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Queen Elizabeth and Kate Middleton might have had a close relationship, but that doesn’t mean they always agreed on everything. The Princess of Wales, who was formerly the Duchess of Cambridge when the queen was the monarch, grew close with Prince William’s grandmother during her time in the royal family.

Kate and William often travel to the royal family’s various homes to spend some time away with their family, and Kate once decided to spearhead some renovations at Anmer Hall, one of those royal properties. However, when the queen saw the finished product, she reportedly wasn’t too impressed with one big decision Kate made.

Kate Middleton and Queen Elizabeth walking
Kate Middleton and Queen Elizabeth | Geoff Pugh/Pool/AFP

The queen couldn’t understand one aspect of Kate Middleton’s Anmer Hall renovations

William and Kate inherited Anmer Hall as a wedding gift from the queen. The couple wed in 2011, and once they had the property in their possession, Kate opted to redecorate — directing much of her focus to the home’s kitchen. But when the renovations and redecorating were done in 2015, the queen couldn’t understand why Kate invested so much of the process (and the $2 million price tag) into the kitchen.

Speaking to People back in 2022, royal author Sally Bedell Smith said the queen was none too pleased that Kate had focused so heavily on the kitchen renovation. “I remember when they had just finished renovating Anmer Hall, and they invited the Queen over for lunch,” Smith told the magazine. “They have one of those big kitchens with eating areas, and [the queen] said, ‘I can’t understand why everybody spends their time in the kitchen.’” The comment, though somewhat passive aggressive, clearly suggested the queen couldn’t understand Kate’s design choice. Of course, the queen had spent most of her life at that point having been cooked for and never took up the hobby herself, which is why she might not get it. Plus, Kate is likely up with current design trends, and big, open kitchens are popular.

Renovations at Anmer Hall in 2014
Renovations at Anmer Hall in 2014 | Chris Radburn/PA Images/Getty Images
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Kate Middleton enjoys cooking with her family

Despite being a royal, Kate does occasionally have some downtime. And she has two favorite hobbies: photography and cooking. The princess is often the one taking photos of her children and other royals for big announcements, but when she’s not playing around with the camera, she’s likely cooking with her kids.

Kate has opened up about how the children love helping out in the kitchen, and she loves doing pizza night with William and the whole family. They do say the kitchen is the heart of the home, so Kate likely just wanted a large, homey space where her family could gather with plenty of space to prepare meals together. Kate and William have been working hard to give their kids a normal life, and a big part of that is spending quality time with the family. William and Kate even moved their kids out of Kensington Palace and onto the grounds of Windsor Castle with the hope of offering them a bit more privacy while they grow up.

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