The Wales family – Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – are gearing up to make a major move. Quite literally! As they're set to wave goodbye to Adelaide Cottage and move in to a new royal residence, Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park. It's said the family hope to have a fresh start following the Princess of Wales' cancer diagnosis last year.
Kate has since shared that she is in remission and recovering, but that living with the aftermath of cancer doesn't mean things have magically returned to the way they were before. Now, the family are set for a new chapter in a space that doesn't hold tough memories – and a Kensington Palace spokesperson has 100% confirmed the move: "The Wales family will move house later this year."
Another royal source told the BBC, "Moving gives them an opportunity for a fresh start and a new chapter; an opportunity to leave some of the more unhappy memories behind. This is a move for the long-term. They see it as their forever home."
Luckily, Forest Lodge, the 328-year-old mansion in Windsor Great Park, looks an absolutely ideal spot for the family of five to begin again, with plenty of greenery surrounding it (something the Princess has routinely said is important to her) and more than enough room for the three royal children.
Here's everything we know about the Waleses' soon-to-be new home...
It's worth an estimated £16 million
The name Forest Lodge might conjur quaint images of a wooden Scouts-style hut (just me?), but in reality the eight-bedroom home is a lot more regal than that, with grand fireplaces and impressive chandeliers. If it were on the mainstream property market today, it's estimated to be worth a cool £16 million.
Everyone's clicking on...
Forest Lodge isn't far from their current home
Just 15 minutes or so up the road, actually, or around 4 miles away. So the family are staying local.
Other royals are also nearby
Notably, Prince Andrew, with whom William is seemingly on frosty terms with and looking into ways to revoke his title. Erm...
It's steeped in history
Built in the 1770s, the home, which is part of the 4,800 acre Windsor Great Park estate, has seen plenty of notable names come and go, including Princess Margaret's private secretary, Lord Napier, and most recently, royal party planner extraordinaire, Alex Fitzgibbons (who coordinated wedding receptions for both William and Kate, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle).
Prince William and the Princess of Wales are paying for the move themselves
We repeat: this is not at the expense of the taxpayer. And any renovations required will be funded by the Duchy of Cornwall (William's private pennies fund).
It used to be called Holly Grove
Fun fact! Prior to being christened Forest Lodge in 1937, the home was known as Holly Grove.
King Charles owns the freehold
And this is who Prince William and Princess Catherine will be paying 'rent' to. Back in 2001, it was reportedly rented out for a small £15,000 a month – so, twenty-plus years on, who knows how that figure will look today!
There are tennis courts
Which is ideal, as we know Kate in particular is a huge tennis fan and takes her role as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) very seriously. Traditionally, the Princess also hands out the winning trophies for the men's and women's singles at Wimbledon each year – and this time around Princess Charlotte joined her mum in the crowd.
The neighbours have reportedly been moved on
Unfortunately, it's been reported that ahead of the Waleses moving in, some of the nearby properties rented out by the Crown Estate have asked their tenants to find a new place to call home, possibly due to privacy concerns. However, The Mail reports that the royals haven't left tenants out in the cold; instead, they've been offered better or like-for-like homes elsewhere on the estate.
A source said, "They were not expecting it. Those houses are very close to the lodge, so they're not going to want any Tom, Dick or Harry living in those houses if there are going to be royals there."
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
