Kensington Palace has announced that Prince William and Catherine are to move into a new property in Windsor Great Park: Forest Lodge.
The Wales family currently live in Adelaide Cottage, having made that their base since the summer of 2022, but are upping sticks and heading 5 miles south west to the Lodge by the end of the year.
News outlets have seen planning applications for the eight-bedroom property, lodged in June, and indicate that work has already begun on minor internal and external renovations.
Forest Lodge is a Grade II listed Georgian property built in the early 19th century, according to Historic England. It has three storeys, with a barrel vaulted ceiling in the halllway and sits in large gardens, plus stabling and cellars.
The current tenants bought a property elsewhere, meaning it was vacant for use on the estate, which is owned by the Crown Estate.
News reports are describing the house as the ‘forever home’ for William, Catherine, George, Charlotte and Louis – suggesting they will stay there even once The Prince of Wales succeeds as King.
This means that the Buckingham Palace would cease being the official residence and opens up the possibility for the palace to be a year-round museum.
Adelaide Cottage is thought to have had four bedrooms, and has been where The Princess of Wales underwent cancer treatment; the house was a way to ‘try out’ life in Windsor for the Wales family, with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis heading to the local Lambrook School.
Moving to Forest Lodge, the family will be in closer proximity for the daily school run – but a few miles further away from Windsor Castle, where State Visits are to take place for the next two years while renovations are finished at Buckingham Palace.
The couple are understood to paying for the move entirely and there will be no cost to the taxpayer; they are also paying for renovations.
