A luxurious apartment in Kensington Palace has been renovated for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, and the work may have begun before the couple even announced their engagement.
Markle and Prince Harry announced their upcoming wedding on Nov. 27, 2017. However, photos published by Daily Mail show that maintenance crews were working on their prospective home in Kensington Palace since at least the beginning of that month.
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The palace was surrounded by scaffolding and ladders as crews got it ready for the newlyweds. Work crews re-did the roof of Apartment 1 in just a few weeks, reportedly adding new mortar over the chimney stacks. While the world focused on the engagement, locals had been fascinated for months watching the white plastic sheets cover and uncover parts of the building, while a massive team worked at top speed.
Prince Harry himself reportedly took a personal interest in the work, which clued some on the ground in to what the apartment would be for.
“He keeps popping round and asking when it will be ready. He seems in a real hurry to move in with Meghan,” a source told Daily Mail.
The prince and Markle will reportedly live right next door to Kate Middleton and Prince William, making them an active aunt and uncle in the lives of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and now Prince Louis.
As far as their preparations for co-habitating, the prince has reportedly made some concessions. According to insiders, Markle convinced Prince Harry to give up smoking and reduce his alcohol consumption. They added that part of the motivation was long-term health, as the couple hopes to start a family not long after the wedding.
Last year, Royal courtiers suggested that Markle would simply be moving in with Prince Harry in Nottingham Cottage, which is also on the grounds of Kensington Palace. The two-bedroom “bachelor pad” has suited the young prince well, but sources close to him say that he always planned to leave it once he started his family. The two-bedroom “Nott Cott” as it is commonly referred to doesn’t quite compare to the 21-bedroom Apartment 1.
That would be ideal for the couple if they are indeed looking to have children as soon as they’re married. Before they announced their engagement, the apartment was reportedly occupied by the Queen’s cousin, Richard the Duke of Gloucester. However, the 73-year-old’s children are now grown up, and he offered to vacate so that the newlyweds could have the magnificent dwelling.
