As senior members of the royal family, the Prince and Princess of Wales are fortunate to live in impressive royal residences with staff at their fingertips, however, before the pair wed, they weren't immune to living more modestly.
Kate, the eldest of the three Middleton siblings, resided in a flat in Chelsea with Pippa and James before she married Prince William and, according to James, the flat was where she and William would hang out "discreetly".
The author and business owner, 37, was discussing his previous living situation in his revealing new book, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, and shared that, in 2010, he would stay with his sisters from time to time in between working in London and studying at Edinburgh University, but would steer clear of the home when the royal would visit his then-girlfriend for cosy nights at home.
© Chris JacksonJames shared some interesting insight about how William and Kate, who were not yet engaged at the time but had been in a relationship for six years, would spend time together at the flat in Chelsea but made sure that the royal could visit without the media glare.
"By now, William has been dating Catherine for six years, so I know him well and there is no scramble to clear up when he comes to supper," James says.
"Sometimes I'll be walking back to our flat late in the evening when an officer in a police protection car, parked discreetly up the road, alerts me to the fact that William is visiting, and Ella and I will make an extra lop of the block to delay our return."
James also candidly admitted that the home would get "messy" thanks to his visits! He writes: "I still have a toehold in Edinburgh but spend more time in London now, where Pippa and Catherine are not too thrilled to have their little brother disrupting their orderly, tidy existence, strewing damp clothes over the bathroom floor, leaving unwashed crockery in the sink and letting Ella pad wet-pawed across the living room carpet."
© PoolHe added: "But they bustle round in their kind, sisterly way, clearing up after their messy little brother with only the mildest of rebukes."
The property in question was an apartment on Old Church Street in Chelsea, which Carole and James Middleton had bought back in 2002 for their children to use when working in the city.
© InstagramThe family also resided at their vast property in Bucklebury, Berkshire.
The home was formed of three storeys with three bedrooms (one master suite with an en-suite), two bathrooms, a large living room, dining room, kitchen and a guest bathroom.
The bedrooms were all situated on the very top floor.
© GettyAfter Kate married William in 2011, the sisters moved out and the flat was eventually sold in 2018 for £1.95 million.
Meanwhile, James now lives in a farmhouse in Berkshire with his wife, Alizée, their one-year-old son, Inigo, and their six dogs.
As for whether they'd have more children, James told HELLO! in a recent exclusive interview they would like to expand their family, "if we're fortunate enough to be able to".
