It is more than an hour to the nearest chic shopping centre and a world away from glitzy West End nightclubs, but Kate Middleton is busy mapping out a new life living in the Welsh countryside. Kate’s future lies in a North Wales farmhouse where she and Prince William plan to spend a growing amount of time together in the next few months. It could even end up being their first marital home.

A friend of the couple tells Richard Palmer that, for the moment at least, Kate intends to continue working for her family’s Berkshire-based business, Party Pieces, but is likely to spend an increasing amount of time with William in North Wales, where he will be based as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot for the next 3 years. William moved into a farmhouse this week to allow him and Kate more privacy.

As a Flight Lieutenant co-pilot earning around £35,000 a year, Prince William will work 24-hour shifts, sleeping at his base when on duty.  He will work 3 of those 24-hour shifts in a 6-day period and in times of emergency, such as widespread flooding, could be on call the next day, meaning he will have to be within an hour of the base.

But there will be long periods off in each month, while at other times he will be doing routine training. Typically, he will work 7 or 8 shifts a month and normally no more than 10. The job has its dangers. Emergency calls can be treacherous in bad weather and William is likely to find himself in some challenging situations. But this is exactly why he choose RAF Valley and its challenging terrain.

Life in a secluded countryside might have its down side, but it may bring the privacy the couple yearns. While William will continue with his royal obligations, looks like we won’t be seeing too much ribbon-cutting for years to come.

Article: The Express

On a lighter note, here’s another Kate – Diana fashion comparison.  It’s definitely not new.  As usual, the papers probably just need something to fill their pages…

Article with side-by-side pictures: Kate Middleton takes style inspiration from Prince William’s late mother (Daily Mail)

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