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Palace responds to bizarre conspiracy theories about Kate's whereabouts

<p>Kensington Palace has spoken out after a wave of unhinged conspiracy theories flooded social media to speculate on Kate Middleton's whereabouts. </p> <p>It's been several days since "Where is Kate Middleton?" first started trending worldwide on social media, as concerned royal fans were quick to notice the Princess of Wales hasn't been seen in public since Christmas Day. </p> <p>The 42-year-old royal underwent a “planned abdominal surgery” in January, and while Kensington Palace said at the time that she would be out of action until “at least Easter”, social media users have continued to share their <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/kate-middleton-s-disappearance-sparks-bizarre-conspiracy-theories" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bizarre theories</a> about where she is.</p> <p>Now, as the insane theories have gained massive traction, Kensington Palace has shared a statement to advise royal fans that the Princess is simply recovering after her operation. </p> <p>The Palace reiterated their original statement, writing,  “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.”</p> <p>"That guidance stands."</p> <p>The Palace also added that Kate is well on the road to recovery as she is "doing well", and with all things going to plan with her health, she can be expected to be seen in public after Easter, as they originally made clear. </p> <p>Prince William has also spoken about his wife's recovery journey, as he met with 94-year-old Holocaust survivor Renee Salt during an emotional meeting at a synagogue in London. </p> <p>"I'm sure that if your wife would've been well, she would've been here," Salt told Prince William, before offering her "best wishes" to the Princess. </p> <p>While holding her hand, Prince William said Salt's words were "very sweet" and promised to pass on her regards to his wife.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

Caring

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"It's enormous": Inside Kate and William's lavish London "apartment"

<p dir="ltr">Though Kensington Palace - the home of Kate Middleton, Prince William and their three children - is open to the public, their private quarters on the royal grounds are off-limits.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite being named Apartment 1A, royal experts have said their home is anything but small.</p> <p dir="ltr">“All of these royal residences at Kensington Palace are called apartments, which of course makes people immediately think they are flats like the American term for an apartment,” royal biographer Christopher Warwick<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/property/1544422/Kate-Middleton-Prince-William-inside-Kensington-Palace-layout-rooms-pictures" target="_blank">said</a><span> </span>while appearing on the Royal Beat podcast.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They are not. If you think of Kensington Palace in a way it is built around three courtyards.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If you kind of think of them as being these wonderful red brick terrace houses. Because they are all joined, but separate houses.”</p> <p dir="ltr">As for Kate and William’s ‘apartment’, he said: “It is not a small house.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 0px; height:0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846711/kate-william1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/057eb620ee1848398e47d38df6ef2b50" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kate and William’s home includes a private garden that cannot be seen from public areas of the palace grounds. Image: Getty Images</span></em></p> <p dir="ltr">Royal author Ingrid Seward confirmed Warwick’s description of the home.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s enormous… and it’s like a piece of countryside in London,” she commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">Apartment 1A boasts twenty rooms, including five reception rooms and three master bedrooms - two of which are main floor master suites with his-and-hers dressing rooms and separate nurseries for daytime play and sleep.</p> <p dir="ltr">As for the furnishings in the royal children’s bedrooms, Kate has previously said the family uses IKEA furniture.</p> <p dir="ltr">In 2018, she told Marcus Engman, IKEA’s Head of Design, that Prince George’s room was decked out with IKEA furniture.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kate later revealed that Princess Charlotte’s room had received the same treatment.</p> <p dir="ltr">The kitchen has been renovated to Kate and William’s taste, with reports that they spent £170,000 of their own money on the refurbishment.</p> <p dir="ltr">The home also includes an impressive entrance hall with black and white flagstones, as well as two drawing rooms where guests are taken to.</p> <p dir="ltr">One of the drawing rooms - which features a grand piano and cream sofas - was where the royal couple welcomed former US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in 2016.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 0px; height:0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846710/kate-william2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2ee7212cd869419998cdb49f039eb99c" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Inside Kate Middleton and Prince William’s Kensington drawing room where they welcomed the Obamas in 2016. Image: Getty Images</em></p> <p dir="ltr">The home also includes additional rooms in the basement, such as a gym, laundry room, and space for luggage.</p> <p dir="ltr">Separate quarters house the royal staff, coming with an additional nine bedrooms and two kitchens.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kate and William have lived in Apartment 1A since 2013, over 300 years after it was first purchased by William III, when it was known as Nottingham House.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Real Estate

