Prince WIlliam and Kate Middleton Move Into 'Cursed' Palace

The happy royal couple are busy preparing to make Princess Margaret's former apartment their first marital home. But are the young royals aware that the Kensington Palace has an omnious past?

Best known world over for the sea of flowers laid by its gates after Princess Diana's death in 1997, the palace is rumoured to have had a deadly curse hanging over it for centuries.

Many of the female royals who have lived within its gild spledour have suffered ruinous marriages, untimely deaths and depression.

Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator at the historic royal palaces, told the Daily Mail that there have been at least seven princesses associated with the Kensington Palace who were" sad, bad or even mad".

If all the stories about the place being cursed weren't enough, there are tales of a ghost wandering its corridors. Princess Margaret, the last royal occupant of the palace was known to have a ghost dubbed "The blue lady" for company.

The 320-year old palace has been blighted with so much tragedy that many wonder what triggered Prince William and his better half to even think about it, let alone making it their permanent residence.

Its dark history began in 1694 when Queen Mary II, within a week of moving into the "jinxed palace", contracted small pox and died. She was just 32 years old at that time.

The tragic Queen Anne gave birth 17 times at the palace, yet none of her children went on to reach adulthood. Her oldest surviving child also died mysteriously aged just 11.

In 1821, Queen Caroline died a very painful death following an umbilical hernia. She was operated on without even an anesthetic and died at the palace, writhing in agony.

Even today, portraits of valets, maids, even babies adorn the king's great staircase in Kensington palace. They were all ordered by George I (1714-1727) in a desperate bid to chase away the notorious curse hanging over the palace.

Princess Diana and Princess Margaret , who were the last occupants of this jinxed palace, never led happy lives themselves. Princess Margaret lived there alone till her death in 2002. While Princess Diana, who entertained several lovers at the palace, died in a horrific car crash.

The apartment where William and Kate are moving into was last renovated in the 1960's. About £1 million will be spent to remodel the apartment which William and Kate will move into in 2013 upon its completion.

It includes a dining room, drawing room, Lord Snowdon's former study, Princess Margaret's garden room, extensive staff quarters and a nursery.
"The extent of the work needed to turn the apartment back into a home is not yet known, but it is expected that it will not be ready for occupation until at least the middle of 2013," a palace spokesperson said.
William and Kate are moving into the apartment after the Queen's extensive efforts to get the it back to the royal family was successful.

With all these rumours of curses and even a ghost to put up with, is this indeed a wise move for William and Kate ?