The Queen Had a Strong Opinion About Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Renovated Kitchen

Kate Middleton, Prince William, and Queen Elizabeth

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 6 August 2022

Her Majesty and Kate Middleton share many an attribute—as PEOPLE puts it, “they both value discretion, loyalty, and duty”—but, according to the outlet, they differ on some key points: including, apparently, the importance of a kitchen where you can not just cook, but also eat.

The Queen recently visited the Cambridges at their country home, Anmer Hall, located in Norfolk on Her Majesty’s Sandringham estate. William and Kate moved into Anmer Hall after major renovations in 2015 and like to keep it unstuffy there; “Kate has been known to come to the door with the kids and one of her lasagnas baking in the oven,” PEOPLE reports.

The Queen seemed a little less than impressed with their newly renovated kitchen—especially its eat-in area—and wasn’t afraid to say so.

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“I remember when they had just finished renovating Anmer Hall, and they invited the Queen over for lunch,” says Sally Bedell Smith, author of Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch. “They have one of those big kitchens with eating areas, and she said, ‘I can’t understand why everybody spends their time in the kitchen.’”

Hopefully William and Kate will remember this anecdote before inviting Her Majesty over for meals in the near future—the Cambridges are set to move to Windsor imminently, putting them in close geographic proximity to the Queen, who now permanently lives at Windsor Castle. Despite their differences in opinion on kitchens, Her Majesty “will be delighted by the move, say friends,” according to PEOPLE.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.