events, a palace source has contradicted their own statement about the royal's fashion coverage. The source, who initially told the Times that Kensington Palace would stop releasing details about Kate's outfits, has now revised their position in comments to People on Tuesday, February 11.

On Feb. 1, the Times reported that the palace—who, for the most part, hasn't released specific details about Princess Kate's outfits in a number of years—would no longer "officially" share what the princess was wearing.

“There is an absolute feeling that it [the public work] is not about what the princess is wearing," the source said. "She wants the focus to be on the really important issues, the people and the causes she is spotlighting. There will always be an appreciation of what the princess is wearing from some of the public and she gets that. But do we need to be officially always saying what she is wearing? No. The style is there but it’s about the substance.”

Both royal fashion fans and journalists have spoken out after the comments went public, with many noting the impact that the Princess of Wales's fashion choices have on brands and the British fashion industry in particular. The backlash was so strong, in fact, that it caused the palace to make a rare correction to the earlier comments.

"Over the last week, I have received numerous questions about a story regarding The Princess of Wales’s clothing and how Kensington Palace shares information about her outfits," the insider said in a statement to People. "To clarify, the comments that appeared in the article were from me, not the Princess of Wales. The comments that were reported should not be directly attributed to the Princess of Wales."

The palace source continued, "To be clear, there has been no change in our approach to sharing information about Her Royal Highness’s clothing."

Indeed, there wouldn't be a reason for fashion bloggers and social media accounts to scour the internet trying to ID the royal's outfits if the palace released these details on the regular. How the prior comments were misconstrued remains unclear, but since Feb. 1, the Princess of Wales has been wearing a series of repeat and neutral looks that seem to hint at the "substance over style" message.

Whether it's wearing the same plaid coat she debuted less than a month ago during a Feb. 11 visit with prisoners and children or leaning into solid suit separates, Princess Kate has been flying under the radar when it comes to her recent style choices. While some have noted it's an attempt at focusing on work versus style, royal expert Christine Ross recently pointed out to Marie Claire that this approach has backfired for Kate in the past.

"She was clearly trying to send a message that she means business, and her work was her top priority," the "Royal Dress Code" podcast co-host said of the royal's 2023 pantsuit aesthetic. "Instead, readers and royal watchers started to lose interest as the events blended into one colorful blur. "

While her 2023 lineup of repeated trouser suits showcased practicality, it raises a broader question about royal fashion in 2025: does power dressing always mean minimalism? In an era where women command boardrooms and lead countries in bold prints and vivid colors (see: Queen Maxima), the message that one needs to wear a dark suit to be taken seriously misses the point.

The Princess of Wales is honoring World Cancer Day with a personal message and a brand new photo taken by her son, Prince Louis.

On Monday, Feb. 3, the Daily Mail's royal editor Rebecca English shared a new photo of Kate Middleton, which was taken by the Princess of Wales's 6-year-old son, Prince Louis. The photo shows Kate posing in a forest with her arms outstretched. She is dressed in a dark green coat, and is wearing a hat, gloves, and black boots.

In the caption, English explained, "Little Prince Louis has turned royal photographer!" She continued, "Kensington Palace has issued an adorable new picture taken by the 6-year-old of his mother, the Princess of Wales, at Windsor to mark World Cancer Day tomorrow."

Explaining the second photograph in the carousel, English wrote, "A second image taken by the princess herself was also issued." She continued, "It was accompanied by a personal message from Kate, reading: 'Don't forget to nurture all that which lies beyond the disease."

Adding further context to her post, English elaborated, "A royal aide emphasized that spending time in nature has been extremely important to The Princess over the past year as she underwent her own cancer journey, which is reflected in both images."

Princess Kate recently returned to work in her role as a senior member of the Royal Family. Having completed a course of chemotherapy, Kate told patients at Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea, London, that she is in remission from cancer.

As part of her return to work, Princess Kate has written a new foreword to The Shaping Us Framework (via People), which was released on Feb. 2. The report was worked on by a team of clinicians, academics, practitioners, and experts in human development, and aims to improve the perception surrounding the importance of nurturing emotional development before a child turns 5.

"Modern society is complex," Kate wrote in the foreword. "At times, it can feel like the world is filled with mistrust and misunderstanding, leaving many people feeling isolated and vulnerable during difficult times. The impact of this—poor mental health, addiction, and abuse—can be devastating, for individuals and for society." She continued, "If we are to address this properly, if we are to find real, lasting solutions to these deep-rooted challenges and create a physically and mentally healthier society, we must reset, restore and rebalance. We must invest in humankind."

Princess Michael of Kent had a terrible accident ahead of Christmas, but that didn't stop her from attending King Charles' festive lunch at Buckingham Palace for the Royal Family.

Earlier this week, a plethora of royals were photographed arriving at Buckingham Palace for the annual pre-Christmas lunch hosted by the monarch. While Prince Andrew didn't attend, Princess Michael of Kent was seen arriving by car with her husband. The royal looked to be in surprisingly good spirits, despite having broken both of her wrists in what the Express described as a "horror fall."

According to GB News, Princess Michael of Kent fell down the stairs at her Kensington Palace residence, and was injured while trying to stop herself from falling. "She was carrying an armful of overcoats when the accident occurred, with the fall cushioned by the coats," the outlet reported. "However, she broke multiple small bones when putting her hands out to break her fall."

Princess Michael of Kent spoke with Majesty Magazine about the terrible accident, explaining (via GB News), "So many things that you rely on being able to do, like cleaning your teeth, are impossible." She continued, "I am told that, after an accident like this, if you do one wrong movement on top of the unhealed bones, you are back where you started."

The Princess also opened up about the devastating death of her daughter's husband, Thomas Kingston. In February, it was reported that Lady Gabriella's husband had died at the age of 45, with an inquest later revealing that Kingston had died due to a "traumatic head wound" caused by suicide.

"Tom was a lovely man, so kind and thoughtful," Princess Michael told Majesty Magazine (via Hello!). "They were very happy together. We often had them here with Freddie and Sophie and the girls for Sunday lunch." She continued, "We never had an inkling anything was wrong."

It's official! Kate Middleton will attend this year's Wimbledon Championships in person and as she continues treatment for an unspecified type of cancer.

According to People, Kensington Palace has confirmed that the Princess of Wales will be in the crowd during the men’s singles final at Wimbledon on Sunday, July 14.

Princess Kate will not, however, visit the England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on Saturday to present the women's champion with their hard-earned trophy, the Venus Rosewater Dish.

Instead, Wimbledon chairwoman Debbie Jevans will fill in for the Princess of Wales and present the women's champion trophy on her behalf, The Daily Mail reports.

Up until now, Middleton's possible attendance was something of a lingering question mark, as she remains mainly out of the public eye as she privately continues preventative cancer treatment and recovers alongside her immediate family.

According to a close friend of Middleton's, it was "no secret that (Princess Kate) would dearly love to be" at Wimbledon this year, but added that "when you're having chemo, as she herself said, there are good days and bad days."

"A lot depends on the timing of the treatments," the source told The Daily Beast in a recent interview. "She made it to Trooping the Colour, so if she can make it to Wimbledon, she will."

According to former royal butler Paul Burrell—who worked for the royal family for 21 years—the decision as to whether or not Princess Kate would attend Wimbledon this year was ultimately up to her husband, Prince William, who Burrell said is "fiercely protective" of his wife.

"William controls this household, and William will decide whether she's well enough to do this, because he's the one that protects the family—fiercely,” Burrell recently told The Sun. “There’s no way he’s going to subject Kate to intrusion that she can’t handle.

“With William by her side, Kate’s safe because he will take care of her and would never let anyone harm her,” Burrell added.

In a 2017 BBC documentary titledSue Barker: Our Wimbledon, the Princess of Wales—the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club—confessed that watching Wimbledon was "very much part of me growing up."

“It’s such a quintessential part of the English summer, and I think it really inspires youngsters, myself—it inspired me when I was younger to get involved in the game," she said at the time. "It hasn’t changed, either. I think that’s what’s so wonderful.” 

Traditionally, Middleton presents the winning trophies to both winners of the oldest and arguably most prestigious tennis tournament in the world.

Kensington Palace has marked Kate Middleton's return to the public eye after six long months by sharing some behind-the-scenes footage of this year's Trooping the Colour ceremony.

While festivities were still ongoing, the Palace shared a quick video of the royal family preparing for carriage rides and their iconic Buckingham Palace appearance on its various social media accounts, showing the Princess of Wales not just as a dutiful and poised royal but as a loving mother, doting on her three children throughout the proceedings.

"All set for The King’s Birthday Parade!," the Palace captioned the post, which at one point showed Kate Middleton standing behind her three children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis—and even playing with her daughter's long brown hair.

In another quick snippet, the Princess of Wales once again stands behind her well-dressed children as young Prince Louis gives a little royal wave.

Just one day before King Charles' annual birthday celebration, Kensington Palace announced that Princess Kate would be making a surprise appearance at this year's Trooping the Colour—a shock to many, as the Palace recently announced that Middleton would not be returning to public facing royal duties until at least the fall, and perhaps not until 2025.

"I’m looking forward to attending The King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet," the Princess of Wales said in a written statement shared on the Palace's many social media accounts.

"I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal."

Middleton went on to say that she is "making good process, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will now, there are good days and bad days."

"On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well," she continued. "My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months. On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home."

During her trooping the color appearance, the Princess of Wales appeared to be in good spirits—she was often seen smiling and waving to royal onlookers and those in attendance.