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Petition calls for Prince Harry to give up royal titles

<p>A little over 25,000 people so far have signed a petition calling for Prince Harry to give up all of his royal titles so he may indulge his personal beliefs without consequences from or for the royal family.</p> <p>Started by royal expert, Lady Colin Campbell, she stated that the purpose of the Change.org appeal is to invite Prince Harry to “voluntarily” ask the Queen to put his “royal style, titles and rank into abeyance.”</p> <p>“As a purely private citizen, with no royal rank, style or title, he (Harry) will be able to indulge his personal beliefs, as is the right of all private citizens, without the consequential possibility of damaging the institution of the Monarchy or relations between Friendly Powers, and will be free to articulate beliefs, no matter how objectionable, without the fallout that is otherwise inevitable as long as he possesses royal status,” she wrote in the description.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CPc-_7JnhXX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CPc-_7JnhXX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Princess of world (@ourroyal_family)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Ms Campbell, who is the author of the book,<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/meghan" target="_blank"><em>Meghan</em></a><em><span> </span>and Harry: The Real Story<span> </span></em>informed<em><span> </span>The Daily Star</em>: "I started it (the petition) because I think it’s the right thing to do.”</p> <p>“I have spoken to people, many people, who think it’s the right thing to do and it is the solution,” she said.</p> <p>"It is the best solution because it frees Harry to be able to indulge himself without consequence and without doing damage to the institution of the monarchy of the British nation, the British people and himself,” the 71-year-old biographer says.</p> <p>Ms Campbell went on to claim Harry “doesn’t need” the royal titles as “he is too big for them now” and he “still gets publicity and attention.”</p> <p>"They (Harry and Meghan) will still be able to sell their brand, capitalise upon their identity, but at least it will be in a way there can be no confusion about the fact that he is doing it as an individual and not as a member of the royal family that has duties to the nation and to the people of this nation,” the writer said.</p> <p>Senior aides at Buckingham Palace also publicly asked Meghan and Harry to give up their titles earlier this month, in light of the Duke of Sussex’s latest tell-all interview.</p> <p>Despite making it clear he had no ill will against his family, senior royals were allegedly left baffled by his “disgraceful” and “woeful lack of compassion” when Harry guest starred on an episode of Dax Shepard’s<span> </span><em>Armchair Expert</em><span> </span>podcast.</p> <p>The 36-year-old royal admitted to Mr Shepard that he and Meghan moved to the United States to break the cycle of “genetic pain.”</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841555/prince-harry-meghan-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1a97b869fa2e44c58afd65644f332e3b" /></p> <p>When speaking about his dad, Prince Charles, Harry said: “He’s treated me the way that he was treated.</p> <p>“There’s a lot of genetic pain and suffering that gets passed on anyway.</p> <p>“Isn’t life about breaking the cycle? There’s no blame.”</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

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Dead body found in pond at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s west London home

<p><span>The deceased body of an unidentified woman has been pulled out of a lake in front of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s home at Kensington Palace in west London.</span><br /><br /><span>The corpse was found in Round Pond which is only a short walk from the Palace gates.</span><br /><br /><span>Metropolitan Police were called just after 7 am local time on Saturday, August 29.</span><br /><br /><span>The woman was announced dead at the scene and while police say the death is not being treated as suspicious, they have confirmed that investigations are still “ongoing”.</span><br /><br /><span>A post-mortem examination will take place.</span><br /><br /><span>The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, along with their three young children, reside inside the Palace.</span><br /><br /><span>However the family were reportedly visiting the Queen at Balmoral in Scotland on the day the horrifying discovery was made.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837749/round-po-nd-royals-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d62a9a486233425dbbb523364672070f" /><br /><br /><span>Newlyweds Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank also live on the grounds of Kensington Palace in a cottage.</span><br /><br /><span>However, it is not known if the couple were present when the body was found.</span><br /><br /><span>Initially, authorities thought the body belonged to poet laureate Sir John Betjeman’s grandaughter Endellion Lycett Green.</span><br /><br /><span>She had been missing for a week but reportedly was later found alive.</span><br /><br /><span>Her brother John Lycett Green wrote: “My sister Endellion is alive, safe and well.</span><br /><br /><span>“Thank you all for the support and love you showed for Delli and her family.</span><br /><br /><span>“Sorry to all of you that, like us, were grieving for the wonder that is Delli. We were told a body was found and was her.</span><br /><br /><span>“It was not, and Delli was found last night.</span><br /><br /><span>“RIP the soul that was found in Kensington Round Pond on Saturday morning.”</span><br /><br /><span>Kensington Gardens, which includes the Palace and the Round Pond, is said to remain open to the public while police investigations continue.</span></p>

