When Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, decided to move into eight-bed Forest Lodge in Windsor, instead of Windsor Castle, like the late Queen, or Andrew’s now-vacated 30-room Royal Lodge, which was formerly the home of the Queen Mother, it quietly made a statement of intent, for the heirs to the throne.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson confirmed it would be their ‘forever home’ – even after they are crowned – which will be in stark contrast to any heir before them, for its normality. And now, more details have emerged about just how the Wales’, ‘keep it real’, in their family home and what that means for the future. On Friday, The Telegraph reported William paid £42,000 in stamp duty on the Grade II-listed house, after securing a 20-year lease last year. They pay £307,200 a year rent for it, which exceeds the tax threshold for rentals, meaning they also had to pay stamp duty. The rent is also 50% higher than that paid by its former tenants.
Undoubtedly, William was determined to be transparent and fair about his living arrangements, especially after the negative press around Andrew’s peppercorn rent for Royal Lodge. But interesting insights also emerged this week, as to how the Wales’ like to live their life in their new home. According to the Daily Mail, at Forest Lodge, office staff are housed apart, in Windsor Castle and, “The cook is sometimes redundant as William or Kate often cook themselves.” Staff do not roam around the house at Windsor, their apartment at Kensington Palace, or Anmer Hall in Norfolk, unlike other royal households.
William is said to have loved the informality he found early on, at the Middletons, where he learned how to load a dishwasher, set the table for Christmas lunch and even do a “big shop”. “William found the informality eye-opening,” says the royal source. “That the Middletons had to nip to the shop for food, ensure there was enough bread in the house, empty their own bins and put out the recycling on the right day were all refreshing.” It also set the blueprint for how he and Catherine wanted their home and family life to be, which is in contrast to how the King and other members of the Royal Family live, where cooks, assistants and butlers abound.
What it does show, is William and Kate are determined to be the most ‘normal’ monarchs we’ve ever had, and with William’s antics on the football stands last week, it’s clear his down-to-earth approach endears him to the public – even if, we hear, some eyebrows are raised within the palace.
The King made a surprise appearance at the RSC in Stratford last weekend, to see Kenneth Branagh in The Tempest. The actor is a long-time friend of the King’s. He was met with cheers from the crowd as he took his seat, after touring the costume department – laughing as he looked at a crown. The performance is sold-out and the King took an ordinary seat. Charles is a big Shakespeare fan – he quoted Henry V at the White House in April, recited, “To be or not to be”, with other Hamlets for the BBC’s Shakespeare Live! program in 2016 and was the RSC’s president for more than 25 years before becoming Patron in 2024. At Gordonstoun he trod the boards as Duke of Exeter in Henry V and the title role in Macbeth and was part of the drama group at Cambridge. He also quoted a line from Hamlet in his first speech as King, after the late Queen died, in which he said, “May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.” Folger Shakespeare Library has an interesting feature on the King and Shakespeare, for those who would like to read more.
Well, not strictly a royal wedding but Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling’s big day on Saturday is definitely the society nuptials of the year. We’re excited to see the royals out in force on such a happy occasion. On the guest list, King Charles and Queen Camilla will be attending, alongside Peter’s mum, Princess Anne, his sister Zara and her family, plus Peter’s first cousin, William and Catherine, George, Charlotte and Louis.
As it’s a second wedding for Harriet and Peter, it’s set to be a much more low key “intimate family affair” event than Peter’s wedding to Autumn Kelly back in 2008 at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. This time round the ceremony is in the heart of the pretty Cotswolds at All Saints’ Church, Kemble. Always effortlessly chic, we can’t wait to see Harriet’s dress.
Another fabulous piece of royal adjacent news, there’s a new baby in the royal household! Congratulations to the original “hot equerry” Lieutenant Colonel Jonny Thompson who had his first child with his second wife, Olivia, on May 20. The birth, announced in The Times on May 27, said: ‘THOMPSON on 20th May 2026 to Olivia (née Lewis) and Lieutenant Colonel Jonny, a daughter, Theodora.’ Jonny, 43, is already a father to a son he shares with his former wife of 12 years, Caroline. He wed Olivia, 35, in May 2025 and Theodora is her first child. Aw, sweet!
We’re sure there’ll be plenty more balloons for Lili this week, as the American-born princess turns five on June 4. Mummy influencer, Meghan, may even crack open a jar of her As Ever strawberry spread for the birthday girl’s breakfast, sharing with her followers recently that this flavour was Lili’s favourite from her condiment range.
Meghan is also selling a candle inspired by Lili’s special day. Signature Candle No. 604 is described on the As Ever website: “Amber, water lily, and santal come together in this gorgeous scent that evokes the feeling of a breathtaking summer’s day… Crafted and curated by our founder to honor her daughter Lilibet’s birthdate of June 4th, this candle is both dreamy and delightful.” Pop it on your own birthday wishlist here.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source theroyallist.substack.com ’
