Kensington Palace

[pacomartin]

I know that when the senior Duke of Kent died in the 1940's they were living in Belgravia square. However, once Queen Elizabeth II was crowned she gave Princess Marina a grace and favor apartment in KP. At that point Prince Michael was probably about 11 years old. She lived there until she died in 1967. When Michael got married in 1978 he was given another G&F apartment in KP as his city home.
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Does anyone know if he got the same apartment he lived in as a teenager? If he did not, is the old apartment occupied by his older brother? Or is it occupied by someone else, or is it incorporated as a part of a larger residence?

[Connie Cutmantle]

Apparently the Gloucesters live in part of the apartment once occupied by Princess Marina known then as Apartment 1. Now the Gloucesters apartment is designated as Apartment 4. It is also believed that Princess Margaret's former butler Harold Brown had an apartment that was also part of the original Apartment 1 occupied by Princess Marina. This complicates things but one has to remember that the size and area of apartments have changed over the decades! But it would explain the renumbering as apartments were altered, sub-divided and so on!

The Michaels live at Number 10 which was previously occupied by Princess Margaret and Lord Snowden when they were first married. Princess Margaret later moved into Apartment Number 1A . The present Duke and Duchess of Kent used to live at York House, St James's Palace and later they moved to Wren House which is within the Kensington Palace complex. I hope this all makes sense to you!

[pacomartin]

Is it just married couples who are given grace and favor apartments? How big are these apartments? Are we talking 2000 or 6000 square feet? Did Prince William of Gloucester live there until his death at the age of 30 on 28 august 1972? Did the Gloucesters move into their dead brother's apartment when they got married on 8 July 1972 or did they move in after his father died in 1974. Did they have adjoining apartments with Richards mother who died in 2002.

[Connie Cutmantle]

Really Paco....you sound like an estate agent brandishing a tape measure!! (Just joking!) KP was always useful for allocating apartments/London homes to aunts and relations generally, such as widowed ones like Victoria Milford Haven, Princess Beatrice etc, but the Tecks and the Duke of Sussex and his wife the Duchess of Inverness, the Carisbrookes and the Athlones amongst other also had homes here as did Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll (The place was colloquially known as the Aunt's heap!) It was not a 'set in stone' rule that one had to be married to qualify for an apartment at KP. Princess Victoria (1868 - 1935) also had an apartment at KP as well. With regards to Prince William of Gloucester....I was under the impression that he used to share with his parents when he was at home....as he did spend quite extended periods abroad! With regards to the 'Richards' I am not sure about their apartment at KP during the remainder of the 1st Duke's lifetime! I was under the impression that Princess Alice more or less lived with Richard and Birgitte at KP after Barnwell was leased or at least shared their household staff anyway

With regards to dimensions......oh heavens I have never been any good with dimensions, measurements etc! Maybe someone else can help here!