'Downside' to Prince William and Kate Middleton relocating to new 'forever' home in Windsor
They'll be packing up and moving soon!Prince William and Kate Middleton have made the huge decision to move their young family once again to a new “forever” home in Windsor.
The family, who have lived at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor Home Park near Windsor Castle since 2022, will move to the 300-year-old nearby Forest Lodge later this year.
Where are William and Kate moving to?
Prince William, 43, Kate, 43, and their children will make a short move to Forest Lodge from Adelaide Cottage.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson confirmed: “The Wales family will move house later this year.”
The family moved into the Grade II listed property back in the summer of 2022. Their move came just weeks before the Wales children started their current school, Lambrook.
However, three years on, the family will move again. They will move just four miles down the road to Forest Lodge, another Grade II listed building.
The lodge, built in the 1700s, is nestled in a corner of Windsor Great Park, and has been described as the family’s “forever home”. It’s expected that William will continue living there, even when he eventually becomes king.
It’s also understood that they will not have any live-in staff as they focus on creating as private a family home as is possible, like they have done with Adelaide Cottage.
Relocation to Forest Lodge – Tennis court and eight bedrooms
It’s safe to say that Forest Lodge is something of an upgrade on Adelaide Cottage (a home that isn’t to be sniffed at in itself)!
The Waleses will double the size of their home by making the move to Forest Lodge. The mansion features a whopping eight bedrooms, compared to Adelaide Cottage’s four.
It also reportedly features a chandelier-lit ballroom, a tennis court, Venetian windows, and extensive grounds.
The house located in Windsor Great Park, which itself is almost 5,000 acres, gives George, 12, Charlotte, 10, and Louis, seven, plenty of space to play.
Why are William and Kate moving?
Sources have described the new home as a “fresh start” for William and Kate. It could give them an opportunity to move on from some of the poignant memories Adelaide Cottage may hold.
One source told the BBC: “Windsor has become their home. However, over the last few years while they have lived at Adelaide Cottage there have been some really difficult times.
“Moving gives them an opportunity for a fresh start and a new chapter. It’s an opportunity to leave some of the more unhappy memories behind.”
Just weeks after they moved in in 2022, Queen Elizabeth II died. Additionally, last year, Kate announced her cancer diagnosis.
‘Concerns’ over family move
However, according to the Daily Mail‘s royal editor Rebecca English, there are some “concerns” over the family’s house move.
According to English, the concerns remain “particularly when it comes to Buckingham Palace”.
An insider told the publication: “The late Queen said she had to be seen to be believed. I just hope that the Prince of Wales can find the right balance between raising his family away from the public glare at Windsor with the presence required of him as a future, and eventual, head of state.”
Royal Insider has contacted reps for Kensington Palace on this claim.
Eviction notices
However, William and Kate’s relocation has faced some controversy.
According to the MailOnline, the family’s move to the Forest Lodge has led to two families living in cottages nearby to be evicted.
The cottages are understood to have been rented out by the Crown Estate. The tenants reportedly feel “surprised” by their evictions. No eviction notices were handed out, apparently.
Moving gives them an opportunity for a fresh start and a new chapter.
“They were told to move out. I guess they were given somewhere else, but they were told they had to move,” a source alleged to the publication.
“They were not expecting it. Those houses are very close to the lodge, so they’re not going to want any Tom, Dick or Harry living in those houses if there are going to be royals there,” they continued.
This week has reportedly seen Forest Lodge become a hive of activity with new shrubs planted, builders on the grounds, and a big metal fence with black mesh privacy screens erected outside the front of the home.
Royal Insider has contacted Kensington Palace for comment.
Read more: Kate Middleton’s ‘apology’ to Prince William on first overseas trip after birth of son George
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