The world stopped on April 29, 2011, to witness Kate Middleton exchange vows with Prince William at a beautiful ceremony in Westminster Abbey, London. According to Vogue, the grand event garnered 2 billion television viewers worldwide. In addition, the outlet ranked Kate and William’s wedding ceremony as No. 1 out of 23 most memorable royal weddings of all time.

Prince William and Kate Middleton are some of the most beloved members of the royal family. The parents of three are fan favorites in the UK and abroad, not only for their family values but also for their charity work. At the time of Kate and William’s marriage, the couple had been together for eight years. They started dating at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where the two completed their undergraduate degrees. Since then, the Cambridge couple has been busy building a family that now includes 4-year-old Prince Louis, 7-year-old Princess Charlotte and 9-year-old Prince George. Additionally, the prince and duchess are prominent public figures in the United Kingdom who contribute to numerous philanthropic efforts — when they aren’t taking care of the Cambridge brood or posing for romantic photos, that is.

Over the years, Kate Middleton often brought up how idyllic her childhood has been, and a video posted by her brother, James Middleton, now reveals why, as it is granting people a rare glimpse inside the duchess’s childhood home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, with a short appearance of her parents Carole and Michael Middleton. The world has been dying for a sneak peek behind her childhood, and finally, they got a look behind the curtain.

On May 11, 2020, the duchess’s brother, James Middleton shared a video that he filmed in the garden of his parent’s family home in Bucklebury, West Berkshire. In the video, James shaves off his beard in order to surprise his now wife, Alizee, as she has never seen him without a beard before, and with their wedding coming up, he figured that it was about time.

When he was done shaving, James walked over to his then-fiancée and surprised her with his new look as she was enjoying a glass of wine on the family’s beautiful garden terrace with James’ parents, Carole and Michael Middleton.

While James films Alizee’s reaction, he pans the camera and allows people a rare look inside the family’s home. It unveils bunting hanging on the wall as well as a number of framed family photos. A glimpse at the Middleton’s garden reveals neatly trimmed hedges and lots of flowers everywhere. When James uploaded the video to his Instagram, people were excited to learn more about the place where Kate Middleton grew up as the oldest of three children.

The famous parents purchased the home in 2012 for £4.7million home. The beautiful manor has seven bedrooms and sits on 18 acres of land. The home also has two living rooms, a drawing room, a library, and two log fireplaces. Aside from the inside of the home, the homeowners, family, and guests get to enjoy a tennis court and pool as well. According to Hello Magazine, Carole Middleton shared that the kitchen is her favorite part of the house.

“My kitchen. It’s a kitchen/dining/sitting room and it’s the heart of the house,” she said. She went on to say that she often spends a lot of her time in there. “I love a kitchen supper,” she said. “Where I have a small number of guests. I’ll cook something delicious and make it look lovely, then we’ll finish with a kitchen disco,” she shared.

Often hosting friends and family, Prince George, The Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William spent the first few weeks of the young prince’s life at the family home. Not only have the royal family stayed at the beautiful brick manor, but so have Kate’s siblings. During the global pandemic, her brother James and his then-fiance, Alizee, stayed with his parents long term. During that time, the family often video called with the royal family and the three grandchildren.

In an interview with BBC Breakfast, Kate shared the family looks forward to always staying connected. The royal grandchildren loved chatting with their family on a regular basis when they couldn’t see them in person. “I think your father [Prince Charles] and my parents and our families and things like that have really loved keeping in touch with the children because it’s really hard. It gets a bit hectic, I am not going to lie, with a [nearly] two-year-old,” she said.

Aside from video calling to stay in contact, the Middleton family also looks forward to their holiday season together. Carole shared that she especially looks forward to having her family in the Bucklebury manor.

The grandmother shared that she adores having the family together during Christmas because of the magic that fills the house. In an interview with The Telegraph in 2018, she shared that each grandchild gets a Christmas tree in their room “so that they can decorate it themselves,” she shared.

She also shared that the home has been one of the best moves yet. “If you choose your house wisely, you don’t have to do too much. We almost just replicated what we did before. Farrow & Ball Cord and Hay – you can’t go wrong,” she revealed.

With the royal couple announcing they will be making Adelaide Cottage their main residence, they are also very close to the Middleton’s brick manor. The family is moving out of London and into Windsor to give their children an upbringing that they can’t get at Kensington Palace. A royal source told ABC News, “But this has been driven by what William and Kate want for their children and they have always been resolved to try and have a normal family life.”

They also shared that the family is happy to be close to Kate’s parents. “This move puts them much closer to the Middletons and Kate is very close to her family,” the source shared. “It also emulates in many ways the upbringing [Kate] had in rural Berkshire, which she has spoken fondly of and I think has always had a big influence over how the Cambridges have shaped their family life.”

“As the children get older and more independent you can see why they would feel they have more breathing space in Windsor,” the source shared.

How amazing is this beautiful home that the Middleton’s own? Isn’t it stunning? If you love a glimpse into the royal family— pass this article on to others who do too!