As palace security reels from an incredibly close call at Windsor Castle over Christmas, in which a man armed with a crossbow got perilously close to the Queen’s private quarters, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have stepped forward with a solution.
A source tells Woman’s Day they’ve suggested Her Majesty, 95, downsizes, and moves into the empty apartment next to theirs at Kensington Palace.
“William and Catherine have been worried about her long before an intruder shook everyone up.”
(Image: Getty Images)“It makes perfect sense, really,” says a source.
“With Prince Philip gone, she’s rattling around Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle – which, due to its sheer size, is terribly difficult to protect – alone, aside from a handful of trusted staff. William and Catherine have been worried about her long before an intruder shook everyone up.”
Our insider says it was Kate, 40, who suggested “perhaps taking her under our wing” at their London residence.
“Kate thinks it would be good for her. The Queen loves the children and always says they keep her young,” says a source.
“At Kensington Palace, she’ll be able to look out the window and see them playing whenever she likes, and of course she’d have an open invitation to pop in and see them. For Kate, taking care of the Queen in her twilight years feels like the perfect way to repay her for all the counsel and guidance she’s given her since she married William.”
Kate wants to repay the Queen for her kindness.
(Image: Getty Images)A palace insider tells us that courtiers “can see the logic in such a move”.
“At her age, it makes sense to downsize. Even Philip preferred a smaller hunter’s lodge in Sandringham to the castles, toward the end. She would feel much more comfortable in a smaller home,” says a source.
“And there’s a perfect solution – a fully renovated, empty apartment right next door to the future king and his young family.”
In 2017, ahead of Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle, “hurried renovations” began on 21-room apartment 1 at Kensington Palace, the expectation it would become the newlyweds’ home.
“It turned out to be a very expensive mistake,” says the insider.
“Meghan and Harry fell out with the Cambridges and refused to live next door to them, so the decision was made to send them to Frogmore Cottage instead. It was thought that apartment 1 might be saved for Prince George when he’s of age, but in the meantime, it stands empty. It would be ideal for the Queen.”
Kate’s been showing Charlotte how to curtsey.
(Image: Getty Images)Charlotte’s curtsey lessons
With the potential for Gan-gan moving in next door, sources say Princess Charlotte is “very excited” to continue perfecting her curtsey to her grandmother.
The six-year-old was spotted pulling off the move at Christmas in 2019, and insiders say that since then, she’s “worked very hard” to get it right.
“Kate’s been showing her how it’s done,” says a source.
“Charlotte is adorable with her great-granny and is always anxious to show off her skills, which makes the Queen chuckle. Her brothers get jealous and ask why they have to bow to her when they want to curtsey, too!”
