Maria Borrallo, who has been the children’s live-in nanny since 2014, will still work for the family but live elsewhere
It might seem counterintuitive for a family of five to be downsizing, but in a few weeks that’s exactly what the Cambridges have in store. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are set to move to a four-bedroomed cottage on the Windsor estate, with children Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven and Prince Louis, four.
The Grade II-listed property, called Adelaide Cottage, will mark a significant change from the family’s previous residence — the 20-room Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace.
And, perhaps most significantly for the children, there will not be room for the family’s long-time live-in nanny Maria Borrallo, the Telegraph reports.
Borrallo will continue to work for the Duke and Duchess but will no longer be on hand 24/7. The Norland-trained nanny has been part of the Cambridge household since 2014, when Prince George was eight months old. She is often seen with the family at royal events and sometimes travels with them on holiday, known for her strict rules for George, Charlotte and Louis.
It’s thought that a Kensington Palace housekeeper and a chef will also be kept on at the new residence, but again, will have to live elsewhere.
Kate and William are making the move in order to give their kids the most “normal” upbringing possible. The relatively modest cottage is surrounded by the highly secure Windsor estate. This will allow the family far more privacy than at Kensington Palace, which borders a high street and the Kensington Palace Gardens.
The Camrbidges’ will also be much closer to Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, who are thought to be the couple’s role models for family life.
The three children will start at their new school in September — a co-educational Berkshire prep school. With a much shorter commute than they had in London, apparently the Cambridges hope to do the school run themselves wherever they can.
Hopefully, the children won’t feel the loss of their live-in nanny as harshly if they get to see more of their parents and grandparents, too.