Her children were just as chipper during the ceremony—most notably Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The 6-year-old prince was spotted dancing as he awaited his balcony appearance and giving a royal wave while enjoying a carriage ride with his siblings and mother.

Princess Charlotte, however, appeared to give a "don't mess with me" look to wannabe royal family conspiracy theorists, perhaps feeling somewhat protective of her mother during her first public outing in six months.

One spate of rampant, incorrect conspiracy theories surrounding the Princess of Wales and her health and well-being was enough for one year (and, really, one lifetime). Even people who couldn’t give two shakes about the royal family were dialed in and invested into the whereabouts of Kate earlier this year, in that dark period between the Palace announcing that she had undergone a planned abdominal surgery on January 16 and Kate’s own brave announcement that she had been diagnosed with and was receiving treatment for cancer on March 22. (The type and stage of her cancer, as well as that of her father-in-law King Charles, heretofore remains unknown; Charles, following his own planned procedure at The London Clinic in January, announced his diagnosis on February 5, the same day he began treatment.)

In what we hope isn’t a second wave of Kate conspiracy mongers, the latest Kate speculation seemingly appeared out of nowhere: that she isn’t in the U.K. but is instead in Houston, Texas, undergoing treatment for cancer at that city’s famed MD Anderson Cancer Center, long considered one of the most respected centers dedicated exclusively to cancer patient care and research in the world. According to Town & Country, this theory was amplified in this now-viral TikTok, which referenced a recent Reddit post where a user shared they had heard that Kate stayed at the St. Regis Houston while in town receiving treatment.

Now, let’s stop here—if our primary sources are Reddit and TikTok, let’s pause and take a beat before we believe them. In a new story from The Houston Chronicle, a Kensington Palace representative debunked this story, saying it was false; The Chronicle also reached out to MD Anderson, which, of course, declined to comment because of patient privacy laws. 

Additionally, local news station KHOU contacted the BBC, which told the outlet that their royal sources said that Kate hasn’t left the U.K. since her cancer diagnosis earlier this year, which reportedly was given around February.

The understandably frustrated Palace said, when speaking to Us Weekly, that “We have been really clear that [Kate] needs the space and the privacy to recover right now. She will return to work when she has had the green light from doctors.”

Another conspiracy theory worth debunking? That Kate isn’t returning to royal duty at all, which a source speaking to Harper’s Bazaar called “unfair and untrue”: “There is no information about Kate’s ‘return’ because the focus at this moment in time is 100 percent on her health,” a source said. “To suggest she won’t return to her role is unfair and untrue. Conversations of that nature are just not being had. When the time is right, she will resume her work.” 

Royal author Katie Nicholl said that, thankfully, the news is positive surrounding Kate’s cancer treatment and progress, and that the Princess of Wales has “turned a corner” as of late. “She’s tolerating this preventative chemotherapy better,” Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight. “I think she had a hard time in the beginning. These are strong drugs that she’s on, but she’s tolerating it better, and she’s doing better.”

Nicholl added “We’ve had reports from members of the public that she’s been out and about. I’ve heard from certain people that she’s out with the children [Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis]. That’s a really positive sign.”

Because of fears that a leak from the inside would reveal the Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnosis before she was ready to disclose the information, Kensington Palace was forced to rush the release of Kate’s video message telling the world about her health, multiple outlets report.

A source close to the matter told The Daily Mail that the Palace attempted to get ahead of the news after an unknown person found out about Kate’s health condition. It’s unclear whether the leak came from The London Clinic or elsewhere; Kate underwent abdominal surgery at The London Clinic in January, and days before Kate spoke out, a security breach involving Kate’s medical records occurred there. A “full investigation” into the matter continues. 

As ever with this story, it’s murky—sources speaking to Page Six deny rumors about a leak, holding firm that Kate wasn’t pressured to release the video, but set up the timing to coincide with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis’ Easter break from Lambrook School.

The Daily Mail also reports that Kensington Palace wanted to release the message to the world before Easter, knowing that Kate and the rest of the Wales family wouldn’t be attending the traditional service at St. George’s Chapel.

“Whatever the reason, the universal acclaim heaped on Kate confirmed it was the right decision,” The Daily Mail’s Ephraim Hardcastle column writes. 

The video message was released on Friday, March 22, over two months after Kate’s abdominal surgery on Tuesday, January 16. News of that surgery was announced the next day, and while the surgery was not because of cancer having been detected, cancer was found in the aftermath of the procedure. Kate is said to have found out about the diagnosis in late February, and began a course of “preventative chemotherapy” shortly thereafter. Following her video message 11 days ago, Kate, her husband Prince William, and their three children went to their country home, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk, where they spent Easter and are believed to still be until the kids return to school in two weeks’ time.

“It is not known how long Kate will be receiving treatment, but it is understood she may be keen to attend events as and when she feels able to, in line with medical advice, although this will not indicate a return to full-time duties,” The Daily Mail reports. 

Following months of speculation about Kate Middleton's whereabouts, the Princess of Wales herself provided on Friday an update on her health in a video. "It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family," she explained. "It was thought [in January] that my condition was non-cancerous...However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present." Kate also noted that she has begun preventative chemotherapy.

"This, of course, came as a huge shock," she said. "Most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte, and Louis, in a way that's appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I'm going to be OK."

"My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy," she said. "But for now, I must focus on making a full recovery."

Prior to the Friday announcement, Kate Middleton had not made a formal appearance in almost three months. In mid-January, Kensington Palace stated that the princess was undergoing a planned abdominal surgery and wouldn't be attending public events until after Easter. Fans didn't take the statement at face value, however, speculating that there was more to the story. When a photograph released by the Palace to mark UK Mother's Day was discovered to be Photoshopped and pulled by major photo agencies, the rumors about Kate's disappearance from the public eye reached fever pitch.

Earlier this week, British authorities said they were investigating a security breach at the London Clinic, where the princess was treated in January, during which an employee attempted to obtain the princess' private medical records. It was not clear whether the employee succeeded, or whether any information from those records had been made public.

The announcement comes just over a month after Buckingham Palace confirmed that King Charles, too, has cancer. The palace hasn't stated what type of cancer the king has, but noted that it was discovered during Charles' recent treatment for an enlarged prostate.

The often-silent Kensington Palace has made a rare statement today about the Princess of Wales, indicating that she is very much working from home albeit not undertaking public-facing duties as she recovers from abdominal surgery in January.

The work of Kate’s life is early years work, zooming in on children under the age of five and their development. She has been dedicated to research on the subject for years, and apparently is still working on research from home during her convalescence.

The Telegraph reports that Kate’s work while she’s been at home post-surgery has included studying research on improving the lives of babies, and that a major study on the matter will be released this week. Kate’s Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood funded a four-month long trial of a baby observation tool, which can be used to spot signs of social and emotional development in young children. Results of the study are scheduled to be published imminently.

“The princess has been kept updated throughout the process,” a spokesperson for Kensington Palace said in a statement.

The tool focuses on a baby’s social behaviors like eye contact and facial expression to help practitioners and families better grasp how babies express their feelings. The results were “overwhelmingly positive,” and Kate apparently suggested the tool could be used in the U.K. after seeing a similar system during a royal visit to Denmark in 2022. The trial in the U.K. lasted four months.

Writing in a piece for The Telegraph that same year, Kate emphasized the importance of the first five years of a child’s life, and how critical they are to ensuring a “healthier and happier society”: “There are fantastic examples of what can be achieved when we recognize the unique potential of early childhood and build a safe and loving world around a child,” she wrote. “But not enough is being done. If we are going to tackle the sorts of complex challenges we face today like homelessness, violence, and addiction, which are so often underpinned by poverty and poor mental health, we have to fully appreciate those most preventative years and do everything we can to nurture our children and those who care for them.” 

As Kate continues her early years work, albeit from home and not out and about, The Telegraph also pointed to Easter Sunday in 10 days’ time as a possible return to public life for the princess. Every Easter, the royal family typically walks into St. George’s Chapel at Windsor for a church service together, a photo op royal followers have come to look forward to. 

“She is doing well,” a source told The Daily Beast. “Everything is on track. Easter will be the big bang moment.”

A former Buckingham Palace staffer told The Daily Beast that Easter was “the natural choice” for Kate to make an appearance, and that her attendance would provide a “powerful dose of continuity.”  

After the uproar now known colloquially as “Photogate,” there seem to be more questions than answers when it comes to the Princess of Wales. But one fact we apparently can count on harkens back, really, to what Kensington Palace said from the very first day that we found out Kate had abdominal surgery: she will be back to work right around the Easter holiday, which this year falls on March 31.

On January 17, Kensington Palace released news that Kate had undergone abdominal surgery the day prior and that she was expected to remain in hospital (The London Clinic, to be specific) for about two weeks. True to their word again, Kate was discharged on January 29, just one day shy of two weeks later.

In that same initial statement, it was revealed that Kate would be off duty until Easter and was completely unseen and unheard of in the public eye for the entirety of February. At the end of the month—February 27, to be exact—her husband, Prince William, skipped a memorial service for his godfather, King Constantine of Greece, citing undisclosed personal reasons. After that, the internet was off to the races, conspiracy theories abounded, and, after 70 days out of the public eye, Kate was seen that next Monday, March 4, riding in a car alongside her mother, Carole Middleton, apparently on the school run for Kate’s kids Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. On Sunday—Mother’s Day in the U.K.—Kate released a photo with her kids for the holiday; it was found by multiple news agencies to have been digitally manipulated and was therefore pulled from the agencies’ servers. The next day, Kate apologized and admitted she had done some editing to the photo—and here we are.

