The Palace has confirmed that Prince William and Kate Middleton, along with their three children, are moving house to Forest Lodge, an eight-bedroom home in Windsor Great Park – which a well-placed source has described as the Wales family's "forever home". Meaning, they're in it for the long haul, whether or not William is or isn't King.
"Moving gives them an opportunity for a fresh start and a new chapter; an opportunity to leave some of the more unhappy memories behind," said source told the BBC. "This is a move for the long-term. They see it as their forever home."
However, opting to have Forest Lodge as their primary residence forever more means that Prince William and Kate Middleton would be massively breaking away from the longstanding royal tradition of the reigning monarch living in some sort of castle or palace.
Ever since 1837, right up to King Charles III today, Buckingham Palace (currently undergoing a decade-long £369 million renovation, just FYI) has been the address of whoever is on the throne – so some are theorising that in future, after William ascends the throne, it may be reserved solely for major royal events, or even see more areas open to the public.
As well as moving into Forest Lodge, it's reported that the Prince and Princess will also be keeping hold of Anmer Hall in Norfolk, which is where they tend to spend the school holidays, and their official offices within Kensington Palace.
The family also spent a large chunk of the pandemic locked down in Anmer Hall together.
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.