News

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Rare look into Queen Elizabeth’s royal kitchen

<p>The Queen and Prince Philip’s kitchen inside Buckingham Palace has served as been at the helm of the world’s biggest royal events of all time.</p> <p>The chef’s kitchen has catered from everything to royal weddings to birthday and not many few photographs have been shown over time.</p> <p>The few images that have been released show baker Sophie Cabot preparing the wedding cake for Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank’s nuptials in October 2018.</p> <p>Other photographs show that the expansive kitchen is perfect for cooking on a mass scale and is equipped with all the bits and bobs.</p> <p>The kitchen also seems to be perfected with stainless-steel splash back panels behind each sink, as well as shelves positioned above, where endless amounts of ingredients and kitchenware is stored.</p> <p>Copper saucepans that date back as far as King George IV's reign are stacked on racks in the kitchens, with sizes to suit every purpose.</p> <p>Buckingham Palace has been used as the monarch's royal residence since Queen Victoria decided to renovate the previously vacant property in 1837.</p> <p>The former Queen extended the property and added on touches that are still standing today.</p> <p>This includes the famous balcony at the front, where royal family members often gather for occasions such as Trooping the Colour.</p> <p>Inside, there is a total of 775 rooms, including 19 state rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 92 offices, 78 bathrooms and 188 bedrooms for household staff. </p> <p>See the kitchen here. </p>

Food & Wine

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Palace breaks silence to slam "false" claim against Kate Middleton

<p>Kensington Palace has issued a statement that is rarely given to defend the Duchess of Cambridge against a “false” claim made by<span> </span>Tatler<span> </span>magazine.</p> <p>The media publication is known for reporting on the lives of British royalty, celebrities and socialites and this week was slammed for publishing an article saying Duchess Kate felt “exhausted and trapped”.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CArQiUVn65C/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CArQiUVn65C/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Royal Confessional Eng-Esp (@royalconfessional)</a> on May 26, 2020 at 8:17pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The publication quoted a close friend who said Kate was "furious" after Prince Harry and Meghan decided to step down as senior members of the royal family, which resulted in other royals being forced to pick up extra work.</p> <p>“Kate is furious about the larger workload. Of course, she's smiling and dressing appropriately but she doesn't want this,” the friend allegedly said.</p> <p>“She feels exhausted and trapped. She's working as hard as a top CEO, who has to be wheeled out all the time, without the benefits of boundaries and plenty of holidays.”</p> <p>The report also went on to claim that Duchess Kate had argued with Meghan Markle over whether or not she could wear tights at the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes’ wedding back in 2018.</p> <p>“There was an incident at the wedding rehearsal,” another friend reportedly told<span> </span>Tatler.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_WfFYOnC9U/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_WfFYOnC9U/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Royal Families (@_royalfamilies)</a> on Apr 23, 2020 at 10:09pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“It was a hot day and apparently there was a row over whether the bridesmaids should wear tights or not. Kate, following protocol, felt that they should. Meghan didn't want them to,” the friend said.</p> <p>However, Kensington Palace has given a terse response, saying the article was riddled with “inaccuracies” and “misrepresentations”.</p> <p>“This story contains a swathe of inaccuracies and false misrepresentations which were not put to Kensington Palace prior to publication,” it said.</p> <p>The statement did not single out any of the magazine's claims in particular.</p> <p>It is extremely rare for palace officials to slam claims made about the royal family in the media.</p> <p>The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have not shown any annoyances towards tabloid claims and have kept busy during the coronavirus lockdown by conducting several of their official royal duties via video link.</p>

Beauty & Style

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Princess Charlotte’s birthday pics released

