Her recent visit to Marina Mills, a small family-run business known for furnishing royal homes, suggests she may have been planning details for months. It would not be surprising if she walked away from that visit with fabric samples or design ideas for the new house. Reports also mention a grand antique dining table capable of seating 24 people. Since Forest Lodge is expected to remain their home even after William becomes king, such a piece will likely become part of many family gatherings in the years to come.
Kate’s artistic sensibility is well known. Her degree in art history shows in the way she curates interiors, something even Prince Harry remarked on in his memoir. He described the Kensington Palace apartment she once redesigned as “magnificent,” comparing it to a gallery for its tasteful mix of artwork, textures and soft colours. When the Obamas visited in 2016, photographs from the evening reflected just how polished and thoughtfully arranged the space was.
By contrast, Harry wrote that he and Meghan felt slightly out of place returning to their own modest, mismatched furniture afterwards, joking about Ikea lamps and bargain sofas.
Settling in with gratitude
