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Another royal is moving out of Kensington Palace

Gates of Kensington Palace
Another royal family is moving out of Kensington Palace. Photo: Getty Images

Just months after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle upped sticks and moved out of their Kensington Palace home, another royal family has decided to follow in their footsteps.

The Queen’s cousin, Prince Richard the Duke of Gloucester and his wife, Birgitte the Duchess of Gloucester are set to vacate Apartment 1 at the palace.

The 74-year-old and his 73-year-old wife have been living at the apartment since they married in 1972. It’s where they raised their three children, Lady Rose, Lady Davina and Alexander Windsor.

 Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester attend a Memorial Service for Gerald Grosvenor
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester are moving out of Kensington Palace. Photo: Getty Images

But after 47 years, all of their kids are grown up and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester are ready to downgrade and move away from their home, which is right next door to Kate Middleton and Prince William’s apartment 1A.

According to The Express, the couple will stay at the palace until later in the UK summer, when renovations on their new home are complete.

Who lives at Kensington Palace

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester’s apartment in Kensington Palace was reportedly pegged for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to move into after they married.

However, while they decided against that, there are many more royals living in the Kensington Palace grounds.

Prince William and Kate Middleton
They were living right next door to Prince William and Kate Middleton's Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace. Photo: Getty Images

Princess Eugenie and her now husband, Jack Brooksbank, moved into the three-bedroom Ivy Cottage just after their engagement in 2018.

The Queen’s first cousin, Prince Michael of Kent and his wife, Princess Michael of Kent, live in Apartment 10 at the palace, which features five bedrooms and five reception rooms.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle move out of the palace

In November, just six months after they married, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they would be moving out of their home at Kensington Palace.

Just before Meghan gave birth to baby Archie Mountbatten Windsor in April, the couple moved into a newly renovated Frogmore Cottage, which was gifted to them by the Queen.

The sprawling property has a nursery for the baby and ten bedrooms, compared to just two at their former Nottingham Cottage home in the grounds of Kensington Palace.

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Archie Mountbatten Windsor at Windsor Castle.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved out of Kensington Palace in April. Photo: Getty Images

There’s also thought to be space for a ‘gym and yoga studio’, something Meghan has previously said she loves to do.

However, the renovations have now been branded "outrageous" after it emerged that the work cost the taxpayer $4.3 million.

Works included the rewiring of electrics, the replacement of ceilings and flooring, along with the addition of new bathrooms, bedrooms and a kitchen.

While officials said fixtures and fittings were ‘substantially’ paid for by Harry and Meghan, the cost to the taxpayer is also likely to increase, given that exterior painting and landscaping still needs to be completed on the Grade II listed property.

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