Celebrity HomesThroughout Her 40 Years, Kate Middleton’s Real Estate Legacy Reigns Across the U.K. From her family home in Bucklebury to the iconic Kensington Palace, the Duchess’s homes are quite literally fit for royalty

By Jessica Cherner

January 10, 2022

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Catherine, Duchess of CambridgePhoto: WPA Pool/Getty Images

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Few members of the royal family are as beloved as Diana, Princess of Wales, who devoted herself to others for much of her brief but impactful life. She was the people’s princess in a way that only her impeccably stylish daughter-in-law Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, has managed to emulate. Unlike Diana, Kate Middleton wasn’t exactly born into nobility. She lived a relatively modest life until she moved into St Salvator’s Hall at the University of St Andrews, where she met her husband, who just so happened to be second in the line of succession to the British throne. The Duchess celebrated her 40th birthday yesterday, and her life has changed quite drastically—especially in terms of real estate.

From her family’s Grade II listed, seven-bedroom manor house in Bucklebury, Berkshire, to the famous 1A Kensington Palace, the Duchess of Cambridge spends her time in quite an impressive array of historic homes throughout the United Kingdom.

The entrance to the Middleton family home in the West Berkshire village of Bucklebury.WENN Rights Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo

Bucklebury Manor

The Middleton children grew up in the quaint village of Bucklebury, just an hour and a half from London. Ever since Kate and William got engaged, Michael and Carole Middleton—the duchess’s parents—have lived in Bucklebury Manor. The Grade II listed historic estate at Pease Hill sits on 18 acres of land, just enough to afford them complete privacy. Like any centuries-old home in the United Kingdom, Bucklebury Manor is backed by a long history, starting with a devastating fire in 1830. After the flames destroyed most of the Winchcombe family’s (the original estate’s owners) property, Winchcombe Henry Howard Hartley constructed a Georgian-style manor house—this one on higher ground than the original. He called it The Cottage, and Nina Webley-Parry, chief heiress to the estates, renamed it Bucklebury Manor in 1906.

In 2012, the Middletons bought the house and its storied architectural elements, including a 17th-century ashlar fireplace featuring carved paneled pilasters and an arch decorated with original Delft tiles.

St Salvator’s Hall is perhaps the most desirable student housing at University of St Andrews in Scotland. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge both lived here during their time at university. Photo: BWP Media/Getty Images

St Salvator’s Hall

Established in 1413, the University of St Andrews in Scotland boasts an impressive list of alumni, including Alex Salmond, former first minister of Scotland, and Benjamin Franklin. More recently, Prince William and Kate Middleton graduated from the historic university in 2005. The pair lived in the coveted Gothic style residence hall St Salvator’s Hall—known around campus as Sallies—between North Street and The Scores. Not only does it feature breathtaking high ceilings, intricate stained glass, and fireplaces, but it’s also as close to West Sands seafront as students can get.

Before marrying the prince, Kate Middleton shared a two-story flat with her sister Pippa in London’s Chelsea neighborhood. Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Old Church Street

Not exactly a bachelorette pad, the three-bedroom, two-story Chelsea home that the Middletons bought in 2002 became Kate and Pippa’s shared flat after they graduated from university. On Old Church Street, the charming home included adjoining living and dining rooms, a spacious kitchen, and a second story that houses the master suite, two smaller bedrooms, and a quaint family room.

Before giving birth to her first child, Kate Middleton and Prince William rented the farmhouse on the Bodorgan Hall estate in Anglesey, an island off the coast of Wales.Photo: Epics/Getty Images

Bodorgan Hall

While Prince William was stationed in Anglesey to train for the Royal Air Force, he and his soon-to-be-wife rented the two-structure farmhouse on the Bodorgan Estate from Lord and Lady Meryick. The four-bedroom home, which has access to the nearby private beach, is actually two houses that are connected by a staircase. As its name implies, Bodorgan Hall is situated within the Bodorgan hamlet in Anglesey, Wales, just a few steps away from the Irish Sea. It’s also the largest property in Bodorgan.

Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace is the royal couple’s main residence. Before the Duke and the Duchess moved in, they embarked on an extensive renovation. Photo: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

1A Kensington Palace

Since its £1 million renovations in 2013, 1A Kensington Palace became the Duke and Duchess’s primary residence. The four-story, 20-room mansion resides on the same compound as the residences of other royals, including the Duke and Duchess of Kent, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, who all live in the main building. Though the world has yet to receive a tour from the decorator (Kate), a few photos had managed to make their way across newspapers, magazines, and computer screens when president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama dined with the royal couple in their warmly decorated drawing room.

Though its residents have changed more than a few times over the years, Kensington Palace has been where members of the royal family have lived since the 17th century. The State Rooms are open to the public, but the private quarters and offices are strictly off-limits to anyone other than the family members, their guests, and employees of the Royal Household Property Section. The storied halls are allegedly covered in pieces from the Royal Collection, the world’s largest private art collection.

When Kate and William aren’t in London, they are likely at Anmer Hall on the Royal Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.Photo: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Anmer Hall

The Queen’s gift to her newlywed grandson was a 10-bedroom Georgian mansion in Norfolk. The circa-1802 home is only two miles away from Elizabeth II’s own country house at Sandringham. Before the couple moved in, they made some much-needed refurbishments, totaling £1.5 million. The renovation included everything from a new roof to a total interior redecoration, for which they enlisted Ben Pentreath. The royal couple has since added an outdoor swimming pool and a tennis court.