But maybe the public can take comfort in that, so far, at least through the written word, the Palace has remained true to what it promised. Tatler reports that Kate is “recovering well and will be back by Easter” after sources said she was “deeply hurt” by the photo controversy. A source speaking to Page Six seconded that Kate was recovering well and would return by Easter, and that “She just needs to be left in peace.”

As speculation about her health begins to merge into bullying, “The rumor mill—particularly on social media—has gotten out of control,” a source told Page Six, adding that Kate is under “an awful lot of scrutiny,” stressing that this can be especially difficult to manage after surgery. 

“We are in danger of bullying a lady who is trying to recover from a very serious operation,” former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told GB News this week, per The Mirror. “I think of how she must be feeling this morning. Absolutely miserable, I think. Her Mother’s Day was obviously ruined by this row.”

From paparazzi photos taken while riding in a car with William on Monday, Bond said “From what we can see, she didn’t look that happy. She must feel under intense pressure now whenever she’s going to be seen in public.” 

A source added, per The Daily Express, “I worry about all this attention on Catherine,” they said. “She did not look happy at all in the car on Monday.”

Though she is absent from the glare of the spotlight and not currently attending royal engagements publicly, Kate is still working behind the scenes as she recovers at home at Adelaide Cottage. “The princess is believed to have been working on her Early Years campaign work while out of the public eye,” Tatler reports.

Sources previously told Vanity Fair that there is “no pressure for her to return to work before she is fully fit,” and clarified that Kate won’t be rushing back into the public eye, intent on recovering fully from her operation. 

The main point of contention when it comes to Princess Kate’s Mother’s Day photo scandal? It’s not necessarily the fact that the photo was edited—though that doesn’t necessarily look good for the believability of the Palace—but that Kensington Palace refuses to release the original, unedited version of the photo. The snap in question, of course, is of Kate with her three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—apparently taken by her husband, Prince William, at their home, Adelaide Cottage, last Friday—released on social media on Sunday (which doubled as Mother’s Day in the U.K.), likely with hopes of stopping the rampant and endless chatter and gossip about Kate’s health condition on the internet and social media.

After multiple news agencies pulled the photo off of servers Sunday night citing digital manipulation, and after Kate confessed to editing the photo on Monday morning, the public called for the Palace to release the untouched version of the photo, which it heretofore has refused to do. Royal expert Dr. Tessa Dunlop said this isn’t a minor refusal, and that the integrity of the future of the Crown rests on what the Palace does next.

Dunlop said the Photogate saga has taken “us back to square one,” she said, per The Mirror. “You know it’s gone horribly wrong when the Princess of Wales pops up on X to apologize. But then the apology doesn’t stack up.”

She added “We have long known that Kate is the royal family’s photographer—a canny ruse for them to hold on to a vestige of control—but apparently it was William who took this photograph, so why is she the one modifying it? And if the princess only indulged in a bit of light editing, why on earth doesn’t the Palace release the original photograph?”

To smooth over the controversy—which has gone about as viral as viral can go—Dunlop said she believes releasing the unedited photo is the only move the royal family can make to put the fire out. 

“Even at first glance on Mothering Sunday morning, that picture looked too good to be true,” she said. “Anyone with three children knows just how hard it is to get a photograph of everyone at their best, smiling and looking towards the camera at the same time. And yet the royal brood were all beaming like there was no tomorrow. William appeared to be both future King and genius photographer until some eagle-eyed royal watchers noticed Princess Charlotte’s dodgy sleeve. Photoshop is one thing, but as a fellow historian put it, this looks like a ‘composite, probably AI-generated, of more than one picture rather than a single candid snap.’ And there is that crucial little word—‘candid.’ This has blown up into a major media storm because people feel the royal family—who also double up as an institution of state—are not being honest with them. And if you can’t trust Kensington Palace, then who can you trust?”

Speaking of the Palace, is it looking out for the Prince and Princess of Wales the best it could? Maybe not, author Phil Dampier said, per The Mirror. “It is ironic that it is the first time William has taken a picture that they have released publicly, and this has happened,” he said. “It seems he has sent this to Kensington Palace’s press office, and they have not picked up on it—and just sent it out without asking any questions.”

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams, speaking to The Daily Express, said “It must be an embarrassing mistake. It made the episode, since the happy image was meant to calm our fears about her health and since trolls were making bizarre claims on social media, somewhat farcical.” He added “The Waleses’ public relations team must become more aware. Over two months is too long for us to wait for information about her condition, she has been seriously ill, and the vast majority who were concerned about her welfare wish her well.”

The solution to the Mother’s Day photo crisis, Dunlap doubled down, is, at least on its face, pretty simple, but has enormous ramifications: “The Palace need[s] to release the original picture,” she said. “The integrity of our future King and Queen is at stake.”

In a move that was likely intended to stop endless internet chatter and speculation, one photo taken of the Princess of Wales and her three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis has ignited an entirely different kind of controversy.

Amongst the endless chatter surrounding Kate’s now-infamous Mother’s Day photo is the question “Where is her engagement ring and, while we’re at it, where is her wedding band?” Even before news agencies like Reuters, AP, and Getty pulled the photo last night citing digital manipulation, social media was aflutter over the missing ring. Though Kensington Palace apparently has no plans to release the original, unedited photo of Kate and the kids from yesterday, it did have time to address the question of the missing ring—and it’s a simple explanation, The Mirror reports. 

“Kate’s office simply responded to questions about her ring by stating the royal was ‘at home’ when the photo was taken and dismissed any speculation about her marriage to Prince William by confirming ‘it was her husband who took the photo,’” The Mirror writes, citing a report from ITV News.

It’s worth pointing out, too, that (didn’t know if you’d heard this or not, but) Kate also recently underwent abdominal surgery in January “and may have had to remove her wedding band ahead of the procedure, and simply hasn’t put it back on yet,” The Mirror writes. (Her surgery, for anyone keeping score, was 55 days ago.)

The wedding ring was one of many perceived errors spotted in the photo, and multiple news agencies issued separate “kill notices” to media organizations globally, confirming they had each removed the image over claims it had been manipulated. 

Kensington Palace is under increased pressure to explain not just the photo but Kate’s overall condition. Following the unexpected surgery on January 16, a statement was released the next day confirming it happened and that Kate would be off royal duty until essentially April. (They specified until after Easter, which this year falls on March 31.) The last time Kate had been seen publicly prior to the announcement was Christmas Day, alongside the rest of the royal family at Sandringham.

At the end of February, right around the time William unexpectedly pulled out of attending a memorial service for his godfather, King Constantine of Greece, rumors, speculation, and conspiracy theories about Kate’s health skyrocketed on the internet and social media. Coincidence or not, Kate was spotted by paparazzi out driving with her mother, Carole Middleton, last Monday, March 4—the first time she’d been seen publicly since Christmas Day, 70 days prior. When the buzz didn’t die down, the Mother’s Day photo was released yesterday and—you know the rest.

“This is bad for the royals,” royal commentator Peter Hunt said, per The Mirror. “They knew there would be a lot of attention in any pictures they released of Kate. Their concern is that people will now wonder if they can be trusted and believed when they provide the next health report.”

The saga continues.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were spotted today in a car together leaving Windsor Castle; William is due to attend the annual Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey, but Kate will not join him, reports say. William was reportedly headed to the service and while it isn’t known where Kate was headed, she “appears to be following a similar route into central London,” The Daily Express reports. “Princess Kate was pictured sitting in the backseat of the car and looking out of the window, whereas William was looking ahead.”

Earlier in the day, around 10:30 a.m. U.K. time, Kate—in an unprecedented move—wrote on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day.” (Yesterday marked the U.K.’s Mother’s Day, whereas the U.S. celebrates in May.) We know the message is from Kate specifically, as it was signed with “C,” signifying that Catherine (the princess’ formal name) wrote it. 

The apology came after news agencies like AP, Reuters, Getty, and AFP pulled the image, released by Kensington Palace earlier yesterday, off of its servers last night, claiming that the photo had been manipulated. A source told People that Kate made what they called “minor adjustments” to the “amateur family photograph taken by the Prince of Wales.” William and Kate’s motivation, likely in the face of speculation and conspiracy theories surrounding Kate’s health, was “to offer an informal picture of the family together for Mother’s Day,” the source added. “The family spent Mother’s Day together and had a wonderful day.”

The Palace would not specify what part of the photo—which marked the first time Kate had been seen in any officially released capacity since Christmas Day—was altered. When AP issued what is called a “kill notification”—which alerted journalists that after “closer inspection is appears that the source has manipulated the image”—the lion’s share of attention focused on the left hand of Princess Charlotte. Others “highlighted inconsistencies in the alignment of the sweater pattern on Prince Louis’ shoulder, as well as a jagged white line in the background near his knee,” People reports. An AP spokesperson released a statement to The Telegraph that read “The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”

Sky News said that, in an examination of the photo’s metadata, it revealed that the photo was saved in Adobe Photoshop twice on an Apple Mac on Friday and Saturday, and that the photo was taken on a Canon camera.

The photo was released to quell speculation and reassure the public about Kate’s ongoing recovery following her abdominal surgery in January, but instead it’s opened up a host of other concerns. Perhaps the newly heightened fervor over this most recent controversy could be squashed by Kensington Palace releasing the original, undoctored image, but the Palace is reportedly refusing to do so. Speaking to PA, Britain’s national news agency, the Palace confirmed it “would not be reissuing the original unedited photograph of Kate and her children.” PA withdrew the photo after it asked Kensington Palace for clarification but “in the absence of that clarification, we are killing the image from our picture service,” it said. 