<p>Kensington Palace has released new photographs of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge to mark her fifth birthday.</p> <p>Charlotte, who reached the milestone on Saturday, celebrated privately in quarantine with her family at their Norfolk country retreat.</p> <p>Prince William and Duchess Kate shared five new pictures of their only daughter over the weekend to mark the occasion.</p> <p>In the photographs taken by the Duchess of Cambridge, Charlotte could be seen carrying food bags and knocking on a door to help deliver the items.</p> <p>“The images were taken by The Duchess as the family helped to pack up and deliver food packages for isolated pensioners in the local area,” Kensington Palace said on Instagram.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_qQ7lDF-88/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_qQ7lDF-88/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to share four new photographs of Princess Charlotte ahead of her fifth birthday tomorrow. The images were taken by The Duchess as the family helped to pack up and deliver food packages for isolated pensioners in the local area.</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/kensingtonroyal/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Kensington Palace</a> (@kensingtonroyal) on May 1, 2020 at 2:30pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_rZClGl2gj/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_rZClGl2gj/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Thank you for all your lovely messages on Princess Charlotte’s fifth birthday! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to share a new photograph of Princess Charlotte, taken by The Duchess this April.</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/kensingtonroyal/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Kensington Palace</a> (@kensingtonroyal) on May 2, 2020 at 1:00am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Charlotte’s last public appearance was with her family in a video clip on April 23, where she clapped for National Health Service carers during a BBC comic relief program.</p> <p>Charlotte and her elder brother Prince George have both been home-schooled amid Britain’s lockdown.</p>

Family & Pets

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Kensington Palace releases rare statement regarding Duchess Kate

<p>The Duchess of Cambridge’s beauty is all her own despite rumours circulating she has had work done for years – and the Kensington Palace has issued a rare statement slamming any claims she has. </p> <p>A plastic surgeon took to Instagram to share in a now deleted post of the 37-year-old royal two side-by-side images in a “before and after” comparison. </p> <p>“Our Kate loves a bit of baby Botox,” Somji wrote under the photos, reported the <a rel="noopener" href="https://pagesix.com/2019/07/24/palace-denies-kate-middleton-got-baby-botox/?_ga=2.262437071.2119636388.1563969036-35188090.1532599696" target="_blank"><em>New York Post</em>.</a></p> <p>“Note the reduction of fine lines on the forehead. But also note the depression of the medial (middle part) brow but elevation of the lateral tail of the brow.”</p> <p>Baby botox is a more subtle form of injections used to soften and relax wrinkles. </p> <p>"It prevents wrinkles but you'll still have movement. It acts like a little complexion freshener," Pamela Benito, a cosmetic dentist and aesthetic medicine specialist, told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.byrdie.com/baby-botox-review" target="_blank">Byrdie.</a></p> <p>While it is unusual for the palace to comment on juvenile rumours including the Duchess’ beauty skin routine – it seems they have had enough of the slack talk and have absolutely refuted the royal has had any cosmetic procedures. </p> <p>The Kensington Palace said the Instagram post is “categorically not true” and added that, “The Royal Family never endorse commercial activity.”</p>

Body

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The Palace announces Duchess Kate's surprise new project

<p>For the past three months, Duchess Kate has been working on a special project – and the Palace finally revealed it on Tuesday. The Duchess of Cambridge is creating a garden for the annual Chelsea Flower Show in May.</p> <p>The announcement came as the Duchess made her first official engagement of the year at King Henry’s Walk Garden in London.</p> <p>Titled “RHS Back to Nature Garden”, the Duchess’s garden has been designed in collaboration with award-winning landscape architects Andrée Davies and Adam White of Davies White Landscape Architects.</p> <p>“[The Duchess] is very hands on, model making, emailing images, coming up with all the ideas that we want to capture,” said Davies. “She would often bring a folder of cuttings with her full of ideas.”</p> <p>Davies also revealed that Duchess Kate “has a clear idea of the colour palette she wants” and an interest in using natural materials.</p> <p>The woodland-themed garden is hoped to “recapture for adults the sense of wonder and magic that they enjoyed as children, in addition to kindling excitement and a passion for nature in future generations,” a Kensington Palace spokesman said.</p> <p>Sue Biggs, director general of the show’s organiser Royal Horticultural Society said the Duchess’s contribution will help encourage individuals of all walks of life to embrace nature.</p> <p>“For over 200 years the RHS has been championing the power of gardening and growing plants for the environment, for health and wellbeing and to help people of all ages, from all backgrounds, to learn and grow,” said Biggs.</p> <p>“So, to have the Duchess advocating this with us, and to be continuing our partnership with NHS England will, we're sure, further highlight the powerful benefit that access to gardens, nature and growing plants can have for all our health and happiness.”</p> <p>The Duchess is also set to continue working with Davies and White on two further gardens for the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival in July and the RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey in the fall.</p>

