William and Kate have hired one of the Queen's most trusted servants as their new housekeeper.Pregnant Kate Middleton and her husband Prince William, who are expecting their first baby in July, have given the most sought-after job in the royal household to 42-year-old Italian Antonella Fresolone. The petite Italian – who was one of the Queen's three top housemaids – has landed the highly-coveted post after being appointed as the couple's housekeeper with Her Majesty's blessing to help them in their new life as parents.
Antonella won't be at all new to royal households. She has worked at Buckingham Palace for 13 years, was a valued and popular member of staff with both the Queen and her former colleagues, and is known for her wonderful Italian cooking. It is believed that the Italian, who is not married and doesn't have any children, began her new role overseeing the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges' household two weeks ago. She has moved into a staff apartment at Kensington Palace, where the couple are renovating their new family home. She is already tending to their every need, and will certainly be paying special attention to pregnant Kate at Nottingham Cottage, their temporary accommodation at the royal residence. They are currently staying there while apartment 1a, Princess Margaret's former 20-bedroom home, is being renovated for them to move into with their new baby in the autumn. The experienced staff member, who was among the dozens of qualified professionals that applied for the £23,000-a-year position, is famed for her strong work ethic and dedication to the royal family.
A royal insider said, "Antonella is renowned for being very hard working. She is extremely dedicated and fully intends for this job to become her whole life. The Queen will have given it her blessing. She does not like to stop people progressing through the ranks and will be happy that William and Kate have someone they can trust. " She is perfect for the role, for which William and Kate outlined "discretion, loyalty and reliability" as paramount. Their January ad for a new housekeeper – which will be key in the next stage of their lives as they welcome their first baby into their home, also stated that "Attention to detail, together with a flexible and pro-active approach is essential." Antonella's duties will include cleaning all areas of the residence, caring for the new family's clothing, silverware and glassware, doing all the laundry, along with walking their black cocker spaniel Lupo.