After their car ride together, William arrived at Westminster Abbey alongside Queen Camilla for the Commonwealth Day Service. Upon arrival, William was chatting with the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Edward and Sophie, and Princess Anne. Kate, as predicted, was not in attendance.

Kensington Palace has a slight PR crisis on its hands.

ICYMI, on Monday morning Princess Kate issued an apology for releasing an edited family photo for Mother's Day on Sunday, ostensibly in response to various news and photo agencies pulling the picture from their platforms, citing doctoring.

This, rather than quashing speculation, has only added fuel to the fire on social media—especially since it comes amid the Princess of Wales staying away from the public eye for the past several weeks as she recovers from abdominal surgery.

As the controversy grows, Marie Claire has spoken to various publicists and royal experts for their take on what the Palace got wrong in handling this particular story. Here's what they had to say.

The Palace's handling of the situation has eroded trust with the public

"Any brand, especially one as big as the Royal Family, relies on the trust of their consumers, or in this case the general public," says Sophie Attwood, PR expert and author of Beautiful PR: Finding Your Brand's Heartbeat For Authenticity In Communication.

"It’s important to remember, however, that consumers (or in this case the general public) are now more informed than ever before. They’re looking to engage with a person or brand that is authentic, that is trustworthy and reliable. And so a situation such as this one which sheds doubt on that will of course throw the brand, or in this case the Royal Family, into disrepute."

The edited photo makes all other updates of the princess seem unreliable

"The edited photo now calls into question the various updates the Palace has given so far on the princess," says Lisa Carr, associate consultant at Carr Consulting & Communications.

"People are now questioning the reliability and authenticity of everything they have heard so far. What hasn’t been made clear at all is why the photo was edited in the first place. Unfortunately, all this is doing is driving more wild speculation and conspiracy theories on Kate’s (and William’s) whereabouts."

"This is a PR disaster"

"In this social media age it just isn’t an option to keep a member of the Royal Family out of the public eye for a prolonged period of time without offering a believable reason, particularly someone as loved and as senior as The Princess of Wales," says Sophie Banks at Loudbird PR.

"This is a PR disaster and it’s extraordinary that it could have been allowed to happen. The best course of action now is to issue the original picture, with apologies. The other option is to invite a trusted royal photographer to Windsor to take some pictures and issue to the media along with a full statement about her recovery.

"Of course, if this is not possible for any reason then the conspiracy theories will continue to run riot."

Kate's apology has left the public with more questions than before

"I'm sure the intention was pure, to show that Kate is recovering well and is surrounded by the love and support from her family, but by omitting that the photograph had been edited leaves questions as to why it had been in the first place," says Laura Perkes, PR strategist, reputation manager and founder of PR With Perkes.

"I feel it's left the public, and the press, with more questions than answers.

"Her public apology ... was very vague and hasn't done anything to squash the rumor mill. If anything, it's accelerated it into overdrive."

The Palace's communication strategy is outdated in the age of social media

"The current procedures that Kensington Palace follows don't exist in the same world as viral tweets and TikTok stitches," says royal expert and journalist Christine Ross.

"While their previous statements and op notes would quiet down the mainstream media, they are vastly underestimating the conversations taking place on social media.

"Waiting until 10 a.m. the next day to release a statement from the Princess of Wales would have worked 10 years ago, but the news cycle has lived a hundred lifetimes since the issue with the photographs initially arose.

"This feels very much like a byproduct of the 24-hour news cycle and the never-ending nature of social media."

The Palace has failed to control the narrative

"It feels the communication team for the Princess of Wales has been reactive rather than proactive to try and combat the online narrative," says Matt Alexander, celebrity publicist at Repp Media.

"It is understood that you can’t predict every crisis that is on the horizon; however, it is crucial to try and control the narrative before it becomes a bigger story that you can’t control which, unfortunately, has happened in this case."

The edited photo has only encouraged more gossip

"If it was Kensington Palace's intention to shut down gossip by sharing a wholesome family photo featuring the princess, it has spectacularly backfired," says Hannah Williams, independent PR consultant.

"The inconsistencies in the image shared on Mother's Day have now sucked more people into the speculation business, with even the most level-headed, uninterested person now wondering what might be going on."

Williams adds, "Authenticity is the only way to counter gossip. There is no way that the deployment of smoke and mirrors could possibly help matters at this stage."

Whew.

Kensington Palace has shared the first public photo of Kate Middleton since she underwent abdominal surgery two months ago.

On Sunday, March 10, the Palace shared a photo of the Princess of Wales on its official Instagram account. In it, Princess Kate poses alongside her three children—Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5—while sitting in a chair outside the family’s home in Windsor.

"Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months," the Palace captioned the post, which was signed with a simple "C."

"Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day," it continued. "The Prince of Wales, 2024." (The United Kingdom celebrates Mother's Day on March 10.)

The Princess of Wales has been absent from the public eye ever since she underwent major abdominal surgery on Jan. 16, and days after she was spotted in the passenger seat of a black Audi SUV alongside her mom, Carole Middleton, who was driving the vehicle.

The Palace has declined to share any specific regarding Princess Kate's surgery, including what type of abdominal surgery she had and for what reason (though it did say the operation is not cancer-related).

“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” the palace said in a written statement announcing her health status, adding that Princess Kate will not resume any public duties until after Easter.

“She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.”

The secrecy surrounding Princess Kate's operation has led to a slew of online rumors and public speculation regarding her health and wellness, prompting Prince William to respond.

“His focus is on his work, and not on social media," a representative for the Princes of Wales told People.

“Everybody feels unsettled by uncertainty, and there is too much uncertainty that is surrounding the monarchy right now,” royal expert Sally Bedell Smith told People.

“Queen Elizabeth used to say, ‘I need to be seen to be believed.’ It is important for Charles and his reign for the public to know a little bit more," Smith continued. "The monarchy needs to be that anchor in times of trouble, and any sense of instability, which is inevitable when you have two of the key players out of action, is understandable.”

Amid countless rumors about the state of Kate Middleton's health, Kensington Palace has issued a rare update about the Duchess of Cambridge, who hasn't been seen in public since Christmas. While the palace has confirmed she's recovering from a January abdominal surgery, that hasn't stopped fans from speculating another health condition could be involved. Now, though, officials want to put an end to the rumors once and for all.

"We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant," a palace spokesperson told The Sun on Wednesday. The statement came after William dropped out of a thanksgiving service for his godfather, Greece's late King Constantine, on Tuesday. (At that time, a palace source told People Kate "continues to be doing well" in her recovery.)

The palace spokesperson's latest statement isn't wrong; the original statement did say Kate was "unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter." Still, Kate was photographed leaving the hospital in heels and a designer dress just hours after giving birth to Prince Louis in 2018, a fact that's led fans to speculate her current condition may be worse than the palace is letting on.

Of course, Kate isn't the only member of the British royal family who's dealing with health complications. Buckingham Palace confirmed earlier this month that King Charles has cancer. Amid ongoing medical treatment, the king has stepped back from public duties, per CNN.

Can you feel it in the air? Today, January 10, is the one-year anniversary of the release of Prince Harry’s bombshell memoir Spare, which broke records and, some would say, further distanced Harry from the rest of the royal family.

As the book’s title portends, a large chunk of the tell-all revolves around the “heir and spare” dynamic between Harry and his older brother, Prince William. (Just in case you’re somehow unfamiliar with said dynamic, it treats the two brothers not as equals but as William as the No. 1—the heir to the throne—and Harry as less important, the “spare” in case something should God forbid happen to William. It really is a toxic dynamic, but it seems the royal family has learned from its mistakes and is not raising Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis this way.)

Harry had a lot to say in Spare—416 pages’ worth, and he said that he has enough to write a second volume of the tome—but one of his complaints and grievances? That in Kensington Palace—where the boys lived with their mother, Princess Diana—William had a bigger bedroom. 

“My half of the room was far smaller, less luxurious,” Harry wrote in the book. “I never asked why. I didn’t care. But I also didn’t need to ask.”

Tension always seemed to be simmering between the brothers, and Harry noticed countless examples of preferential treatment towards William. When Harry joined William at Eton College—a prestigious all-boys boarding school that educates boys from ages 13 to 18—William wasn’t happy about him being there, Harry wrote: “For the last two years, he [William] explained, Eton had been his sanctuary,” Spare reads. “No kid brother tagging along, pestering him with questions, pushing up on his social circle. He was forging his own life, and he wasn’t willing to give it up.” At least at Eton they surely had the same size bedrooms? Just saying.

According to OK, perhaps not shockingly, William was hurt by Spare, the reverberations of which were just beginning to be felt 365 days ago as the world grabbed their respective copies. “Harry sold his family out to the media for millions of dollars, and William can’t forgive that breach of trust,” a friend said, per the outlet.

But William would only be hurt if there was (and who knows, maybe still is) love there. You’re not hurt by someone you don’t care about, and, despite brother-on-brother conflict (happens to the best of us), the two were also once close and did have good times together. “I think it’s exactly because the bond was so deep that the betrayal has been so wounding,” they said. “They were the only people who actually knew what each other had been through. How would you feel if your best friend decided to reveal all your personal secrets to the newspapers? Well, multiply that by a thousand.”

No spoilers here, but Cindy Crawford had a semi-cameo moment (watch and you’ll see) in part two of season six of Netflix’s The Crown—the final episodes of the series, which has been running since 2016. Crawford’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment prompted her to reminisce on a visit to Kensington Palace, where she met Princess Diana; she shared a photo of the moment on Instagram.

