The Prince and Princess of Wales are to move into a new “forever home” in Windsor.
William and Kate are moving to the eight-bedroom Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park, with their children George, 12, Charlotte, 10, and Louis, seven.
The move from four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage, Windsor, comes after three tough years, which saw the Waleses grapple with the death of Queen Elizabeth, the King’s cancer diagnosis and Kate’s cancer treatment.
The family is said to be hoping for a fresh start in the 328-year-old, grade-II listed lodge nestled in a secluded corner of the 4,800-acre park.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson confirmed: “The Wales family will move house later this year.”
The royal couple are understood to be paying for the move and renovations themselves, avoiding any extra cost to the taxpayer. It is likely it will remain their home even after William succeeds to the throne, according to The Sun.
The paper reported that work has already started on minor renovation at the historic property, and the family hope to move in by Christmas.
A planning application for internal and external renovations to Forest Lodge was lodged with the council in June, seeking permission for works including new doors and windows, stripping out internal walls, renovated ceilings and new floors.
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead published its decision, approving the plans, earlier this month.
The property, which is owned by the King as part of the Crown Estate, is just four miles from their current main home at Adelaide Cottage. The family first moved to Windsor from their apartment at Kensington Palace, in central London, in summer 2022 when they enrolled their children at nearby Lambrook School.
Windsor has become their home, but they are now said to be hoping for a new chapter as they leave some of the unhappy memories of the past three years behind.
“This is a move for the long term,” a source told The Sun. “They see it as their forever home.”
Forest Lodge, which was listed in 1972, was said to have last been renovated in 2001 at a cost of £1.5m in preparation for it to be rented out for £15,000 a month.
The Georgian residence is thought to be worth up to £16m today, with fine period detail including elaborate plaster cornices and ceiling decoration, marble fireplaces, Venetian windows and a half-barrel vaulted hallway ceiling.
However, the eight-bedroom home is still dwarfed by the 31-bedroom Royal Lodge, Prince Andrew’s home in Windsor Great Park.
The Waleses also have a country home at Anmer Hall, a 10-bedroom Georgian country house on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, which was gifted to them by Queen Elizabeth as a wedding present. They also retain apartment 1A in Kensington Palace in London.
As heir to the throne, William inherited the Duchy of Cornwall estate, a portfolio of land, property and investments valued at more than £1bn, when his father became King.
In 2023, Prince Harry and Meghan repaid £2.4m worth of public money spent on renovations to their former home, Frogmore Cottage, following their move to the US.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.independent.co.uk ’
