The Prince of Wales will become the first monarch not to live in a palace or a castle when he succeeds his father as king, as he is set to move his family into a new “forever home” in Windsor.
Prince William and his wife, the Princess of Wales, will relocate this year from Adelaide Cottage to the nearby Forest Lodge on the Windsor Great Park estate with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Royal sources say the move will give the family a “fresh start” after a difficult three years in which Queen Elizabeth died and Kate and the King were diagnosed with cancer. The move to the eight-bedroom property is intended to be long-term, lasting even after William ascends to the throne.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are expected to continue living at the property after William becomes king
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
The 328-year-old lodge, which sits in a quiet part of the 4,800-acre park, offers views over Berkshire and London. Renovations at the grade II listed house have begun and will be funded by the couple. As at Adelaide Cottage, the Waleses will not have any live-in staff at Forest Lodge.
The family first moved to Windsor from Kensington Palace in September 2022 and initially settled in the four-bedroom cottage, which is four miles from their new home, to try out the location.
Kate began her recovery at Adelaide Cottage and has spoken of the benefits of being in the countryside. Insiders say the move to Windsor has allowed William and Kate to be “as hands-on as possible” with their children, while balancing their royal commitments and engagements.
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It also gave the children more privacy and brought the family closer to the late Queen, although she died only weeks later.
George, 12, Charlotte, ten, and Louis, seven, are said to be happy at the independent Lambrook School near by in the Berkshire countryside.
Louis, William, Kate, Charlotte and George in Norfolk last year
WILL WARR/KENSINGTON PALACE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
The move, which was first reported by The Sun, reflects how the future king has been shaped by a tough 18 months and how he wishes the royal family to evolve during his reign.
William, who turned 43 in June, has said that he found the previous year “brutal” and “the hardest in my life” as he navigated his father and his wife both being diagnosed with cancer. His annus horribilis last year cemented his approach, in which family came first and the school run was prioritised.
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Friends say he used the time to think and to plan how he will reshape the institution he will one day lead, especially how to make sure it remains relevant and “fit for purpose in the modern era”.
William particularly wants to look at the structure of the royal household at Buckingham Palace, which is expected to remain the effective headquarters of the monarchy even though it is now assumed that William will never live there. Since becoming King, Charles, 76, has chosen to keep his London residence at Clarence House.
The royal family watched a flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace to mark the King’s birthday in June
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
A Palace source told the Times last year that William and Kate wanted to lead the type of monarchy where the King might be seen on the school run. “He’ll be asking, ‘If [the children] are still young when I take on the big job, how do I maintain that privacy?’” the source said. “I’m pretty sure that they won’t move into [Buckingham Palace]. You can’t imagine him saying, ‘Great, let’s move back to central London’.”
Buckingham Palace, which has been home to monarchs since 1837, is undergoing a £369 million refurbishment, which means that all state visits will take place at Windsor Castle until 2027.
William and Kate will foot the bill for their move and the renovations of Forest Lodge, enabling them to avoid the sort of criticism that was directed at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who initially spent £2.5 million of taxpayer money revamping Frogmore Cottage. Harry and Meghan later paid back the money before they were evicted by Charles when they stopped being working royals.
Planning application for the work was lodged with the council in June. Documents show the property requires new doors and windows, the removal of some internal walls, refurbished ceilings and new flooring.
The entrance hall and exterior, below, of Forest Lodge during previous restoration work in 2001
JOHN STILWELL/PA
William receives an income through the Duchy of Cornwall, a portfolio of land, property and assets that has provided an income for the heir to the throne for centuries and is valued at more than £1 billion.
Last year an investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches found that William’s private estate was making millions from public bodies including the NHS, schools and the armed forces.
Forest Lodge was last refurbished 24 years ago at a cost of £1.5 million. The property was valued at £5.5 million at the time but is now estimated to be worth about £16 million.
While significantly larger than Adelaide Cottage, it is still only half the size of Prince Andrew’s 31-room Royal Lodge, which is close by.