In a scene from the show, a young Prince William (who is played by Ed McVey) is inspecting posters of models on his wall, including a photo of Crawford; when he is asked by grandfather Prince Philip (played by Jonathan Pryce) about the women in the photos (all supermodels of the 1990s), William responded “Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, and Naomi Campbell.”

“A little cameo on @thecrownnetflix,” Crawford wrote. “I still vividly remember visiting Kensington Palace to meet Diana and a teenage William (who had just discovered the ‘Super Models’).”

Alongside her caption, Crawford shared the clip on her Instagram stories and a throwback image of herself and the late Princess of Wales. Beneath the post, Crawford included a white heart and dove emojis.

In 2017, Crawford described the unexpected nature of the meeting, calling it “a cute surprise” for William and brother Prince Harry, The Daily Express reports. “Remembering this inspiring woman today,” Crawford wrote. “This photo was taken at Kensington Palace.” Crawford shared the story of Diana obtaining the number to her office and personally calling to request her to visit. Crawford’s assistant was in shock at the time.

“We finally connected, and she asked if the next time I was in London, I would come by for tea—I think Prince William was just starting to notice models, and she thought it would be a cute surprise for him and Prince Harry,” Crawford explained.

Despite feeling nervous (and uncertain about what to wear), she remembered that as soon as Diana entered the room and they began talking, it felt like conversing with a girlfriend. She called Diana a “class act” before concluding the tribute by writing “Rest In Peace.”

During a 2020 conversation with Campbell on the “No Filter With Naomi” YouTube series, Crawford confessed she felt “so intimidated” when she initially met Diana: “I was so intimidated meeting Princess Diana and being at Kensington Palace and how just completely down to earth she was, because there’s so much protocol and I guess, not being English, I don’t understand some of it,” Crawford said. “I feel like she was in jeans and a cashmere sweater. Not barefoot, but almost that vibe of being super laid back.”

Just before the death of Queen Elizabeth last September, the then-Cambridge family of five—Prince William, Duchess Kate (as she was then), Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—moved from their home in London at Kensington Palace to the four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, which was seen by all accounts as a step in the right direction. Adelaide Cottage is not only close to Lambrook, where all three kids attend school, but it also allows the kids to have as “normal” of a life as possible when your father will one day be king, and you are arguably three of the most famous kids in the world.

It was common knowledge that the move was good decision for the kids, but, as Omid Scobie writes in his new book Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival, it apparently was good for Kate in particular, as she felt like a “caged animal” before the family left KP. The family lacked privacy, she apparently said, because Kensington Palace is nearby a busy part of London popular in particular with tourists.

“Kensington Palace served them well, but the parents to the second, third, and fourth in line to the throne felt it was time to find something less in the middle of everybody else’s business,” Scobie writes in the book. “At times, one of the couple’s senior aides told me in 2016, Kate commented that it made them feel ‘a bit like caged animals,’ due to its heaving central London location and the fact that it was surrounded by tourists in one of the city’s busiest parks.”

Then, a breath of fresh air: “In the summer of 2022, the family of five left behind Kensington Palace and moved 24 miles outside the capital to Windsor,” Scobie continues. “Adelaide Cottage, a ‘modest’ (only by royal standards) four-bedroom property, is giving the family the opportunity to live a more ‘normal’ life, their team has said.”

Scobie writes that Adelaide Cottage isn’t the family’s forever residence. “Adelaide isn’t a permanent home (the couple have their eyes on Prince Andrew’s Royal Lodge residence in Windsor—if he ever gives it up), but Windsor’s quiet, rural environment is exactly what they were looking for,” Endgame reads. (Despite being asked to vacate the 30-bedroom Royal Lodge earlier this year by King Charles, heretofore that hasn’t happened.)

In addition to William, Kate, and the kids, Princess Diana famously called KP home for many years.

Rumors are abounding that Prince Harry wants a permanent home in the U.K. again, following his and Meghan Markle’s eviction from Frogmore Cottage earlier this year. (Frogmore was a 2018 wedding present from Queen Elizabeth; Harry and Meghan used the property as their U.K. home base even after stepping back as working members of the royal family and relocating to the U.S. in early 2020, up until this summer.) Some say that Harry and Meghan wish to purchase their own property—and not live once again in a home owned by the Crown—and some say that they want to rent an apartment at Kensington Palace, the former home of Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, and also the former home of the Prince and Princess of Wales, who still use KP as their London home. (William, Kate, and their three children relocated to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor shortly before the late Queen died in September 2022. And by the way, don’t let the word “apartment” fool you—an apartment at KP is larger than almost any home you’ve ever seen.)

It would be a return to living on the grounds of KP, as in the early days of their relationship up until their marriage, Harry (and later Meghan) lived at Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace. The Daily Express reports that Harry has expressed interest in renting an apartment there, but there’s a glitch: Prince William stays there on a regular basis, said The Sun’s Matt Wilkinson.

Wilkinson, appearing on TalkTV with host Kevin O’Sullivan, said that the apartment would primarily be used for Harry to have a “place to lay his head when he’s over” visiting the U.K., as he does sometimes, albeit infrequently. Wilkinson said it’s more for Harry than the family as a whole, adding “I cannot see in a million years Meghan spending much time over here again.” (This holds up—other than flying through Heathrow, Meghan hasn’t returned to the U.K. since Her late Majesty’s funeral 13 months ago, although Harry has been back numerous times.)

“I believe the situation is Harry is homeless in the U.K.,” Wilkinson said. “The King’s taken his property away. Their life is in California.”

Wilkinson said that King Charles did extend an invitation to his younger son, but that Harry declined. “He has to apply, okay,” he said. “It’s a really bizarre situation. His father is the king, they have all of these properties, have all these empty castles; he has to apply 30 days in advance to ask if he can stay in a royal property. Last time, the King said, ‘You can come join me in Balmoral,’ but he [Harry] couldn’t do it because of travel arrangements and he ended up in a hotel.”

Even so, that was a one-off situation, and what is being discussed is more long term, especially since Harry reportedly wants his kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to be familiar with their British roots. “He’s obsessed with security,” Wilkinson said. “He has all these court cases running about security. So, I believe it to be true, that he would like to rent somewhere in Kensington Palace or maybe St. James’s Palace, because there’s actually rooms there. The problem with Kensington Palace is William is often there. He fell out with his brother when they lived next door to each other in Kensington Palace, but William’s staff are there, William and Kate and the kids often pop around there, so it’s going to be difficult. If he did have permission to rent a place, it would likely be on the condition that they would have to keep the brothers apart. William spends a lot of time at Windsor.”

Wilkinson is in favor of it: “It’s just gotten to that ridiculous situation,” he said. “You’ve made the guy homeless [by evicting the Sussexes from Frogmore], he wants to come over…he doesn’t have any big events…his life is in California…he may pop back for a couple charity events, like he did earlier this year, but he just needs somewhere to lay his head, somewhere safe, where he feels safe, that security guards can look after him.”

If KP doesn’t work out, Wilkinson offered up another solution. “It’s not going to be a family reunion with the royals welcoming him with open arms,” he said. “He’s a grownup with lots of money. Why doesn’t he just go and buy his own house?”

The U.K. property is but the latest rumor in the Sussex property musical chairs—for a while, buzz indicated that the family was moving to Malibu; OK reports that Harry is considering buying property in New York to be closer to England and reduce travel time to get there, but that Meghan “could not imagine leaving” California, where she was raised. (“She loves the Hollywood scene and that’s where she wants to be,” royal author Tina Brown told Sky News Australia.) “Harry was all gung-ho for the Malibu move a few months ago,” a source said. “Yes, it was Meghan’s idea, but he was excited about it. It feels odd that now he wants out of that Californian life and is suggesting they buy a place in New York instead.” They added that this alleged idea “makes zero logical sense.”

That said, as with basically anything in the royal stratosphere, everything about where the Sussexes want to live has to be taken with a massive grain of salt. “You know, anybody who believes all of this pap has no clue at all,” said frequent royal commentor Lady Colin Campbell, speaking on GB News. “A few weeks ago, it was Malibu, a few months ago they were moving to Montecito [editor’s note: don’t they already live there?], then it was New York. They keep on changing where it’s going to be.” 

Do they keep changing it, or does the media? People reports that the family of four seem perfectly content where they are: “Meghan is the best mom, and Harry is always on the floor playing with the kids,” a source said of life in Montecito. “They are still such a team.”

Are Meghan Markle and Prince Harry turning over a new leaf? It looks like it since the royal couple is reportedly renting a new home in Kensington Palace to spend more time with their relatives.

After moving to the U.S. in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's primary residence has been in California. They no longer have a home in the U.K., so renting out a place in the palace makes sense for them.

A source told OK! magazine that staying at the property and furnishing it themselves, will prove to Prince William and Princess Kate that they're serious about coming back. Royal expert Duncan Larcombe explained to Bella magazine that this is Harry and Meghan's biggest gesture yet when it comes to rebuilding their relationship with the rest of the royal family.

"After losing Frogmore, they need a base in the UK, and it's likely this will be an occasional home and somewhere for them to stay when they're here rather than anything permanent," Larcombe continued. "But this is a clear sign that they are trying to make amends with the rest of the family."

Larcombe added, "In the months since Harry's book Spare, which was published in January, we have seen a softening in Harry and Meghan's attitudes towards the rest of the royals - if nothing else, in keeping their mouths shut. We've had six months of them not saying anything about the royals to fuel the beast, and time heals. That's a healthy sign because they've got a long way to go to be back in the heart of the family with all the bridges they've burnt."

