Royal who swerved family tradition by ditching Kensington Palace for more ‘private’ home

Ever since it was first purchased by William of Orange and his wife, Queen Mary II, Kensington Palace has served as a traditional residence for the British royal family. 

Today, Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace serves as the primary London residence for Prince William and Princess Kate. 

Though they mostly spend their days in Windsor, and will soon be moving into their new home, Forest Lodge, the Prince of Wales appears to use the apartment when he’s working in London.

However, one British royal has completely shunned the historic family tradition of living in Kensington Palace, and the answer may surprise you. 

Princess Alexandra was the only one of Princess Marina and Prince George, Duke of Kent’s children to break tradition, and live away from Kensington Palace.

Instead, the 88-year-old lives in her beloved Thatched House Lodge, a Grade-II listed property in Richmond Park.

Princess Alexandra’s four-acre London home

Originally, Thatched House Lodge was built as two houses back in 1673, reserved for Richmond Park keepers, though it later became a grace-and-favour home for succeeding members of the royal family.

The incredible residence sits on four acres of land and has been Princess Alexandra’s home since 1963. She previously shared it with her late husband, Sir Angus Ogilvy, and their two children, James and Marina.

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It is believed that the sprawling home boasts six reception rooms and six bedrooms, with a separate 18th-century two-room summer house, a gardener’s cottage and stables also on the grounds.

The gardens also include a lawn with a concrete path that leads down to what appears to now be an empty swimming pool.

Princess Alexandra may have wanted a more ‘private’ home life

Thatched House Lodge is a gorgeous home, but Danielle Stacey, HELLO!‘s Online Royal Correspondent believes that there are some other reasons why the Ogilvy couple opted to live there.

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Giving some background on the property, she said: “Although Thatched House Lodge is considered a royal residence, it was acquired by Princess Alexandra’s husband, Sir Angus Ogilvy, on a lease from the Crown Estate in 1963.”

Danielle continued: “The fact that Sir Angus declined an Earldom from Queen Elizabeth II after his marriage to Alexandra suggests that the newlyweds wanted to live and bring their family up in a more private property than if they had chosen to live in one of the palaces.”