Nottingham Cottage

Nottingham Cottage stands in the grounds of Kensington Palace in the City of Westminster. The house is one of several grace-and-favour properties reserved for royal staff and employees. Its low ceilings forced earlier residents like the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex to bend when passing through doorways. The cottage measures 123 square metres and sits beside Ivy Cottage and Wren Cottage. It was designed by Christopher Wren, who also gave his name to the nearby Wren Cottage. The building began as Nottingham House, home to the 2nd Earl of Nottingham before William III and Mary II turned it into Kensington Palace. The cottage has housed many members of the royal family and their close aides. Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and his wife Princess Alice once lived there. Marion Crawford, former governess to Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, stayed from 1948 to 1950. Queen Mary decorated the cottage with Victorian furniture and floral prints as a gift. Later residents included Miles Hunt-Davis, private secretary to Prince Philip, and Robert Fellowes, private secretary to Elizabeth II. Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge made it their London home after their marriage. Visitors cannot enter the cottage but can view it from the palace grounds. The red-brick exterior is softened by climbing roses around the door. Inside, the compact rooms reflect its long history of royal occupation. The cottage’s small size and low ceilings remain defining features. Its location near the palace’s formal gardens adds to the quiet charm of the setting.