PRINCE William is moving his family to a “forever home” in a bid to build happy memories after three tough years.
Eight-bedroom Forest Lodge, nestled in Windsor Great Park, is where William, Kate and children George, Louis and Charlotte will remain even after he becomes King.
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Insiders say they are hoping for a “fresh start” after a difficult time at Adelaide Cottage, during which Queen Elizabeth died and Kate and Charles were diagnosed with cancer.
It is the ideal pad for their young family and far removed from Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle.
They are paying for the move and rent at no extra cost to the taxpayer, it is understood.
And, unlike Harry and Meghan when they splashed £2.4million of taxpayers’ money on Frogmore Cottage, Wills and Kate are funding all renovations themselves and will have no live-in staff.
READ MORE ON WILLS & KATE
The Sussexes later paid back the money before being evicted by King Charles.
Planning applications seen by The Sun show work has already started on minor internal and external renovations at the 328-year-old, Grade II-listed lodge — and the Waleses aim to be in by Christmas.
The home offers spectacular views and football-mad William will be able to see the Wembley Arch from his bedroom window.
And Kate has already been spotted picking new furniture to kit out the new abode, including a 24-seater table.
A source close to the Waleses told The Sun last night: “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; an opportunity to leave some of the more unhappy memories behind.”
The source added: “This is a move for the long-term. They see it as their forever home.”
Moving gives them an opportunity for a fresh start and a new chapter; an opportunity to leave some of the more unhappy memories behind
Source
The Sun understands the move from Kensington Palace in London to Adelaide Cottage three years ago was partly designed to test life in Windsor and see if it worked for them as a family.
They have since settled in the Berkshire town with the children said to be happy together at Lambrook School a few miles away.
Insiders say the Windsor location allows Wills and Kate to be “as hands on as possible” as parents while balancing Royal Family commitments.
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They have been very keen to join their children on the school run.
Despite retaining happy memories at Adelaide Cottage, which is four miles from their new home, the past three years have been incredibly difficult.
Weeks after moving in they had to cope with the death of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022.
Then in February 2024 King Charles revealed he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed cancer.
Upgrade on Adelaide Cottage
Just a month later Kate told how she too had cancer and she began her recovery at Adelaide Cottage.
We can reveal planning permission for modest internal and external renovations to Forest Lodge were lodged with the council in June.
Documents show it requires new doors and windows, stripping out of internal walls, renovated ceilings and new floors.
But there are no plans for any demolition or new outbuildings.
The freehold is owned by the King in care of The Crown Estate.
The most recent tenants have bought a new property and moved out.
This is a move for the long-term. They see it as their forever home
Source
Forest Lodge was last renovated in 2001 at a cost of £1.5million.
At the time it was valued at £5.5million but according to house price indication indices it would be worth around £16million if put on the open market.
The media were allowed inside Forest Lodge to capture images of the renovations and restoration 24 years ago.
It revealed original stonework, elaborate plaster cornices, ceiling decoration, marble fireplaces, Venetian windows and half-barrel vaulted hallway ceiling.
A FRESH BEGINNING
WILLIAM’S decision for a forever home in Windsor Great Park serves as a fresh beginning for his family but also a statement on his future.
He is planning to raise his children not in a palace or a castle — but in a house.
The family of five’s country pile is a world away from the suffocating walls of Buckingham Palace or the draughty passageways of Windsor Castle.
It is now clear that William is unlikely to ever live in the palace, which has been home to monarchs since 1837.
The London landmark, along with Windsor Castle, will likely be opened up to the public, allowing more royal functions.
Unlike Harry and Meghan, when they were handed Frogmore Cottage and splashed £2.5million of taxpayer money on renovations, the family are footing the repair bill and rent.
They enjoyed Adelaide Cottage, but it was almost a trial to see if the family could happily settle away from London.
The children loved it, they were close to their school and Windsor. And that close family atmosphere will continue at Forest Lodge, where they will still have no live-in staff.
The Princess of Wales has strongly advocated countryside pursuits helping her cancer recovery.
After three new homes in as many years they will spend the rest of their days at Forest Lodge and Anmer Hall, in beautiful Norfolk.
For King and Country(side).
In 2001 it went on the rental market for £15,000 a month.
Planning applications from the time show three stables were built on the site and existing garages were changed into two semi-detached houses.
Two replacement garages were also constructed.
The surrounding land comes with several cottages, a large pond and a tennis court.
It was listed as Grade II status in 1972 and the official record shows it boasts a cellar, built in Flemish bond red brick, original slate roof, six chimneys, nine bay windows and entrance hall leading into a central drawing room.
The home is an upgrade on Adelaide Cottage but still half the size of Prince Andrew’s 31-room Royal Lodge.
Both are nestled in the heart of the 4,800-acre Great Park.
After packing then unpacking their bags, the Waleses will have lived in three properties in as many years.
They switched from Kensington Palace into four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage in summer 2022.
That move meant they were nearer to Lambrook School on the outskirts of Bracknell.
Forest Lodge is ten minutes closer again.
The family still have Anmer Hall, in Norfolk, which they use for school holidays and occasional weekends.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson confirmed to The Sun last night: “The Wales family will move house later this year.”
HEIR TO STAY & DONE ROAMIN
WILLS and Kate had set up home in Scotland, Wales, London and Norfolk before ending up in Royal Windsor.
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They first lived together while at the University of St Andrews in a house-share with two friends in 2002.
Before their 2011 wedding and for two years after, they lived in a four-bedroom cottage in Anglesey, where Wills was a search and rescue pilot.
The couple relocated to Nottingham Cottage, at Kensington Palace, after Prince George was born.
And when Apartment 1a at Kensington Palace was renovated, they moved in.
In 2015, they moved into Norfolk country retreat Anmer Hall, a wedding present from Elizabeth II.
In 2022, they made the move to Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor estate.
