From the top floor of Forest Lodge, a Grade II listed, three-storey, red-brick mansion dating back to 1780, William and Kate<\/a> will be able to surveil the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, home to 40 monarchs since William the Conqueror began its construction in 1070.<\/p>\n But, in a break with tradition signalling a new style of monarchy, the couple -who expect to move from their current four-bedroom home at nearby Adelaide Cottage to Forest Lodge, in a quiet corner of Windsor Great Park, before Christmas \u2013 will never live at the castle three-and-a-half miles away.<\/p>\n New FeatureIn ShortQuick Stories. Same trusted journalism.<\/p>\n Nor will they live at Buckingham Palace or probably any other royal palace when William becomes king.<\/p>\n Their plan to become the first king and queen not to live in a palace or castle in over a thousand years of royal history stems from a desire to create a family home that is as normal as possible, a refuge from the fishbowl in which monarchs have lived, surrounded by servants and courtiers, for centuries.<\/p>\n Under King William, the number of working Royals is expected to fall to five or six, around half the number now and a third of the total at times during the reign of Elizabeth II.<\/p>\n \u201cWilliam won\u2019t have cousins helping him like the Queen [Elizabeth] did. So he\u2019ll have to work smarter,\u201d one royal source said.<\/p>\n It is likely to mean more of a focus on short-term campaigns and events bringing various charities together, rather than the king and his family each representing hundreds of voluntary organisations.<\/p>\n Princess Anne<\/a>, who marked her 75th birthday on 15 August, has indicated she is prepared to work on, and Edward and Sophie, once minor figures, are expected to play an increasingly prominent role in this reign and the next under William.<\/p>\n But there will be no room for their children on the taxpayer-funded payroll.<\/p>\n Prince George<\/a>, the 12-year-old future king, will undertake his own royal duties eventually, perhaps after a spell in the Armed Forces, but it is too early to say for definite yet whether his siblings Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven, will have careers outside of the Firm or will be working royals supporting the family.<\/p>\n \u201cWilliam and Catherine are modern parents. They may have their thoughts but I think they\u2019ll wait to see what the children want to do,\u201d one former senior aide said, refusing \u2013 like several others \u2013 to rule out the possibility that both Charlotte and Louis could ultimately have careers outside the family.<\/p>\n No role for Archie or Lilibet<\/p>\n If Prince Harry and Meghan<\/a> had stayed, they would have had a prominent role, but the chances of their children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, representing the British monarchy in the future are said to be negligible and probably would have been even if their parents had remained.<\/p>\n William V\u2019s reign is likely to continue to embrace the pomp and ceremony for which the Royal Family<\/a> is famous, but in many ways it will start to resemble more closely their more informal and modest counterparts in Europe, the \u201cbicycling monarchies\u201d.<\/p>\n Once seen as a negative by Britons wedded to the grandeur of our royalty, these more informal monarchies are now just as popular, if not more so, than ours domestically. What worked for Queen Elizabeth<\/a> often does not for King Charles <\/a>and when William becomes king, it is likely that we will see an even more informal style.<\/p>\n Even during official engagements there will often be less formality. William<\/a>, like his brother Prince Harry<\/a>, has never really wanted to have line-ups of dignitaries at every event and is no fan of Lord Lieutenants, the monarchy\u2019s ceremonial official representatives in each county whose expenses cost taxpayers around \u00a31.5m a year.<\/p>\n In 2016 William suggested he would be less political than his father and more like his grandmother Queen Elizabeth. But since then he and Kate have eschewed many of the traditional ribbon-cutting duties, choosing instead to focus on a small number of campaigns, such as ending homelessness, combating climate change, and giving children a better start in life.<\/p>\n That approach is expected to continue in the next reign. \u201cIt\u2019s all about impact,\u201d one senior aide said.<\/p>\n A smaller number of working Royals doing fewer engagements should mean fewer staff \u2013 the couple currently employ 68, about half the number who worked for Charles at his peak as Prince of Wales. It could also mean a real-terms drop in the cost of the monarchy, and possibly savings for the taxpayer.<\/p>\n![\"Forest](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/SEI_262929608.jpg\")
William and Catherine\u2019s forever home, Forest Lodge (Photo: English Heritage\/Getty)King William\u2019s slimmed down monarchy<\/p>\n![\"LONDON,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/SEI_262929456.jpg\")
The Royal Family during Trooping the Colour this year (Photo: Samir Hussein\/WireImage)<\/p>\n