News

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Why Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are moving out of the palace

<p>It’s official, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are moving out of Kensington Palace. The palace confirmed the news and announced that the parents-to-be will be moving across town.</p> <p>Next door to Kensington Palace, a luxury home which currently belongs to the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, is planning to become available once the two royals vacate it in order to downsize.</p> <p>The 20-room “apartment” will make sure Harry and Meghan are next door neighbours to William and Kate, but despite the close proximity, Harry and his wife have no plans to move in.</p> <p>Instead, Kensington Palace shared in a statement that they will leave their current two-bedroom Nottingham Cottage on the Kensington Palace estate and move into Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate.</p> <p>The beautiful home is a gift from the Queen herself as the two newlyweds prepare to start a family of their own in 2019.</p> <p>Emily Andrews, a royal reporter, tweeted that the extravagant 10-bedroom home is undergoing major renovations and will be complete before the Duke and Duchess decide to move in.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Exclusive: Harry &amp; Meghan are moving out of Kensington Palace next year. They’ve been given a new house by the Queen and it will be their official residence. It’s currently undergoing a large refurbishment to turn it back from staff accommodation to a family home.</p> — Emily Andrews (@byEmilyAndrews) <a href="https://twitter.com/byEmilyAndrews/status/1066100360199249920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">23 November 2018</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Instead the Queen has given them Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. It’s within the private Home Park and faces the beautiful grounds of Frogmore House. It’s where they had their private evening wedding party &amp; where their gorgeous engagement pictures were shot. <a href="https://t.co/uByYVm7pWC">pic.twitter.com/uByYVm7pWC</a></p> — Emily Andrews (@byEmilyAndrews) <a href="https://twitter.com/byEmilyAndrews/status/1066100373818146816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">23 November 2018</a></blockquote> <p>Frogmore Cottage also holds a special place in the heart of the Duke and Duchess as that is the location where they shot their engagement photos.</p> <p>While the home is surrounded by lush greenery and scenic views, <em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Telegraph</a></em> reported that the estate will require security updates as currently it is accessible to the public.</p> <p>The Windsor Estate is roughly 32 kilometres from Kensington Palace, which means Harry and Meghan will still be close to their nieces and nephews.</p> <p>A spokesperson for the couple said: “Windsor is a very special place for Their Royal Highnesses and they are grateful that their official residence will be on the estate. The Duke and Duchess’s office will continue to be based at Kensington Palace.”</p>

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Palace divided: Why Prince William and Prince Harry are planning to go their separate ways

<p>Prince William and Prince Harry’s brotherly bond is one that has flourished in front of the world, despite the many pressures and hardships they have faced together.</p> <p>It is common for the young generation of royals – William, Kate, Harry and Meghan – to be spotted together at various engagements, with some even dubbing them the royal version of the Fab Four.</p> <p>However, there are reports that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are planning a formal division of their joint household, Kensington Palace.</p> <p>According to <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk"><em><strong><u>The Sunday Times</u></strong></em></a>’ royal correspondent Roya Nikkhah, the dynamic will change after Harry and Meghan welcome their first child into the world.</p> <p>"The Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Sussex are preparing to go their separate ways," says Nikkhah. </p> <p>"William and Harry are considering plans to split the Kensington Palace household and create two separate courts as their future roles with Kate and Meghan diverge," she adds.  </p> <p>The royal residence of Kensington Palace comprises of a main palace and additional homes on the grounds.</p> <p>It also operates as management of the young royals and their duties.</p> <p>Harry and Meghan currently reside in a cottage on the Kensington Palace grounds but it is expected they will move into an apartment in the main palace as they await the birth of their baby.</p> <p>In the future, William’s responsibilities will continue to increase as he prepares to become king, while Harry will branch out into a different set of responsibilities.</p> <p>“There is a gulf in the style and approach to the type of work that William and Kate will increasingly do as future head of state and consort, and Harry and Meghan, who have more of a blank canvas with their roles," says a royal insider at <em style="font-weight: inherit;">The Sunday Times</em>.</p> <p>"[The] William and Harry double-act has naturally been supplanted by the two couples and their families," <em style="font-weight: inherit;">The Times</em>’ insider continues.</p> <p>They add: "When William becomes the Prince of Wales, he will take on a lot of extra responsibility, including the Duchy of Cornwall and all that entails. Harry and Meghan have none of that, and seem ambitious about forging their own paths."</p> <p>Harry and Meghan will continue to focus on their work for mental health, disability, veterans and youth.</p> <p>While the brothers won’t live too far away from each other, splitting Kensington Palace will accommodate their growing families.</p> <p>The much-loved brothers will continue to delight fans with their close-knit relationship but will have different levels of management to support their evolving royal roles.</p> <p>“The brothers have leant on each other and looked after each other since their mother died. But now they have their own families, they no longer rely on each other as before," confirmed <em style="font-weight: inherit;">The Sunday Times</em> insider.</p> <p> "They have become different people with different outlooks on life. Splitting the household is the obvious thing to do."</p>

