By now, we’ve gotten used to the disproportionate outrage lodged at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex over every single little thing. But that outrage machine is even more egregious when compared to the selectively underreported scandals of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Take, for instance, William and Kate’s move to Forest Lodge, their latest “forever home,” a home which required evictions of lease-holders and a 150-acre land grab of public parkland. Part of Windsor Great Park is now closed for park-goers who PAY for access. The Waleses also had one of the park entrances shut down, and they had to reroute access to a Christmas tree shop, which caused a lot of chaos. Oh, and a kids’ educational center has also been closed down because of the Forest Lodge move too. Windsor residents are justifiably pissed off that they’ve lost access to part of the park with little to no warning. Republic’s Graham Smith has branded the whole fiasco an “abuse of power.” Well, the Mail on Sunday had some updates:
Prince William is facing an angry backlash over a ‘ring of steel’ security zone imposed around his new home in Windsor. A six-mile cordon has been thrown up around Forest Lodge – where the Prince of Wales now lives with his wife and children – with fencing bristling with CCTV cameras and ‘no entry’ signs.
But furious neighbours complain they have been ‘ambushed’ into accepting the measures, which have cut a gouge through Windsor Great Park. Locals told The Mail on Sunday they felt ‘absolutely gutted’ about the effect the barrier around the Grade II-listed Georgian mansion has had on their lives. The security fence, with its six-mile perimeter, has not only ruled swathes of Windsor Great Park out of bounds, but also blocked access to the rest of the land that locals have long enjoyed.
‘They say you can use other gates but you can’t because there’s nowhere to park,’ said one dog walker. ‘We’ve lived here for 20 years, it’s lovely in there. We appreciate they need privacy, but it’s a real shame. We are absolutely gutted’.
Another local described the measures as ‘excessive’, saying: ‘It’s a blow, but they aren’t going to change their minds.’
Those living within a mile of the park can pay a £60 fee for access to parts of the land unavailable to other visitors – but the new cordon has rendered that useless. One neighbour who had enjoyed such access told this newspaper: ‘It would have been decent of them to send a bottle of wine or something to apologise.’
The Waleses’ new property features a ballroom and a tennis court with rooms boasting elaborate cornicing, Venetian windows, marble fireplaces and vaulted ceilings. The family previously lived in Adelaide Cottage, which is three miles away and backs on to 650 acres of private gardens adjoining Windsor Castle. It did not require any major additional security arrangements. The couple’s property portfolio also includes their 21-room London base, Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace, ten-bedroom Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk and Tam Na Ghar, a cottage at Balmoral inherited from the Queen Mother.
One source claimed that the Windsor backlash has alarmed the royal couple – although this was disputed by Palace sources.
Horse-riders have also complained about the restrictions imposed on their gallops, but are understood not to have formally objected because they rely on the Crown Estate, which owns and manages the 4,800-acre park, for access passes. Other issues that have irritated Windsor residents include the permanent closure of a ‘handy’ local road that cuts through the previously accessible park. Residents now have to detour ‘for miles’ to go about their day. According to those most affected, there have been ‘zero’ efforts by the Palace to reach out to them and try to mitigate the growing furore over the disruptions.
A spokesman for Prince William declined to comment on security matters, which are the responsibility of the Home Office. But a royal source said: ‘There is no factual basis for describing this as a ‘backlash’. Complaints have been minimal. It would be inaccurate to claim that Their Royal Highnesses have been taken aback.’
“There is no factual basis for describing this as a ‘backlash’. Complaints have been minimal.” Interesting. So, an admission that there have been complaints. I’d also like to see what constitutes “minimal” for William and Kate. I have a feeling that most of the complaints have not been lodged with the Waleses’ office per se, but with park officials and local government officials in Windsor. The land-grab has turned into a growing snafu, and it speaks volumes that even pro-royal outlets are now consistently running weekly pieces about the growing anger from Windsor residents.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
