Prince and Princess of Wales move into ‘forever’ home at Windsor Great Park

The Prince and Princess of Wales have moved with their family into their ‘forever’ home at Forest Lodge.

William and Kate, along with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, are settling into the Georgian eight-bedroom Grade II Listed mansion at Windsor Great Park.

The move was timed to coincide with the children’s school half term break.

It is seen as a fresh start for the Waleses following Kate’s recovery from cancer, and comes before William is set to leave for Rio de Janeiro for his Earthshot Prize awards.

However the relocation did cause some stir with locals, after restrictions were introduced within the park, with parts of the estate closed off to the public ahead of the family’s arrival.

Dog walkers and park visitors are no longer able to freely use Cranbourne Gate orits corresponding car park for security reasons.

Residents who live within half a mile of the estate were given the opportunity to apply for a gate key for an annual £110 fee.

Nonetheless, a 150-acre exclusion zone has been sectioned off, with new fencing erected around parts of the 2.3 mile perimeter.

Trespass on the restricted area is now a criminal offence under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.

Forest Lodge, formerly named Holly Grove, was built in the 1770s as the residence for the park’s deputy ranger.

It was acquired by the Crown Estate in 1829 and later became the home of Edward VIII’s esquerry Sir John Aird.

The house was once reportedly tipped as a home for the Princess Royal and later the Sarah, Duchess of York, but neither ended up living there.

The move also brings the family closer to William’s disgraced uncle, Commoner Andrew Windsor, who remains just 1.4 miles away from the Waleses at Royal Lodge.

Andrew will soon vacate his premises to move to a property on the Sandringham estate next year, after being stripped of its titles following further revelations about his links to Jeffrey Epstein.

Both the Prince and Princess of Wales are understood to fully support the King’s decision to sideline Andrew.

Alongside their new home, the Wales still have their own property on the Sandringham Estate, the 10-bedroom Anmer Hall.

Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace will continue to be their official London address.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.