Prince William and Kate Middleton's upcoming house move to Forest Lodge, the £16 million, eight-bedroom home in Windsor Great Park, has caused a bit of a stir with some neighbours – and it's all down to dog walking and privacy concerns.
Given how high profile the royal family are and how important top level security is, the Prince and Princess of Wales have had a 'no-go zone' installed around their soon-to-be 'forever home'. Anyone found crossing the newly designated boundaries will be arrested, thanks to the Home Office-agreed security plans, to keep the future King, Queen and their three children safe. So far, so understandable.
However, said boundaries are believed to cut into a popular local dog-walking spot. And some residents are speaking out about it...
One woman, said to use the space regularly, is reported to have described the royals' plans as a "kick in the teeth".
"Many of us have been walking our dogs here for 20 years, so to be told we can't any more is a kick in the teeth," she told The Sun. "We pay [£110] annually towards the upkeep of a park, but we are no longer going to be allowed to use part of it.
"They've only given us a few days' notice to say this section of forest is closing forever. Now I'll need to get in my car to drive further afield to take my dog for a walk."
Everyone's clicking on...
Another local said he has conflicting feelings, "Obviously, it’s disappointing as my dog loves it here. We come here every couple of weeks, and we're going to have to find somewhere else now for him to get the miles in.
"But I completely understand that the safety of William, Kate, and their family is paramount, so we should make sure they can live happily here."
A third told the press that they were in full favour of the boundaries. "We love the royals and William and Kate, and it's so exciting they are moving to Forest Lodge. It's clear this car park closure has not come from them, but is down to security concerns."
Privacy is a long-standing concern for the Wales family; metal fences, privacy screens and additional shrubbery are also in the works, and Fox News Digital previously reported that two families living in nearby properties were asked to vacate.
"I guess they were given somewhere else, but they were told they had to move," the Daily Mail's source suggested in response to this claim. "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.
