<\/a> 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n A Kensington Palace spokesperson confirmed it would be their \u2018forever home\u2019 \u2013 even after they are crowned \u2013 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\u2019, \u2018keep it real\u2019, in their family home and what that means for the future. On Friday, <\/span>The Telegraph reported<\/a> William paid \u00a342,000 in stamp duty on the Grade II-listed house, after securing a 20-year lease last year. They pay \u00a3307,200 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.<\/span><\/p>\n Undoubtedly, William was determined to be transparent and fair about his living arrangements, especially after the negative press around Andrew\u2019s peppercorn rent for Royal Lodge. But interesting insights also emerged this week, as to how the Wales\u2019 like to live their life in their new home. According to the <\/span>Daily Mail<\/a>, at Forest Lodge, office staff are housed apart, in Windsor Castle and, \u201cThe cook is sometimes redundant as William or Kate often cook themselves.\u201d Staff do not roam around the house at Windsor, their apartment at Kensington Palace, or Anmer Hall in Norfolk, unlike other royal households.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/a> 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 \u201cbig shop\u201d. \u201cWilliam found the informality eye-opening,\u201d says the royal source. \u201cThat 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.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n What it does show, is William and Kate are determined to be the most \u2018normal\u2019 monarchs we\u2019ve ever had, and with William\u2019s <\/span>antics on the football stands last week<\/a>, it\u2019s clear his down-to-earth approach endears him to the public \u2013 even if, we hear, some eyebrows are raised within the palace.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!yyvP!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fce026b50-ca81-4360-ad05-a5252b0a4f11_1136x820.jpeg\")
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