She’s protective of the look, okay? Blake Lively was so adamant that her 2022 Met Gala gown—currently on display as part of the “Crown to Couture” exhibit at Kensington Palace—look perfect that she jumped over the ropes to fix the display of it, People reports. (This is the kind of commitment to fashion we like to see.)

Lively shared an Instagram story yesterday of the moment, in which she quickly altered the display of her dress by fluffing up its body. “When you’re the clown who hops over the rope at the museum to fix the exhibit,” Lively captioned her video. “Happy almost Virgo season folx.”

Lively crouched down to turn the inside of the dress to face outwards on its center part with some assistance from jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz. Lively did so “so that you see what the transformation was,” she wrote.

Lively’s gown appears alongside 200 other pieces at the exhibit, including Lizzo’s 2022 Met Gala look by Thom Brown, Kendall Jenner’s Hepburn-inspired Givenchy gown for the 2021 Met, Lady Gaga’s 2020 MTV Awards dress by Christopher John Rogers, and Beyoncé’s outfit for the 2017 Grammys. “The exhibition also features a number of historic gowns as it tells the story of how rock and red carpet fashion has been influenced by the royals of the Georgian era in the 18th century,” People reports.

The Versace gown first appeared “as a copper number with an oversized bow and beaded embellishments, but later transformed into a blue-green skirt with a long, flowing train,” Us Weekly reports. 

Alongside her gown, Lively also took time to admire the crown Schwartz created for her to wear with the dress: “This was absolutely surreal,” Lively captioned a follow-up post of her smiling beside a display cabinet. “Seeing this crown that we made in Kensington Palace. I still feel like a kid playing dress up every time I get to wear a gown and borrowed jewels out. To see it memorialized like this…just. Wow. Something I’ll never forget.”

The exhibit runs at Kensington Palace—the former home of Princess Diana—until October.

A four-bedroom home is nothing to slouch at and, to many, would seem like the peak of homebuying success. But not all of us are the Prince and Princess of Wales—and when Prince William, his wife Princess Kate, and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis moved from Kensington Palace to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor late last summer, many looked at it as a downgrade, reports The Daily Express. And William—who turns 41 today and grew up in literal palaces—has embraced it.

“Adelaide Cottage is a charming home on the grounds of Windsor Castle and will no doubt provide a lovely base for the family,” said interior design specialist Sophie Smith. “While it may seem small after living in Kensington Palace, the home is still a good size and surrounded by parkland and greenery, so the children will all have immediate access to nature, which is great for overall wellbeing.”

One of the main reasons the family of five moved was so their three kids could have plenty of outdoor space to play—which they would not have had at KP.

“Regardless of whether this is a temporary or permanent move, it could be easy to make the transition from London by trying to replicate some of the grandeur of the larger palaces,” Smith said. “Having been used by several royals over the years, Adelaide Cottage has featured some quite opulent décor—including gilded dolphins on a ceiling! But I always think it is best to be sympathetic to the style of the building. This cottage was built in 1831 and has often been described as a relaxing retreat. By adding contemporary touches and using calming, earthy colors throughout, the family will be able to honor the heritage of the building while making it a comfortable and practical family home, one that feels like a retreat from busy royal duties and gives years of pleasure.”

Kate Duckworth, a trends and interior export, told The Daily Express “Yes, the four-bedroomed residence, Adelaide Cottage, may seem like a downgrade from the 20-room Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace. Nevertheless, the cottage will allow for greater privacy and independence compared to life in central London, whilst also remaining merely 25 miles away from the English capital. How the children will feel about the move is difficult to determine, however, the move to the smaller abode will allow for the family to have a ‘normal’ family life away from the tourism brought by Kensington Palace. It is also likely the children will enjoy the opportunity to play on the grounds without the watching eye of the public, which is something they were unable to do at Kensington Palace, whilst also being near to the vast grounds of Windsor Castle.”

In addition to Adelaide Cottage, the Walses have kept Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace and also have a country home, Anmer Hall, at Norfolk on the Sandringham Estate.

“We can assume that they do still intend on staying at their other homes when work or life needs them to,” Duckworth said. “Perhaps they will experience the ‘normal’ private life they anticipate from Adelaide Cottage and then decide they prefer the busy city or larger residences.” (Nine months in and no signs of that yet, seemingly.)

William was raised between Kensington Palace (where his mother Princess Diana lived), Clarence House (home of his father, King Charles), and Highgrove House, his father’s country home.

“The Prince of Wales has lived the majority of his life in the public eye, taking residence at various homes that were widely attended by the public and heavily staffed,” Duckworth said. “It is likely that William will appreciate the chance to live closely with his family, with more privacy from onlookers than he would’ve had at Kensington Palace. Adelaide Cottage remains a grand home, despite its smaller size—the master bedroom once boasted a decorative ceiling of gilded dolphins. The prince has lived at Kensington Palace since he was a young boy, moving now and again but always finding himself back in its residence, therefore it is possible that he will once again embrace the move from this central destination within the capital.”

One can imagine the late Princess Diana would be pleased with this: Though the royal family didn’t attend Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter Princess Lilibet’s christening this month, Harry did have family in attendance in the form of his mother’s two sisters, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale. The Mirror reports the two were among between 20 to 30 guests at the small ceremony at the Sussex home in Montecito on March 3.

The outlet reports “both Harry and William have remained close with their aunts and uncle on their mother’s side” since Diana’s death in a 1997 car accident. Diana was the third of four siblings—two older sisters and a younger brother, Earl Charles Spencer. Lady Jane gave an emotional reading from Song of Solomon at Harry’s wedding to Meghan in May 2018, and, as Marie Claire reported yesterday, many details from Lilibet’s christening mirrored those of Harry and Meghan’s wedding day nearly five years ago.

Though largely under the radar, Lady Jane and Lady Sarah are often at major events where, had she lived, Diana would have attended, representing their sister and the Spencer side of the family. (Lady Jane and Lady Sarah were also present at the July 6, 2019 christening of Lilibet’s older brother, Prince Archie, held in the U.K. at Windsor Castle.) The last time Harry was pictured alongside his two aunts was in 2021, when he and older brother Prince William unveiled a statue of Diana at Kensington Palace, her longtime home. William and Harry were both seen at the ceremony greeting their aunts with a kiss, The Mirror reports (and is captured in the sweet moment pictured above).

Even though the royal family didn’t make the trip from the U.K.—whether it was because of logistical reasons or because of ongoing familial rifts, or a mixture of the two—it’s good to know Harry’s family was represented. For her part, Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, was in attendance, though it’s not known if any other members of her family were present.

Earlier this month, Marie Claire reported that 32 of Princess Diana’s personal letters written during her divorce from the then-Prince Charles were being auctioned for charity. Now the letters—written to married couple Susie and Tarek Kassem and sold by Lay’s Auctioneers—have sold, netting $170,000, all of which is set to go to causes close to the late Princess of Wales’ heart.

Lay’s Auctioneers announced the sale of the collection two days ago; the letters, according to People, were sold in individual lots through the sale, called “Diana, the Private Correspondence of a Princess.” The notes were written on Kensington Palace stationary with Diana’s royal cypher and were written to the Kassems between 1994 and 1997—ultimately the last three years of her life. Lay’s Auctioneers described the letters’ contents as “astonishing” and “confidential” (well, until now, apparently).

“Susie and Tarek Kassem, as very close friends of Diana, Princess of Wales, have treasured these letters for over 25 years,” the auction house said in a statement. “They reflect the special and loving relationship they had with the most unique women [sic] that they had ever known. Now, in 2023, the ownership of these poignant documents is a responsibility that the Kassems do not wish to pass on to their children or grandchildren. They have decided to sell the letters and use proceeds of the sale to support some of the charities that were close to Susie and Diana’s hearts.”

The beneficiaries of the $170,000 were not named. The U.K. auction house also added that the Kassems were keeping some of the “more personal and confidential letters” from Diana.

The collection gives a glimpse into how Diana felt as her divorce from Charles unfolded. (The Prince and Princess of Wales separated in 1992 and ultimately finalized their divorce on August 28, 1996—368 days before her death in a Paris car accident on August 31, 1997.)

The contents of Lot 418—which sold for $27,643—include Diana thanking Susie for sending her flowers, which she called “a lovely start to the week.” Diana also raised her suspicions that her Kensington Palace phone was bugged.

“As I don’t have a mobile [phone] it is difficult to discuss personal items,” Diana wrote. “As my lines here are constantly recorded and passed on.” That letter, dated May 20, 1996, also included remarks from Diana adding “If I had known a year ago what I’d experience going through this divorce, I’d never have consented. It’s desperate and ugly.”

Seven months later, in a letter dated December 17, 1996, Diana thanked Susie again for sending her flowers, a gesture especially appreciated “not being a lover of Christmas.” Diana, heartbreakingly, added “I hope 1997 will be an easier year for us all.” At that writing, she had no way of knowing that she had just a little more than eight months left to live.

2022 was a year of ups and downs and highs and lows for the Princess of Wales—she turned 40 in January; went on tours to the Caribbean and the U.S. in March and December, respectively; took part in Her late Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June; relocated her family from Kensington Palace in London to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor in September; and, that same month, said goodbye to the late Queen, who died September 8 at age 96. The next day, Kate became Princess of Wales, the first to publicly go by that title since her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, did 25 years ago.

So what does 2023 have in store for Kate? According to astrologer Debbie Frank—a close friend and confidante of Diana—Kate will be a rock for her husband, Prince William (nothing new there).

“The Princess of Wales is born under William’s opposite sign—the sure and steady Capricorn that anchors her more emotionally reactive husband,” Frank tells Hello. “No stranger to having the Sussexes land major news on or around her birthday, Kate will keep calm and carry on.”  

