After the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William spent the week screaming their lungs out in the royal box at Wimbledon it seems they have been inspired to get serious about their tennis.
According to the British press the Duke and Duchess have submitted an application to demolish the old tennis court at their property in Anmer Hall, Norfolk and upgrade it with a new state-of-the-art version.
Both William and Kate are avid tennis players and according to the Mail on Sunday documents posted on the King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough council website indicate that the young royals would like to replace their current court with an artificial grass court that would be situated 36ft to the right. The cost is reported to be upwards of £60,000 – roughly $125,000 AUD.
Kate, who is a regular player at the posh All England Club, is set to be behind the project that are quite unlike the more thrifty spending habits of the Queen.
The Duchess hopes the new tennis area would include planting more hedges for privacy on their nearly nine acre property – all of which is reportedly going to be paid for privately.
It is also reported that Kate and Wills are looking to invest in a vegie garden which would align with Prince Charles’ push for sustainable farming and the Queen’s seasonal eating habits.
Anmer Hall is one of the 150 properties owned by the Queen on her 20,000 acre estate in north Norfolk and is only two miles east of Sandringham House.
According to the Mail the Cambridges have spent two years and nearly £2.5 million refurbishing the Georgian manor house which was presented as a gift to Prince William for his 30th birthday.
The property holds fond memories for William who as a child used to spend holidays playing with the children of Hugh van Cutsem who used to lease the property from the Queen.
It is likely that Kate and William hope they will finish the Anmer Hall refurbishments in time for their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte to run amuck the same way Wills and Prince Harry did with the van Cutsem boys.
