For most of us, our first apartment probably included a two roommates stuffed into a creaky 1,000-square-foot pad with an old couch, a leaking bathroom faucet, some critters — and the perennial struggle to scrounge up the rent. (Ah, the memories.)
Y'all will not be shocked to find out that that was not the case for Kate Middleton and her sister, Pippa. These two lived in an entire three-floor home in one of London's coolest neighborhoods — rent-free — for years while they were single and mingling … and the inside of the home was just as impressive as the surroundings. We know this because their parents, who owned the home, sold it in 2019, and the real estate agency provided pictures of the interior.
The royals can't keep all their secrets from us!
Carole and Michael Middleton sold the property for $2.3 million in 2019, after buying it for their daughters in 2002 for about $963,000. It sits on Old Church Street in Chelsea, a riverfront neighborhood known for its high-end boutiques and quaint restaurants, as well as the trust-fund baby residents who live there. It also, by the way, has a huge number of Americans living there, but we digress.
The flat has three bedrooms — including a master bedroom with its own bathroom — two more bathrooms, and a living room and sitting room that take up an entire floor. Plus, it's decorated in a traditional style that's neither overly ornate nor showy.
Basically, it's an absolute gem.
When they were single, Kate had a job as a buyer for Jigsaw, a trendy clothing retailer, and Pippa held different jobs, including party planning. But needless to say, those were not their defining careers. Kate, of course, went on to become a duchess and future queen, now living in a lavish apartment in Kensington Palace. Pippa married a rich hedge fund manager and recently renovated her mansion for millions.
Kate and Pippa may have moved on, but we're sure they'll always cherish the time they spent together in their Chelsea place.
Here are pictures of the lovely flat.
A Standout Exterior
The four-story building's pale facade and blue roof stand out among the plainer red brick buildings on Old Church Street. The home, which occupied the top three floors, includes three bedrooms perched up in the top, making for some spectacular views of the city and river. Imagine coming home to this as a single chick in the big city. We'd be thanking our lucky stars that we had a hardworking mom and dad who made it happen.
Just Outside the Door
The only drawback to having a fabulous flat in one of London's best neighborhoods, while also being the girlfriend of the future king? As soon as photographers figured out where Kate lived, they became a permanent fixture, camping out outside her door and watching all of her comings and goings. Luckily, she had a police escort to help her navigate the paps and curious randos.
Cozy Living Room
While most of Kate and Pippa's flat is decorated in sedate, classic cream-painted walls and furniture, in the living room, they added pops of red with the couch, painting, and rug — which makes for a fun place to hang out with friends or watch the British Baking Show on the TV. The chenille couch and cushions look like we could sink right in, and a rug in a traditional pattern pulls everything together.
Bathed in Light
Here's another view of the inviting, casual-vibe living room, with a peek at a sitting room behind. With large double windows on both sides of the home — which faces east and west — the flat is totally awash with whatever sunlight the often overcast London provides. Aside from the living room's painting, the Middletons also added framed pictures and maps to add character to the walls.
Multi-Purpose Room
A closer look at the area opposite the living room reveals a multi-purpose room with gorgeous door-sized French windows that overlook a lush green area beyond. The floral curtains have an English countryside look to them but in a restrained way, and the room follows that less-is-more vibe with a neutral palette. There's a medium sized table and six chairs, good for a dinner party or a work space.
Built-in bookshelves, plus and a coupe of writing areas, equal heaven.
Meet its Posher Clone
Kate and William's Kensington Palace apartment — which is actually an enormous, 20-room chunk of the royal residence — includes a room that is similar in feel to the Chelsea flat's multi-purpose room. Back in 2016, when the Obamas visited the couple, we got a glimpse of its glory: cream walls, plushy neutral furniture, nearly identical side tables, lots of lamps. The only substantial differences between Kate's royal home and the one she shared with sis Pippa are the size of the room, and the artwork from the royal family's collection.
Upstairs, Downstairs
Nope, no elevator in this flat, no matter how nice it is. But even going up and down stairs to get from, say, the kitchen to the bedrooms, is no chore when it's in such a nice space. The Middleton daughters smartly left this narrow passageway, which has a real city-flat vibe to it — free of stuff other than the radiator cover and some artwork.
Sleek Kitchen
We're betting that between their partying in posh London clubs and their daytime jobs, Kate and Pippa had little time to cook at home. But then again, we also know that Kate is no slouch in the kitchen. We've heard the stories about how she likes to cook with her kids, and how she used to do her own shopping and cook at home when she and William were stationed in Wales for his helicopter rescue job — so maybe this cute kitchen saw some action after all.
Mirrored Bathroom
Pretty low-key bathroom here, with the biggest feature being a full-length wall mirror right at the bathtub — the better for Kate and Pippa to check just how well their obsessive workouts were working, we guess! The un-fancy bathroom is nevertheless really nice. After all, when one is trying to relax, a blank slate is really the best thing.
Pretty Bedroom
With a lovely big window to let in the light, cheery floral curtains, and plushy comforter, this must be a great room to lay our heads in and wake up happy in. The spacious bed and built-in closet makes us wonder if this is the master bedroom, one of three bedrooms in the spacious flat. Minimal furniture means all the more room for the big bed.
Another Bedroom
Old-school wooden chair as nightstand? (Is this the posh version of the post-collegiate milk crates as decoration?) Hmmm, interesting choice for two young women who weren't exactly hurting for cash — or maybe it's a touch of English whimsy. We can't tell. Maybe this is the master bedroom, despite the utter simplicity and small size of the bed. That looks like the master bathroom peeking through the open door.
Master Bath
There's a bidet in this bathroom, y'all, and this is all we need to know to love it to bits. What else is there to say — except that Kate and Pippa really like mirrors in bathrooms, obvs? We get that it makes the space look bigger than it is, but it also probably served that time honored Friday night purpose of giving a bunch of friends enough space to do their face and hair together, compare notes, and share makeup. #girlsnight #rollingdeep
View From the Other Side
This is probably the alternative view from that chair-as-nightstand bedroom, or an identical third bedroom. Either way, it's got roomy built-in closet and pretty curtains over a window. We wonder how Kate and Pippa decided who got which bedroom. Was it by seniority? By likelihood to become future queen? Or, maybe, they had two similar sized rooms with the master bedroom being used by their parents on visits.
We'll never know, and we're OK with that.
Bonus: Kate & Pippa During Their Single London Days
They'd finished college in remote places, they each had jobs, and they were on their own in the big city after being raised in the countryside their whole lives. We know what that means: Let the good times roll! Kate and Pippa went to bars, book launches, and charity events together (they're pictured here leaving a roller-skating event to benefit a nonprofit). The only thing that could top hanging out with a sister when both are single is having an awesome flat to come back home to at the end of the night.
Bonus: The End of an Era
This is a picture of Kate and Pippa on the eve of Kate and William's wedding. They were entering the Goring Hotel, which the Middleton family rented out to accommodate their family and get ready for the big day. The shot of the sisters marks the end of an era. After coming to London post-college to work and socialize, they were going their separate ways, although, of course, they remain close to this day.