This is true—in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their decision to step back as working members of the royal family the day before her birthday on January 9; this year, Harry’s memoir, Spare, hits shelves the day after her birthday.

“This year will see her step up in new ways that endear her to the public, increasing her relatability and getting involved with issues that show she’s clearly in touch with what’s going on in the world and people’s lives,” Frank says.

Especially from summer 2023 onwards, Kate will have the opportunity to showcase her strengths, Frank says.

“June is her mega-month to rise and shine,” she says. “Like William, the autumn is a strong period for Kate to make her mark, and she too is busy delivering on a clear set of goals. For Kate, 2023 gives her a real opportunity to establish her identity as Princess of Wales.”

Life brings with it seasons of consistency and seasons of change, and, for the new Princess of Wales, the past two months have brought about an enormous season of change, one that has left her stressed and anxious, a royal expert says.

Fresh off of a presumably relaxing holiday at Balmoral at the end of the summer, Kate Middleton moved her family from Kensington Palace in London to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor just days before the devastating loss of Queen Elizabeth, who died September 8 at Balmoral at the age of 96. Coincidentally, Her late Majesty’s death happened the same day that Kate’s three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis all started at their new school, Lambrook. The next day, Kate was named the new Princess of Wales alongside her husband, Prince William, who inherited the Prince of Wales title from his father. Kate is the first to be referred to publicly as the Princess of Wales since the death of her mother-in-law, Princess Diana, in 1997; though technically through her marriage to the then Prince Charles Camilla was the Princess of Wales, because of the title’s close association with Diana, she never went by that title publicly, instead opting to use the Duchess of Cornwall title for her public duties.

And, while the rest of the world has, for the most part, resumed life as normal post-mourning period for Her late Majesty, there’s no doubt that grief still permeates inside Adelaide Cottage, where William mourns a beloved grandmother, her three children grieve a cherished great-grandmother, and Kate herself misses a woman who was a bedrock in her own life for two decades. All that’s happening at home, plus increased pressure in her royal role, has Kate enduring a “very difficult time” with a “fair bit of stress and anxiety,” Katie Nicholl says—who can blame her?

The move to Windsor has not been what William and Kate hoped for, Nicholl says, speaking on TalkTV’s Royal Tea show, per The Mirror.

“They’ve said that themselves…that this hasn’t been the settling period that they had hoped for,” Nicholl says. “Of course, they made that big move just after the summer holidays to move to Windsor. A significant and pretty bold move leaving Kensington Palace, enrolling the children in new schools, setting up a new life for themselves in Windsor, I think really so that they could be below the radar and have this normal family life which they are pretty successful in having. Of course, no one could have expected that the Queen would have died just at the start of all that. Very, very difficult times. I think behind the scenes there is a fair bit of stress and anxiety for all of the family.”

After being very out front for the month following Her late Majesty’s death as both have embraced their new job titles, William and Kate have been largely under the radar the past week, neither undertaking any public engagements as they mark their children’s fall break from school. George, Charlotte, and Louis will return to Lambrook tomorrow, October 31, to finish the semester.

Last year, the fivesome marked their kids’ fall break from school by traveling to Jordan, where they took photos that were ultimately used in the family Christmas card later in the year. Here’s hoping that this fall break provided some much-needed rest and relaxation for Kate—and the rest of the family, too.

Prince William, Princess Kate and their little family are going through a rocky period.

The royal couple and their children Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4, only recently moved from their Kensington Palace apartment into Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, with the little ones now enrolled in the nearby Lambrook School.

But just a couple of days after the children started at Lambrook, their great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II sadly passed away.

Now, the newly named Waleses are having to adapt to a whole new life without Elizabeth as their neighbor, as she was supposed to be, and it's proving difficult, according to royal expert Katie Nicholl.

Speaking to Nicholl on TalkTV's Royal Tea, host Sarah Hewson said, "Katie, you said this week she has been under pressure, she has been stressed of late and that William and Kate have not had the settling-in period they might have been hoping for of their new life" (via OK!).

"Absolutely," Nicholl answered. "They've said that themselves... that this hasn't been the settling period that they had hoped for.

"Of course, they made that big move just after the summer holidays to move to Windsor. A significant and pretty bold move leaving Kensington Palace, enrolling the children in new schools, setting up a new life for themselves in Windsor.

"Of course, no one could have expected that the Queen would have died just at the start of all of that. Very, very difficult times. I think behind the scenes there is a fair bit of stress and anxiety for all of the family."

Here's hoping things settle down for the family soon!

Kate Middleton is the new Princess of Wales, a future queen, and a current matriarch to a royal family in the midst of a sea change. With the death of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth last month, Kate is stepping into the role of the family’s matriarch, “not in the sense of an older woman in a twin set and pearls, but she guides the family and advises [Prince William] when he wants it,” Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, William’s former private secretary, tells People.

The past month has seen Kate move her family from Kensington Palace in London to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, oversee her three children’s first week of school at Lambrook, and grieve the loss of the backbone of the family, the late Queen, who the family mourned from her death on September 8 until the end of the royal mourning period on September 26. (Obviously, the royal mourning period may have ended, but the grief over the tremendous loss likely never will.) She has also started a new job, essentially, as Princess of Wales, in the midst of everything else going on. She is also, as ever, steadfastly supporting her husband in his new role as Prince of Wales, which includes managing the $1.3 billion Duchy of Cornwall and helping plan his father’s coronation, set for May 6, 2023 at Westminster Abbey.

A source close to the family tells People that it has been a stressful time, especially for Kate, who is the first Princess of Wales since William’s mother, Princess Diana, held the title. (Technically, Camilla, Queen Consort was Princess of Wales from her marriage to King Charles III in 2005 onward but did not publicly go by the title because of its close association with Diana. She instead was referred to as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.)

“King Charles III bestowed the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales to Prince William and his wife the day after the Queen’s death, and Kate’s popularity has only soared,” the outlet writes. “However, the newly minted princess now faces inevitable comparisons with Diana, the best-loved royal in modern history. Like the woman whose iconic sapphire engagement ring she wears every day, the new Princess of Wales has undertaken ambitious projects throughout the United Kingdom on child development, mental health, and family well-being.”

As for her late mother-in-law’s legacy, palace sources say Kate “appreciates the history associated with this role but will understandably want to look to the future as she creates her own path.”

“She will do so with humility and by acknowledging the past, but in her own way,” Lowther-Pinkerton adds.

Eventually, the five-member Wales family—William, Kate, and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—will move from the four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage into Windsor Castle. But “for now, cottage life is much like it is at their country retreat Anmer Hall in Norfolk, where the kids and their friends are in and out of the swimming pool. George will flop onto the sofa beside his father, while Charlotte makes a beeline for familiar guests,” People reports.

As one close family friend puts it, theirs is a life of a “modern royal family doing normal things,” even in the midst of a rather abnormal reality.

Prince William and Princess Kate are... not short on property right about now.

Before receiving their Prince and Princess of Wales titles, they had already claimed an apartment in Kensington Palace as their own, as well as a country home at Anmer Hall in Norfolk, plus a "secret" third home in Scotland, reportedly.

Then, just a few days before the Queen's sad passing, they moved into Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, which is a "modest" four-bedroom home—at least by the Royal Family's standards.

But soon after Prince Charles became King Charles III, there was talk of the new Wales family moving into Windsor Castle—which the monarch apparently thinks is more suited to their newly elevated status—though William and Kate are said to want to delay such a move to avoid adding even more upheaval to their children's lives.

Now, though, it appears they might have another option should they want it: Charles is reportedly thinking about giving his eldest son and his family the stunning Frogmore House on the Windsor Estate, according to The Sun. (FYI, this is not the Sussexes' Frogmore Cottage, though it was the setting for Harry and Meghan's wedding reception.

It's difficult to imagine that the Waleses would move anytime soon, but it's very possible they would prefer the stunning Frogmore House to Windsor Castle proper should that decision need to be made.

"Nothing is set in stone," however, a source told the Daily Mail (via The Sun).

"These are decisions the prince does not have to make yet."

Well, good luck to him, then!

The new Prince and Princess of Wales have inherited a so-called “secret” home tucked away in rural Wales after the Queen’s death last month—(try spelling this without double and triple checking) Llwynywermod Estate on the outskirts of Myddfai, where King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort have enjoyed spending time together in the past.

The tranquil farmhouse, according to The Mirror, is situated in a corner of Carmarthenshire, a sprawling, ancient property bought by Charles 15 years ago. Charles—who was Prince of Wales for over 50 years—would stay at Llwynywermod Estate as he undertook duties in Wales.

Now that William is Prince of Wales—effective as of September 9, the day after Her late Majesty passed away peacefully at Balmoral at age 96—it’s his now. As the eldest surviving son of the ruling monarch, William now owns the Duchy of Cornwall, a private estate established in 1337 by Edward III to provide independence to his son and heir, Prince Edward. Kensington Palace has confirmed that everything that forms part of the Duchy Estate belongs to the Duchy of Cornwall, including Llwynywermod Estate, bought by the Duchy of Cornwall in 2007 for a reported cost of 1.2 million pounds.

The estate is made up of three cottages, a barn, and a main house, surrounded by 192 acres of Welsh countryside. Charles spent up to 40 years searching for the perfect country retreat before settling on Llwynywermod, The Mirror reports. He often took breaks there, and parts of the estate can actually be booked by the public.

Locals say Charles would attend church services on Sunday mornings with minimal fanfare, donated prizes for local raffles, and even officially opened the new village hall.

