Nottingham Cottage: Kensington Palace residency of Harry and Meghan explained, how big is it - and floor plan

The final parts of the contentious documentary by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been aired on Netflix. The final three parts of the six-part Harry & Meghan series were made available from 8am on Thursday (15 December).

The couple is followed from their wedding day until their departure for North America in the last three episodes, shedding light on the behind-the-scenes pressures of being a royal.

But one element of the new episodes has rubbed some viewers up the wrong way, as Harry and Meghan recall their 2018 wedding at Windsor Castle in the series’ fourth episode. As the programme goes on, they seem dissatisfied with their living arrangements as they begin their married life.

Meghan describes the Nottingham Cottage house they had been assigned as “so small”, and the couple seem to complain about the property, despite it being situated within the regal grounds of Kensington Palace.

So what is Nottingham Cottage really like? Is it fit for royalty, and how does it compare to the average British home? Here is everything you need to know.

What is Nottingham Cottage?

Nottingham Cottage is a house in the grounds of Kensington Palace in London. The house has been frequently occupied by members of the British royal family, as well as staff and employees.

Harry moved into Nottingham Cottage from Clarence House following Prince William’s departure from the property in 2013, with the house referred to as his "bachelor pad" after leaving the army.

He reportedly proposed to Meghan whilst roasting a chicken in the home; they subsequently resided together in the cottage following their engagement.

The couple lived at “Nott Cott” until 2019, when they upgraded to Frogmore Cottage ahead of the birth of their first child.

What have the couple said about the cottage?

In the episode, Harry says; “As far as people were concerned we were living in a palace... [but] we were in a cottage.”

Meghan adds: “[The grounds of] Kensington Palace sounds very regal, of course it does, it says ‘palace’ in the name. But Nottingham Cottage was so small!”

Harry explains that the property is “on a slight lean [and has] really low ceilings so I don’t know who lived there before but they must have been very short.”

The ceilings of the cottage are infamous for being low, forcing former inhabitant Prince William to constantly stoop in order to avoid striking his head.

Meghan points out that the low ceilings were also a risk for the 6 foot 1 Harry; “He would just hit his head constantly in that place constantly because he’s so tall. I don’t think anyone could believe what our life was actually like behind the scenes.”

How big is Nottingham Cottage?

Then Harry mentions a time when Oprah Winfrey "came over for tea" and looked astonished by their living arrangements: “When she sat down she looked around and said, ‘No one would ever believe it!’”

But Nottingham Cottage is a cottage in name only, at least by the standards of the average person on the street. Standing at an impressive 1,324 square feet (123.0 m2) in size, it dwarfs the average British home by comparison.

According to Shrink That Footprint, the average house size in Britain in 2022 is 818 square feet (76 m2), making Nottingham Cottage 62% larger than the average home.

Is there a floor plan?

Unsurprisingly for a private royal residence, a floor plan for Nottingham Cottage has not been made publicly available.