Relationships

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The royals have received 36,000 cards and letters in just ONE MONTH

<p>It has been a busy few months for the royal family, celebrating Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding, Prince Louis’ birth and Princess Charlotte’s birthday – all just a few weeks apart from each other.</p> <p>To say thank you to all the 36,000 adoring fans who wrote to them, Kensington Palace has shared a photo of some of the sweetest handmade cards they received.</p> <p>The photo also revealed the high volume of post that is sent to Kensington Palace for either the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, or the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 33.33333333333333% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjpeTmgACSP/" target="_blank">A post shared by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal)</a> on Jun 5, 2018 at 8:28am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Kensington Palace wrote on Instagram: “Thank you everyone for the beautiful cards and letters following Princess Charlotte's third birthday, the birth of Prince Louis and the wedding of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. We've received over 36,000 letters in the past month alone.”</p> <p>The adorable hand-drawn cards were a hit on social media, with the most popular card showing Prince Harry with a bushy beard made from ginger yarn. Meghan was given a sweet flower crown along with flower earrings.</p> <p>Instagram user lisaannkat wrote, “Omg look how super cute the pic is of the Duke and Duchess!”</p> <p>User srinivasan_varsha said, “They're so beautiful. And that picture of Duke Harry and Duchess Meghan is an absoloutly delightful piece of art.”</p> <p>A handmade card to Prince Louis is also seen in the photo, saying: “Welcome Prince Louis”.</p> <p>A card for Princess Charlotte’s birthday showed a little girl poking out of the number “3”.</p> <p>Members of the public can also send mail to Clarence House to contact Prince Charles and Camilla, and Buckingham Palace for the Queen and Prince Philip.</p>

Art

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Kensington Palace shares touching video of royal family highlights

<p>Kensington Palace has released a touching highlights clip revisiting the big milestones celebrated by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry in 2017.</p> <p>Some of the big moments in the slideshow include four-year-old Prince George's first day of school, two-year-old Princess Charlotte's first posey and Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle's engagement announcement in November.</p> <p><em>Watch the video here (hover over the middle of the image and the play button will appear):</em></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdYTRmyA0sE/" target="_blank">A post shared by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal)</a> on Dec 31, 2017 at 12:20pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>But eagle-eyed royal supporters noted that there was one important royal moment that was missed from the collection – William and Kate’s baby announcement!</p> <p>The couple are expecting their third child together in April next year.</p> <p>Although some supporters questioned why the significant announcement was left out of the top 10 moments, most others were delighted by the video and the opportunity to relive the best royal moments of 2017.</p>

Technology

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Duchess Kate’s secret Kensington Palace meeting revealed