Now the estate belongs to William and Kate, who have a deep and meaningful history in Wales themselves. The couple lived for three years in Anglesey in north Wales when William was stationed in the area as a Royal Air Force search and rescue helicopter pilot between 2010 and 2013—important years for William and Kate, as that is when they got engaged in 2010, got married in 2011, and welcomed their first child, Prince George, in 2013.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are royal children, but they're children first and foremost—and their parents Prince William and Princess Kate want to make sure they get as normal a childhood as they possibly can.

To that end, the Wales couple start with keeping the atmosphere at home inviting and not austere, apparently.

"When William and Kate’s children were young, and the family were dividing their time between Anmer Hall in Norfolk and Kensington Palace, William told his staff that he did not want them wearing suits when they were in the office," writes Valentine Low in his new book Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown (via Express).

A household staff member told Low, "He wants it to be casual. The kids run around the office, and he does not want it to be stuffy."

They added, "If we have important meetings, or are going to Buckingham Palace, then of course we [wear suits]."

Low writes that for the Prince of Wales (then Duke of Cambridge), "What they wore did not matter."

He told staff, "This is where my family lives," with the implication that people don't typically wear suits in family homes.

William and Kate have taken a leaf out of Princess Diana's book when it comes to raising their children: The late princess similarly tried to keep things casual and "normal" when Princes William and Harry were small.

For example, she let her boys have popular takeout staples on Saturday nights, when they got to eat pizza, hamburgers or fried chicken, former royal chef Darren McGrady previously recalled.

Now, the Wales children also sometimes get treated to a delicious burger and fries, which I'm sure they thoroughly enjoy.

In a scene eerily reminiscent of one taking place nearly 25 years to the day prior, Prince William, Prince Harry, and now, King Charles III walked in a procession behind a coffin through the streets of London as mourners gathered around them.

The date this time? Wednesday, September 14, 2022, six days after the Queen’s death at 96. It seems simultaneously like a moment ago and a lifetime ago when that trio—plus Prince Philip, who died in 2021, and Charles Spencer, younger brother of Princess Diana—walked behind Diana’s coffin on September 6, 1997.

The coffin procession this week from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall reminded William of that awful walk for his mother a quarter-century ago, which he said in a 2017 BBC documentary “was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, that walk. It felt like she [Diana] was almost walking along beside us to get us through it.” That procession took the group of five from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey. Just as the Queen’s was, Diana’s coffin was draped in the Royal Standard and crowned in white flowers, PEOPLE reports.

In 1997, William was just 15; he’s now 40 and a married father of three. While speaking to mourners for about 45 minutes at Sandringham House on Thursday, one attendee says William spoke of “how difficult it was yesterday, and how it reminded him of his mum’s funeral,” says mourner Jane Wells, per The Telegraph. “Catherine said it’s just been such a difficult time for all of them, for the whole family.”

At that same walkabout in Sandringham, a mourner told William she was near tears.

“Don’t cry now,” the future king told her, according to The Telegraph. “You’ll start me.”

Mourner Sharon Clouting says of her encounter with the newly minted Prince of Wales “you can tell William is his mother’s son. He was chatting so easily and very sincere.”

Bex Neeve says “William said he thinks Monday will be hard,” referring to the Queen’s funeral that day. “Kate said it’s been overwhelming, and she and William are very grateful for everyone being here. She was emotional. They seemed like they were here to soak up all the love.”

William will take part in more processions Monday, three to be exact: as the Queen's coffin moves from Westminster Hall into Westminster Abbey; a one-and-a-half-mile procession across London to the Wellington Arch; and, finally, to Windsor Castle, where Her Majesty will be laid to rest at St. George’s Chapel.

Goodbye Kensington Palace, hello Adelaide Cottage. According to The Independent, it is believed that the Cambridges—Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—are now officially residents of Windsor, moving into their new-to-them four-bedroom home this week.

“This is very much a decision that two parents have made to give their children the ‘most normal’ start possible,” a royal source tells The Independent. “KP can be a little bit of a fishbowl. They wanted to be able to give George, Charlotte, and Louis a bit more freedom than they have living in central London. It’s very much a decision that’s been led by the kids.”

Though very much a kid-centered decision, according to Hello!, the move could have a surprising health benefit for Kate, as well. The Duchess of Cambridge has revealed more than once that she has a lifelong horse allergy—which likely proves difficult, as the royal family is known for its love of horseback riding and polo. At a polo match in 2009, Australian author Kathy Lette asked Kate why she didn’t play polo herself. Kate’s response? “I’m allergic to horses.” Two years later, Clarisa Ru, wife of Santa Barbara Polo Club president Wesley Ru, told PEOPLE that Kate was attempting to overcome her allergy through exposure.

“I got a chance to have a conversation with Kate,” Ru says. “I asked if she was into polo before she met William. She said no. But she’s been riding horses for a while, and she hopes to play polo one day. She said, ‘I’m actually allergic to them, but the more time one spends with them, the less allergic you become.’”

Now, at Windsor, polo will be a big part of the family’s life going forward, with polo grounds on their doorstep, Hello! reports. As a result, Kate’s exposure to horses will become even easier with polo grounds so close by.

Apparently exposing yourself to the allergens from horses works in the same way as immunotherapy, which the NHS describes as “being given occasional small doses of the allergen” with the aim “to help your body get used to the allergen so it does not react to it so severely.” Exposure and immunotherapy doesn’t mean that Kate will overcome her allergy entirely—“this will not necessarily cure your allergy,” according to the NHS, “but it’ll make it milder and mean you can take less medicine”—and Kate will have to regularly expose herself to horses over the course of several years.

With Adelaide Cottage looking to be the Cambridges’ home for the long-term, foreseeable future, maybe a side benefit of the move is Kate will finally get to play polo alongside husband William and, perhaps, her kids one day.

After months of speculation, it’s official: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis will all become day pupils at Lambrook School in Berkshire next month—the first time all three Cambridge kids have ever gone to the same school. (George and Charlotte have attended school together for years at Thomas’s Battersea; at four years old, this is Louis’ first time to join his older siblings in an academic environment.)

Their parents, Prince William and Kate Middleton, announced today their official choice of schools, ahead of their upcoming relocation from Kensington Palace in London to Adelaide Cottage at Windsor, where they will live in close proximity to the Queen, who made her permanent residence Windsor Castle. (The Cambridges will also be closer to Kate’s family, the Middletons, who live about 40 minutes away in Bucklebury.)

“Their Royal Highnesses are hugely grateful to Thomas’s Battersea, where George and Charlotte have had a happy start to their education since 2017 and 2019, respectively, and are pleased to have found a school for all three of their children which shares a similar ethos and values,” the couple announced via a release from their office at Kensington Palace.

Although Lambrook does offer boarding options, George, Charlotte, and Louis will be what is called “day pupils,” where they attend during the day then come home for evenings. (Historically, boarding is the more common option for royals—both Prince Philip and Prince Charles boarded at Cheam School from the age of eight, and later, perhaps infamously, at Gordonstoun in Scotland, according to PEOPLE. William and younger brother Prince Harry began boarding at Ludgrove School around George’s age—nine.)

“We are delighted that Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis will be joining us this coming September and very much look forward to welcoming the family, as we all as all of our new pupils, to our school community,” said Jonathan Perry, headmaster at Lambrook.

George had been at Thomas’s Battersea since 2017, with Charlotte following behind in 2019. Louis had been attending Willcocks Nursery School, as Charlotte once did.

The choice of Lambrook comes after William and Kate toured several schools in the area ahead of their move. PEOPLE reports that George will likely remain at Lambrook until he leaves for a senior school, like Eton College, where William attended until he was 18.

And Lambrook has plenty of amenities the Cambridge kids might enjoy—according to PEOPLE, the countryside school offers everything from a scuba diving club to an indoor pool to classes in filmmaking and animation to beekeeping, a nine-hole golf course, and polo. The school is coeducational, allowing all three kids to attend, and is set on 52 acres just outside of Windsor. It has approximately 560 pupils and is known as one of the top prep schools in the U.K.

“They are such an outdoorsy family,” a source who knows the Cambridges told PEOPLE of the move. “London just wasn’t working for them anymore. The countryside is definitely their happy place.”

Members of the Royal Family likely don't get to spend that much personal quality time with one another—at least not spontaneously.

That's probably why their annual reunion at Balmoral Castle in Scotland in the summer is such a cherished tradition.

This year, the Queen has been in residence at Balmoral since late July, and has since been joined by various family members, including Prince Charles, Prince Edward and Lady Louise Windsor.

Soon, Prince William, Kate Middleton and their children George, Charlotte and Louis will also join the fold, as reported by the Telegraph.

Writing for the publication, royal correspondent Victoria Ward wrote, "In the coming weeks, they will travel to Scotland for their annual summer break with the Queen at Balmoral before returning to settle into Adelaide Cottage ahead of the new school term."

The Cambridges have spent the rest of their summer break on the Isles of Scilly in Cornwall, and at their current countryside retreat at Anmer Hall in Norfolk.

When the summer vacation ends, they will be moving their little family to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, a more modest four-bedroom home than their current base at Kensington Palace. There, they will have no live-in staff, and the children will start at a new local school together.

While Balmoral could have made the perfect backdrop for a reconciliation between Princes William and Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reportedly not planning on joining the Royal Family there. It's unclear whether or not they were originally invited.

Instead, the Sussexes have announced a low-key mini European tour in September, when they will attend a series of charity events close to their hearts both in the U.K. and in Germany. At this time, signs point to them not hanging out with the Cambridges during that visit, but—as ever—only time will tell.