Harry and Meghan Set to Become William and Kate’s Neighbours at Kensington Palace

Preparations for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's move to Kensington Palace have been underway since November of last year.

While the media was focused on the couple's engagement announcement, workers on the west side of the palace were busy removing the plastic covering from Apartment 1's renovations.

The apartment is a stunning 21-room wing of the palace, and it seems that Harry is in a real hurry to move in with Meghan.

According to reports, Meghan has convinced Harry to give up smoking and cut down on alcohol in the hope of starting a family after their wedding.

This means they may need a larger home than their current two-bedroom cottage sooner rather than later.

Royal courtiers previously stated that the couple would live at Nottingham Cottage, Harry's bachelor pad in the palace grounds, for the foreseeable future.

However, insiders knew that Harry intended to move out of the cosy two-bed cottage as soon as possible and into Apartment 1.

Apartment 1 was previously occupied by the Queen's cousin Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, who offered to vacate the space for Harry and Meghan.

The Gloucesters are set to move into a smaller but comfortable apartment soon to be vacated by the Queen's private secretary, Sir Christopher Guyte.

When Harry and Meghan move in, they will be neighbours to Apartment 1A, which is where Harry's brother Prince William and his growing family live.

William and Kate also lived at Nottingham Cottage before they started a family, making it seem like a rite of passage for the two royal brothers.

Work on Apartment 1 is almost complete, just in time for Harry and Meghan's wedding in less than two weeks.

Several years ago, a royal spokesman said that Harry had set his sights on grander accommodation at Kensington Palace but refused to confirm which apartment it was, other than to say that it was currently occupied.

In 2014, Princess Michael suggested in an interview with Tatler magazine that Apartment 1 would be perfect for Harry to move into when he wanted to start a family.

The rumoured new apartment was said to be much closer to the huge wing that has been home for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge since September.

Indeed, Apartment 1 and Apartment 1A are as close together as it is possible to be.

They are linked by adjoining doors so Harry and Meghan can come and go to see Kate and William and also visit young Prince George and Princess Charlotte whenever they choose.

Earlier this year, a line of fir trees was planted to obscure the view of the apartment's entrance from the public walking up and down Kensington Palace Gardens.

Sources say that in recent days, Meghan has taken out her beloved dogs for a walk in the green space, which is now obscured from public view behind the trees.

The Duchess of Cambridge is known to use the same area to walk the family dog, Lupo.

The couple will also be sharing quarters with Princess Eugenie, who lives at Ivy Cottage, a three-bedroom property that was previously the family home of the deputy head of the palace's properties section.

It seems that Harry and Meghan are set to become William and Kate's neighbours at Kensington Palace after their wedding, and preparations have been underway for quite some time.