prince harry meghan markle kensington palace© Photo: Getty Images

How Meghan Markle put her own stamp on Prince Harry's home Nottingham Cottage after moving in

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex lived together at Kensington Palace for over a year

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Lifestyle Features Editor
September 7, 2020

Nottingham Cottage was the first place the Duke and Duchess of Sussex lived together, with Meghan moving into the property at Kensington Palace around the time she announced her engagement to Prince Harry in November 2017.

RELATED: Where Meghan Markle lived before moving in with Prince Harry

Prince Harry lived there alone for several years before his fiancée moved in, and it appears she wasted no time in putting her own personal stamp on the cosy two-bedroom cottage, affectionately nicknamed "Nott Cott".

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Writing in the new royal biography, Finding Freedom, authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand have shared some insight into what the couple's first marital home was really like inside, writing: "There was work to be done on the domestic front. During her previous stays in London, Meghan left clothes and a few decorative touches, but now she had to find room for all her belongings.

"Her natural eye for design had gone a long way toward dressing up the house, but there wasn't really anything she could do about the size."

Prince Harry and Meghan lived together at Nottingham Cottage when they were first married

The book notes that in parts of the second floor the ceilings were so low that Prince Harry "was forced to stoop his six-one frame", while Meghan almost took over an entire bedroom with her wardrobe. However, it didn't bother the couple too much as they were finally living together after months of being in a long-distance relationship.

RELATED: Inside Prince Harry and Meghan's first marital home, Nottingham Cottage

As for how Meghan styled the property? Her former Toronto home gave an indication of the Suits actress' personal style. "Meghan decorated like she dressed. She was a big fan of mixing high-end and low-end products," the authors note. So while she invested in quality pieces of art, she also "turned to affordable places such as HomeSense, IKEA, and even Home Depot" for other pieces, including furniture and accessories.

Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, £13.60Amazon

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Meghan and Harry lived together at Nottingham Cottage for over a year before moving into Frogmore Cottage in spring 2019, shortly before the birth of their son Archie. The couple have kept their UK residence despite relocating to the US earlier this year, where they recently bought an £11.2million property in Montecito, Santa Barbara.

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