Kate Middleton freshens up her new palace digs
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Queen Elizabeth II view part of the Royal Faberge collection from the former Kate Middleton’s marriage to Prince William in April 2011. Queen Elizabeth II described the exhibition as creepy, due in part to the way Kate’s wedding dress is displayed in the ballroom on a headless mannequin with the veil suspended above it.
Just because Kate Middleton and Prince William became part of British history with their royal wedding does not mean they must live in the past at their new Kensington Palace apartment.
Replacing traditional elegance with modern, yet classy, sophistication, Kate is hard at work transforming the stale quarters into something she can be proud of as a princess to call home. She's having British interior designer Kelly Hoppen help to give a new look to the 2-bedroom palace apartment.
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She's not just remodeling the aesthetics of the apartment but also the scent.
The duchess bought $1,458 worth of air fresheners and candles designed by Hoppen. Kate hopes these will cut the musty scent for at least the next 6 months. The Duchess did something similar for the British royal wedding when she placed her favorite Jo Malone orange blossom candles throughout Westminster Abbey.
When she wasn't busy making herself at home, literally, Kate eased into her duties as Duchess of Cambridge by inspecting the display of royal wedding items alongside her husband's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. The two royals admired Kate's wedding gown and cake at Buckingham Palace, where the items will remain on public display through October 2011.
Kate has another chance to get friendly with Queen Elizabeth in August when they stay at the royal estate in Balmoral, Scotland. The duchess broke tradition when she and her prince did not visit their subjects in Scotland during their royal honeymoon. The queen feels it is her duty to present Kate to Scotland in this manner so that the duchess can begin learning the royal traditions involved with these visits, such as never sitting in the late Queen Victoria's chair, says the Huffington Post.
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