Royal experts have opened up about Prince William and Princess Kate’s “place of sanctuary”

The Prince and Princess of Wales attend The Royal Charity Cup in 2022
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Wales family has been front and centre this autumn, with Princess Kate making her long-awaited return to royal duties.

The 42-year-old mother of three temporarily stepped back from her role following her cancer diagnosis earlier this year, confirming last month that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment.

"The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family," the Princess of Wales explained in a statement to announce her gradual return to duty. "Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.

"Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus," she continued. "Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes."

As Princess Kate gradually increases her workload and public appearances, the Wales family is said to be prioritising family time. This will no doubt be the case over half term, with one particular place described as the Wales family’s “place of sanctuary”.

The location in question? Their Anmer Hall home in Sandringham, Norfolk, offering the family of five community, normality and privacy.

“What we've really seen very clearly is that when it comes to the school holidays, it's family time,” explained Sky's royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills, while appearing on HELLO!s 'A Right Royal Podcast'. “It's blocked out as family time. We don't see any public engagements. And that’s what they want to do. And Norfolk, they love it. We saw it in that video that they released. That's their place of sanctuary, isn't it?"

She continued: "They get to go and muck around on the beach, in the woods. It's stunning up there, and they don't get bothered, they're just kind of part of the furniture up there. People love that they're part of the community, and just let them kind of get on with it. So that's why they love it so much.”

Well, this is lovely.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.