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Why Anmer Hall is the Prince and Princess of Wales's favourite residence

Prince William and Kate were gifted their Norfolk property from the late Queen


William, Kate, George, Charlotte and Louis clap for carers outside Anmer Hall, Norfolk© Getty
Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
August 13, 2023
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The Prince and Princess of Wales are currently enjoying a break from their royal duties, while their three children are on their school summer holidays.

Prince William and Kate love to spend their time off-duty at their Norfolk residence, Anmer Hall, which was given to the couple as a wedding gift by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

From local pubs to the Sainsbury's in King's Lynn, the Prince and Princess have been spotted at various places in the county over the years, but it also affords them a great deal of privacy.

During the February half-term in 2020, Kate took Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis along to do some pottery painting at Mable's Paint Pot in Burnham Market. And it seems the ceramics store and traditional sweet shop is a favourite of the royals.

A source reveals to HELLO!: "Kate is a regular at Mable's Paint Pot, she always pops in with the children and nobody pays any attention. That's why she likes it so much here, they consider Norfolk their real home and it's because everybody treats them totally normally here and lets them get on with their lives."

As well as supporting local businesses, the Waleses have a great solution to wanting to make the most of Norfolk's fantastic beaches in the summer without drawing too much attention to themselves.

William, Kate and George, Charlotte and Louis at royal air show© Getty
The family at the royal air show in July

One local revealed to HELLO!: "They've been spotted on a yacht just off Holkham Beach, it's the perfect way for them to be able to enjoy the beach but be away from the crowds. Holkham is amazing - it's the beach from Shakespeare in Love - huge white sand with sand dunes, and although it's very popular it never feels busy, as it's so big.

"But even still, it would be hard for the royal family to come down and enjoy it during peak summer season. Being on a boat gives them privacy and security but they still get to enjoy their local beach."

William and Kate's Norfolk home, Anmer Hall© Getty
William and Kate's Norfolk home, Anmer Hall

Holkham Beach is the location where some of William and Kate's wholesome family video to mark their tenth wedding anniversary was filmed in 2011. See them playing on the sands, enjoying a countryside walk and toasting marshmallows in the clip below…

WATCH: William, Kate and their children play on Holkham beach

Anmer Hall is close to the Sandringham estate, where the royals traditionally spend Christmas. The Georgian house has ten bedrooms, and William and Kate used the property as their main residence until 2017 when the Prince was stationed as an air ambulance pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

The Waleses on Christmas Day at Sandringham© Getty
William and Kate typically spend Christmas in Norfolk

George began his education at the nearby Westacre Montessori School, and it's where Charlotte spent her early years before the family moved into Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace. The Waleses relocated to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, before the children enrolled at Lambrook School in Berkshire. 

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