<p>With the spotlight always on the royals, even more so now that the Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant with her third child, you would think it would be impossible for Kate to do anything unnoticed.</p> <p>However, the Duchess of Cambridge has managed to host a secret meeting at Kensington Palace on November 1. </p> <p>The 35-year-old mum-of-two invited 12 women to the palace to hold a round-table discussion in private.</p> <p>“The Duchess of Cambridge today hosted a roundtable discussion on maternal mental health at Kensington Palace with The Royal Foundation,” Kensington Palace announced on Twitter.</p> <p>“At least 20 per cent of women are affected by mental health problems during pregnancy or in the first year following the birth of a child.</p> <p>“If left untreated, maternal mental health problems can have significant and long-lasting effect on the woman and her family.</p> <p>“The Duchess has spoken about the importance of having open conversations about maternal health, and the impact this can have on family.”</p> <p>Kate, who is due to have her <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/10/prince-william-and-kate-reveal-babys-due-date/">third child next year in April</a></span> with Prince William, also announced she will be visiting the Hornsey Road Children's Centre “to see valuable family and parental support services” next week.</p> <p>The Duchess was scheduled to visit the centre at the beginning of September, however she was too ill with morning sickness to carry out the official engagement.</p> <p> </p>

Mind

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's next big step

<p>Royal family experts have <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/10/prince-harrys-connection-to-kates-engagement-ring/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>predicted a huge announcement</strong></span></a> from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the coming days, as the couple look to take the next big step.</p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/10/is-meghan-markles-future-role-causing-conflict-in-the-palace/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Engagement rumours have gone into overdrive</strong></span></a> in recent days after confirming that Markle wouldn’t be signing on for another series of suits, with many royal pundits suggesting the actress is looking move in with Prince Harry sooner rather than later.  </p> <p>Royal expert Katie Nicholl cites unnamed sources which have confirmed that Markle has plans and was “likely to be moving to London as soon as November”.</p> <p>“She’s not signing up for another series of Suits. She’s planning to leave Canada and make London her new, permanent home,” Nicholl told <a href="http://www.etonline.com/meghan-markle-prince-harry-likely-moving-together-soon-june-wedding-best-bet-sources-say-exclusive" target="_blank"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>ET Online</strong></span></em></a>.</p> <p>Focus has now turned to <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/10/prince-harry-takes-meghan-markle-to-meet-the-queen/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>where the couple will live</strong></span></a>. Harry currently resides at Nottingham Cottage, a small three-bedroom cottage in the Kensington Palace grounds, although Nicholls suggests would be willing to upsize should the two become engaged.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I am told she will be moving into Kensington Palace — in fact, she already keeps a wardrobe of clothes at Harry’s house over in Kensington Palace and she’s going to be spending all of her time over here from now on," says Nicholl.</p> <p>While Nicholl was coy on suggesting a date for the engagement, she said it was “all about the timing” and could be announced as soon as the new year.</p> <p>“You have to remember there are other engagements and events coming up in the royal calendar that an engagement simply couldn't clash with. I think that the new year is probably a more realistic prospect for an engagement announcement.”</p> <p>Nicholl expects the couple would wed in June, so as not to clash with the Duchess of Cambridge’s pregnancy.</p> <p>“The duchess will have to get her figure back in time for a wedding and Prince William, who we are all assuming will be best man, will need to be available and not thinking about rushing off to a hospital,” Nicholl says.</p> <p>“So, I think there will need to be a bit of space between the royal baby being born mid-April and Meghan and Harry tying the knot. This summer is probably going to be the best bet for a royal wedding.”</p> <p>What are your thoughts?</p>

Accommodation

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Inside Princess Diana’s Kensington Palace apartment

