The first photos of theroyal couple’s new homeshow some of the renovations, including a fresh new white exterior, modern windows and a darker roof.
After more than six months of work, Frogmore Cottage — some 25 miles west of London — has been meticulously renovated from a staff residence once set up as multiple apartments into a single-family home of about five bedrooms.
Complete with a new green-energy center, springy “floating floor” (perfect for yoga) and nontoxic paint, the cottage marries English and California style.
Frogmore Cottage.Shutterstock
The couple recently moved out of their cozy two-bedroom Nottingham Cottage in Kensington Palace — just days before the arrival of their first child — and into their new country home.
Veteran royals biographer Ingrid Seward previously told PEOPLE that Frogmore Cottage was“pretty dilapidated”and in need of serious renovations ahead of the move.
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Insiders say the couple have been overseeing last-minute touches, including bookcases built into alcoves and a custom kitchen and dining room, where Harry plans to “do some entertaining,” including hunting parties, says one pal.
“It has the most amazing mulberry walk, where we would pick mulberries forPrince Philip’s mulberry gin,” says a former palace staffer. “And when the Queen is there on a Sunday afternoon, it is a five-minute walk up the hill for tea with Granny. It is gorgeous.”
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock
The move represents a major lifestyle shift – the start of their new family and a breakaway from the confines of Kensington Palace alongsidePrince William,Kate Middletonand their three children. (The two couples are also splitting their offices, a move that was formally announced on March 14.)
Moving to Windsor “is a really healthy thing to do,” says a longtime friend, noting that the rigid constraints of Kensington Palace are not for all.
“I presume it must be nice to get out and away,” explains the source. “Without neighbors who are all either family or staff [at Kensington Palace], they will now have their own thing.”
source: people.com
