{"id":2077,"date":"2014-06-23T10:45:09","date_gmt":"2014-06-23T10:45:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/english.thesunrisetoday.com\/?p=2077"},"modified":"2014-06-23T10:45:09","modified_gmt":"2014-06-23T10:45:09","slug":"will-and-kate-splurge-on-new-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english.thesunrisetoday.com\/index.php\/will-and-kate-splurge-on-new-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Will and Kate splurge on new home"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Kate<\/a>The British monarchy has defended the cost of refurbishing a Kensington Palace apartment for Prince William, his wife Catherine and their baby son Prince George.
\nA royal spokesman did not confirm the seven-figure cost \u2014 reportedly at \u00a34 million ($6.8 million, five million euros) \u2014 for repairs and refurbishments, but said the royal couple had paid for their own furnishings.
\nThe bill includes extensive work on the 17th-century London palace apartment, including installing a new roof, overhauling the electrics and carrying out plumbing repairs, while work was needed to remove asbestos.
\nWilliam and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have taken up Apartment 1A, formerly the home of princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s sister, who died in 2002.
\nThe living space was last refurbished in 1963, shortly after the newly-married Margaret moved in.
\nThe apartment was designed by Christopher Wren, the architect who built London\u2019s St. Paul\u2019s Cathedral.
\n\u201cThis is the Duke and Duchess\u2019s one and only official residence. It is here that they plan to stay for many, many years to come,\u201d the royal spokesman said.
\n\u201cWe also had to take into account the fact that Kensington Palace is a scheduled ancient monument, and all elements of the refurbishment had to be agreed with English Heritage,\u201d the conservation body responsible for protecting historic sites.
\n\u201cOften this meant ensuring a high standard of work in line with the historical significance of the Christopher Wren building.\u201d
\nHe said William and Kate, both 32, \u201cpaid privately\u201d for all the internal furnishings, including carpets and curtains. The couple were also at pains to ensure that the specification was not extravagant, the spokesman said.
\nSteeped in royal history, Kensington Palace, part of which is open to the public, is William\u2019s childhood home. It was the main residence for him and his brother Prince Harry until 1998.
\nWilliam and Kate had been living in the small Nottingham Cottage within the Kensington Palace complex. The plan was for Harry to take it over when the Cambridges moved into the palace proper.<\/p>\n

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