<p>Photographs of Princess Diana’s Kensington Place apartments 8 and 9 have been released, giving an intimate look into her private life.</p> <p>The images were taken days after her death by her former butler Paul Burrell, who worked for her from 1987.</p> <p>The photos reveal the religious statues, porcelain figurines, plush toys and photographs that Diana filled her private sanctuary with.</p> <p>These photos are believed to be among the only pictures in existence of Apartments 8 and 9 in the palace.</p> <p>Other photographs in the collection captured Diana’s bedroom, dressing room and drawing room as it was left before she was killed in Paris in August 1997.</p> <p>Paul Burrell told the Sunday Mirror, “When the Princess died, I felt it was appropriate to record where she had lived, spent much of her married life and brought up the Princes.”</p> <p>“These interiors were chosen by the Princess. This was the place she called home. Shortly after she died, her memory was erased from Kensington Palace.”</p> <p>As the anniversary of 20 years since Diana’s death approaches, the photos reveal the trinkets that reminded her of her family and passions.</p> <p>The two apartments were combined to create a home for the newly-married Prince and Princess of Wales in 1981. The apartments were furnished with floral wallpaper, pastel colours and filled with photos of William and Harry.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="320" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/40769/dianaroom9_500x320.jpg" alt="Dianaroom9"/></p> <p>One photograph shows Diana’s sitting room, where she and her two sons would watch TV together. In her sitting room, she also had a big toy seal, a miniature Christ The Redeemer statue on her desk and a miniature ballet dance figurine on her bookshelf.</p> <p>In her bedroom, Diana had a couch dedicated to her stuffed animals including a checked frog she made as a little girl.</p> <p>The photo of Diana’s drawing room, shows the grand piano she loved to play. During a royal tour in Australia, she stunned spectators by playing Rachmaninov.</p> <p>After Diana’s death in 1997, mourners flocked to the gates of Kensington Palace leaving flowers, cards, candles and balloons in tribute to the “People’s Princess”.</p> <p>Her apartments were stripped to the bare and were left empty for years until they underwent a two-year renovation.</p> <p>Kensington Place is now occupied by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, with nearby Ivy Cottage home to Princess Eugenie.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see a glimpse into Princess Diana’s private sanctuary.</p>

News

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Grenfell Tower survivors to move into luxury block

<p>After a week of living in community centres, hotels and vacant properties, the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire will be rehoused permanently in a £2 billion luxury complex in Kensington.</p> <p>The government revealed yesterday that it would acquire 68 units, ranging in size from one to three bedrooms, to house the 250 Grenfell residents who lost everything in London’s worst fire in decades.</p> <p>The luxury units are only two kilometres south of Grenfell Tower, the 1974 building that went up in flames on the morning of June 14, killing at least 79 people.</p> <p>The units, which are on the market for between £1.5million and £8.5 million, have large spacious rooms and balconies, with access to pools, saunas and gyms.</p> <p>It is a stark contrast to the Grenfell Tower where families were crowded into subdivided apartments.</p> <p>The apartments are "all newly built social housing" located in the same Kensington and Chelsea borough, Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said on Wednesday.</p> <p>It was paid for by the City of London Corporation, the wealthy local authority responsible for the capital's financial Square Mile.</p> <p>The announcement was made just before British Prime Minister Theresa May apologised for the chaotic failures by local and national governments responding to the fire.</p> <p>"The residents of Grenfell Tower have been through some of the most harrowing and traumatic experiences imaginable, and it is our duty to support them," Javid said.</p> <p>"Our priority is to get everyone who has lost their home permanently rehoused locally as soon as possible, so that they can begin to rebuild their lives."</p> <p>While the housing situation is a relief for many of Grenfell survivors, some of the survivors still have concerns and want questions answered.</p> <p>"It's all very well in theory, but we need to read the small print," said Alan Crawley, whose mother survived the fire.</p> <p>"Putting a group of traumatised people who have lost loved ones and all their possessions in the corner of a shiny new building, isn't going to solve the problem in itself. The government should answer the resident's questions first before making these vague statements."</p>

Insurance

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Duke and Duchess of Cambridge prepare Kensington Palace for move

<p>In January, <a href="/news/news/2017/01/duke-and-duchess-of-cambridge-announce-change-in-plans-for-2017/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>it was announced</strong></span></a> that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge would be moving from their family home at Amner Hall back to William’s childhood home, Kensington Palace. Now, the latest news from the couple has royal watchers speculating they may be preparing to expand their family, with a source telling <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/style/2016/05/how-princess-charlottes-birth-transformed-the-modern-monarchy" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Vanity Fair</em></span></strong></a>, “they want at least three kids and for them to be close in age.”</p> <p>The move comes as William prepares to take on a full-time role within the royal family while the Queen steps down from many of her duties.</p> <p>In anticipation of their move in autumn, it appears the young royals will be taking on some renovations to put their own stamp on their new residence. Officials from Historic Royal Palaces have issued a proposal to add an extension to the grounds’ Orangery, the garden pavilion located next to the Palace.</p> <p>The Orangery, currently open to the public as a restaurant, would reportedly have two extra storeys added underground and one above the current structure, one of which would house a ceremonial dress collection, according to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4307166/Kensington-Palace-extension-plans-revealed.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Daily Mail</strong></span></a>.</p>

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