The Prince and Princess of Wales are reportedly set to move into a stunning new mansion on the grounds of Windsor Great Park in a bid to find a “fresh start” after a difficult 18 months.
According to British news outlet the BBC, Prince William and Princess Kate are planning to leave their longtime home of Adelaide Cottage—where they have lived since 2022—in favor of relocating to a historic eight-bedroom property nearby, which they are said to view as their “forever home.”
Sources told the publication that the royal couple hopes the move will give them a chance to start “a new chapter” after battling through Princess Kate’s cancer diagnosis and treatment.
“Windsor has become their home. However, over the last few years while they have lived at Adelaide Cottage there have been some really difficult times,” the insider said.
“Moving gives them an opportunity for a fresh start and a new chapter. It’s an opportunity to leave some of the more unhappy memories behind.”
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Kate, 43, who shares three children with William, 43, announced that she had been diagnosed with an unspecified cancer in March 2024, revealing at the time that she was undergoing chemotherapy—although she declined to share any other details about her illness.
In January of this year, she then announced that she was in remission, before opening up about the “really difficult” process of going through treatment and recovery.
“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism, through treatment,” she said during a July event at Colchester Hospital. “Treatment’s done, and it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal again,’ but actually that phase afterwards is a really difficult time.
“You’re not able to function normally at home as you were perhaps once used to.”
When the Princess of Wales was diagnosed, she and William had been living in Adelaide Cottage with their children—Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7—for two years, having relocated to the property on the grounds of Windsor Castle from Kensington Palace in London.
It was said at the time that they had chosen to move from London to Windsor in a bid to enjoy more privacy, while also creating a more traditional lifestyle for their children to enjoy at home.
While they are understood to still love their life in Windsor, with their children all happily settled at the nearby Lambrook School, the couple is reportedly keen to start a new chapter in the wake of Kate’s cancer battle—and believe that Forest Lodge is the perfect place for them to find a fresh slate.
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(PA Images via Getty Images)
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While they neglected to share details about the move, a Kensington Palace spokesperson has confirmed: “The Wales family will move house later this year.”
Insiders told the BBC that the Prince and Princess of Wales view the property as a long-term home—noting that they plan to live there until William ascends to the throne.
The duo are believed to be funding the move privately and will pay market rent for the dwelling, which underwent a $2 million renovation back in 2001, before being put on the rental market for $20,300 a month.
Recent estimates put the value of the property at around $21.6 million.
It’s not known exactly what William and Kate will be charged to lease the property; however, any work that is carried out on the home ahead of their move will be paid for by the couple and not the taxpayer.
Renovations are understood to be already underway on the opulent dwelling, which was originally built in the 1770s, before undergoing a sizable expansion in the early 1900s.
Redacted planning applications that were filed with the the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead—and approved earlier this month—show that the couple has been given permission to make minor changes to the interior and exterior, according to the BBC.
The plans also included the removal of a window and renovations to an existing fireplace.
(Instagram/Prince and Princess of Wales)
The dwelling will certainly provide much more space for the Wales family than their current home, which has just four bedrooms and offers far fewer luxury amenities than Forest Lodge, which features a ballroom and a tennis court on its lush grounds.
Images taken during the 2001 renovation show that extensive work was done to modernize the historic home, which is a Grade II Listed Building.
This work included ripping up the floorboards in several rooms, although reports at the time noted that great care was being given to maintaining its “fine period detail.”
Historic touches found in the property include original stonework, elaborate plaster cornices and ceiling decoration, exquisite marble fireplaces, Venetian windows, and a half-barrel vaulted hallway ceiling.
Yet the couple do not plan to alter their current lifestyle after moving into the home, sources insist, noting that William and Kate will not hire any live-in staff, in keeping with their low-key approach to family life at Adelaide Cottage.
It’s understood that the couple hope to move into their new home before Christmas, although it is unclear whether they will celebrate the holiday at Forest Lodge, or whether they will mark the festive season at Sandringham House, the Queen’s former home in Norfolk.
Kate and William have their own property in Norfolk, Anmer Hall, which is located on the grounds of Sandringham, and which they primarily use as a summer and weekend retreat for their family.