When it comes to keeping their private lives actually private, no public figure does it better than the royal family. As much as we're dying to know every detail of Kate Middleton and Prince William's lives, they manage to keep it all under wraps — including the details of their homes in Kensington Palace and Anmer Hall. Fortunately, the royals have given us a few glimpses of their living quarters here and there, and it's kind of cool how these rooms reflect the personalities and interests of the people living in them, just as we'd suspect.
Lately, more of us have been working from home, and the royals aren't exempt from that. Aside from photos and videos they've shared on social media over the years, this year alone we've gotten to see more than a few peeks at Queen Elizabeth's home office in Buckingham Palace, where Prince Charles and Camilla work and play, and of course, a few looks at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's new California digs.
Read on for all the times the royals showed off their homes. We're still holding out for individual episodes of MTV's Cribs about all of their spaces, but for now, these pics and videos will just have to do.
Kate's All White Room
During a September video call about parent-to-parent support programs, Kate showed off a room at Kensington Palace in the background of her screen, and it was just as classy as this lady is herself. There wasn't a lot going on behind her — just some white molding and high ceilings — but it reflected everything we know about Kate's interior design style at the same time.
An Ornate Room at Anmer Hall
While on a call about her #HoldStill photography contest, the Duchess of Cambridge's background reflected a never-before-seen room thought to be at her country home, Anmer Hall, and this time, it showed off a little of her personal flair. Behind her was a beautiful lamp, a mirror, and several plates hung as decoration … and it totally looked like decor Kate would pick out.
Kate's Home Office
When the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge began working from their home at Anmer Hall in early 2020, we got a glimpse of their home offices, and Kate's said so much about her. According to a royal expert, Kate's office was very kid-friendly and welcoming if Prince George, Princess Charlotte, or Prince Louis should want to stop by and hang out, and that she kept a collection of books on her desk, including Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.
Will's Office
In the same Instagram post, we also got to see where Will works from home, and it's a lot more down-to-business than Kate's home office. Here, he's surrounded by a marble fireplace, a huge decorative lamp, and plenty of desk space to get things done. His style seems to be more serious, but then again, so is Will himself.
Meghan's Santa Barbara Living Room
Meghan and Harry recently settled into their home in Santa Barbara, California, and during a surprise video appearance on America's Got Talent in September, fans got a good look at Meghan's living room. Here, she looks super comfy in her cozy living room, surrounded by plenty of books, candles, and wall art hanging behind her, with lots of throw pillows for maximum comfort.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
Meghan & Harry's Backyard
In a video, Meghan and Harry filmed urging their fans in the US to vote, we got a quick look at their brand new backyard. Not only do they have that rustic wooden bench — perfect for these proud parents to sit and watch Archie play — it also looks like they have plenty of green space and trees for privacy, which we know is pretty important to them.
Meghan's Fireplace
During a video call, celebrating the one-year anniversary of her collection with SmartWorks, Meghan filmed from in front of a giant stone fireplace in her home. The fireplace itself was gorgeous (seems like totally Meghan's style), and it also featured a vintage California print hanging above it. The artwork for the sheet music for California's state anthem, "I Love You, California."
Meghan's Classy Corner
While filming a video for the 19th Summit, Meghan Markle gave us a peek at another area of her Santa Barbara home. This didn't show off quite as many decor details as her other video calls have, but we can see a houseplant and the white molding on the walls behind her. Seems like she likes to keep things clean and simple when it comes to decor.
Another Angle of Meghan & Harry's Home
In yet another video call from Meghan and Harry — filmed for the Queen's Commonwealth Trust — we get to see another angle of the room with the impressive fireplace in it. This time, we got to see that there seem to be plenty of windows for natural light in their home, and more confirmation that the couple seems to be fans of indoor greenery.
Prince Charles' Office
There have been many times we've gotten a look into Clarence House, the home that Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, share, and that includes Charles' office as he's been working from home. His desk seems to be decorated with plenty of ornate pieces, and behind him is a tall bookshelf filled with some books that look like they've definitely acquired antique status.
Camilla's Office
Prince Charles hasn't been the only one at Clarence House working from home! Here, we can see Camilla hard at work at her desk. Her office is also filled with plenty of books, as well as family photos. Judging by the paperwork on her desk, it seems like this lady keeps herself quite busy. Fortunately, she has those bright and colorful flowers to keep her mood upbeat, even during long days.
Camilla's Wall of Horses
The Duchess of Cornwall has always been a huge lover of horses, so is it any surprise that there's a whole area of Clarence House that's dedicated to them? Known as the Horse Corridor, this hallway is home to so much horse-related artwork … and those look like really gorgeous antique frames.
Impressive!
The Kitchens at Buckingham Palace
Since Queen Elizabeth lives at Buckingham Palace, of course, over the years we've gotten plenty of looks into her home … and this is definitely one of the most interesting. This 2011 video gives a tour of the kitchens at the palace, which are quite impressive — not that we'd ever expect anything less. After all, this is where the Queen's meals are cooked!
Queen Elizabeth's Home Office
Just like everyone else in the royal family, Queen Elizabeth has been working from home a lot in 2020, and we got a look at her home office when the palace shared this photo of her and Prime Minister Boris Johnson chatting on the phone in March. Her office looked exactly how we imagined it would — down to the corgi statue on her desk.
The East Wing at Buckingham Palace
In this video from 2018, the royal family showed off the East Wing of Buckingham Palace, the reservicing team was working together to move items out from the royal collection to help the palace become more energy efficient. Regardless of the purpose of the video itself, it gave us a pretty detailed look at what that part of the palace is like.
Kensington Palace at Easter
For Easter 2020, Will and Kate shared a photo of the outside of their living quarters at Kensington Palace, including these pretty yellow daffodils that make this shot the perfect springtime representation of Apartment 1A. We can just imagine Charlotte, George, and Louis running around on this lawn on a nice day.
House Where Kate Grew Up
In this video of Kate's brother, James Middleton, shaving his beard, he showed off part of their childhood home — the place where Kate grew up. Here, we can see the patio in what appears to be Kate's family home's backyard, complete with tons of greenery, a table for outdoor meals and hanging out, and lots of room on the lawn.
Will & Kate's Home at Kensington Palace
In October 2020, Will and Kate hopped on a call with first responders in Australia who worked on fighting the bushfires, and in the process, they revealed another room in their house. This time, they were sitting on a couch with pink throw pillows that were almost certainly chosen by Kate, and behind them was more white molding and some ornate wall sconces.
