Ever the couple to eschew royal tradition in favor of doing things with their own modern approach, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are reportedly building a special "granny flat" for Kate Middleton's mother Carole in their Kensington Palace residence, the Mirror reports.
The two-bedroom annex to Apartment 1A, currently undergoing renovations, will cost the Palace roughly $2 million, which will be added to their 21-room home. The flat which was previously occupied by Princess Margaret will provide a place to stay for the Duchess's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton. While Apartment 1A continues being worked on, the Duke and Duchess are staying at the Middleton manor in Bucklebury, Berkshire, Carole providing plenty of help in caring for Prince George in the serene country environment.
While the Duke and Duchess have expressed interest in being "independent" in raising their son, they are also willing to accept all of the help they can get as they return to work on their royal duties. Prince William has already gone back to work in North Wales as a search-and-rescue pilot, and on Sept. 12, Kate Middleton will make her first post-baby public appearance at the Tusk Conservation Awards, where she will be a guest of honor.
In the meantime, much is still left to be done, including designing Prince George's Palace nursery, which the royal couple have opted to decorate around an African safari-inspired jungle theme, complete with plenty of cuddly animal toys.
"We'll cover it in, you know, lots of bushes and things like that. [We'll] make him grow up as if he's in the bush," Prince William said during his upcoming one-hour special, "Prince William's Passion: New Father, New Hope," set to air Sept. 15, soon after the Duchess returns to her royal duties.
Since the Duke and Duchess will soon have their hands full with obligations, they are considering hiring Prince William's former nanny, 71-year old Jessie Webb, who has a very special relationship with him. With the help of Webb and the Middletons, who rain a "tight ship" with their children, Prince George will have no shortage of parental figures in his life. As they say, it takes a village to raise a child.
