This Rare Peek Inside of Kate Middleton’s Home Office Proves She Should Start a Book Club

It’s not every day that we plebs get a glimpse into Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Kensington Palace home. In fact, it hardly ever happens. But on Sunday, rare photos of William and Kate’s Kensington Palace home offices surfaced — and thanks to Kate’s desk adornment of choice, we’re convinced she should start a book club.

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So, what was the occasion that prompted the royal couple to offer a look into their personal lives? Not surprisingly, the photos were shared in service of the greater good. Posted to the official Kensington Palace Instagram feed, they show both William and Kate on the phone in their respective spaces speaking to local charities concerning the coronavirus quarantine. “Self-isolation and social distancing can pose huge challenges to our mental health — in recent weeks The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been in regular contact with organisations and patronages to understand the issues they are facing during this difficult time,” the caption explained.

A photo of William speaking on the phone to Mind CEO Paul Farmer reveals that his home office is basically all business. But the photo of Kate talking to Place2be CEO Catherine Roche shows that Kate’s space is filled with warm and elegant touches: a cream-colored sofa, a window seat, an oversized armoire, a child-sized settee and, our favorite, a collection of clothbound Penguin classics illustrated by Coralie Bickford-Smith.

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Self-isolation and social distancing can pose huge challenges to our mental health — in recent weeks The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been in regular contact with organisations and patronages to understand the issues they are facing during this difficult time. Last week ☎️ The Duke spoke to @mindcharity CEO Paul Farmer, and The Duchess spoke to Catherine Roche, CEO of @_place2be. Today Public Health England has published new guidance to help support people during the COVID-19 outbreak, and updated its world-leading Every Mind Matters platform, with specific advice on maintaining good mental wellbeing during the outbreak; take a look at our Story or visit the link in our bio 📱 to find out more. Speaking about the new guidance, The Duke and Duchess said: • “It is great to see the mental health sector working together with the NHS to help people keep on top of their mental well-being. • By pulling together and taking simple steps each day, we can all be better prepared for the times ahead”. • The Government has also announced a grant for @MindCharity to help fund their services for people struggling with their mental wellbeing during this time.

A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@kensingtonroyal) on Mar 28, 2020 at 5:01pm PDT

Hey, Oprah has a book club. Reese, too. Kate could be a fantastic arbiter of books — and, bonus, reading is an ideal activity during self-isolation downtime. If you want to get started with Kate’s unofficial book club (i.e. the tomes sitting on her desk), here are a few picks from her collection.

A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings by Charles Dickens

The Sonnets and a Lover’s Complaint by William Shakespeare

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The Odyssey by Homer

Bleak House by Charles Dickens

In sharing the photos of their home offices, the Cambridges also announced that Public Health England has taken several steps to help foster mental health during these unprecedented times. That includes publishing new guidance to help support people during the COVID-19 outbreak, updating its Every Mind Matters platform, and offering advice on maintaining good mental health.

“It is great to see the mental health sector working together with the NHS to help people keep on top of their mental well-being,” Kate said. “By pulling together and taking simple steps each day, we can all be better prepared for the times ahead.”

Before you go, check out these photos of Kate Middleton doing regular mom things.