The Prince and Princess of Wales are moving to a new ‘forever home’ in Windsor.
William, Kate, and children George, Louis and Charlotte are moving to eight-bedroom Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park.
The family are hoping for a ‘fresh start’ after a tough three years at their current home, Adelaide Cottage, according to insiders, during which Queen Elizabeth died, and King Charles and Kate were both diagnosed with cancer.
The royal couple are paying for the property and renovations themselves, avoiding any extra cost to the taxpayer, it is understood.
‘Moving gives them an opportunity for a fresh start and a new chapter,’ a royal source told the BBC.
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‘It’s an opportunity to leave some of the more unhappy memories behind.’
The family will remain at Forest Lodge for the long term, and it is understood they will continue living there even after the Prince and Princess of Wales become King and Queen.
Two separate families who lived in cottages next to the 300-year-old mansion in Berkshire were reportedly asked to vacate their properties earlier this summer.
The homes, converted from Forest Lodge’s stables, are understood to have been rented out by the monarch’s Crown Estate and the tenants are said to have been ‘surprised’ at the request.
It’s understood that there have been no eviction notices and that some tenants have moved to similar or better housing within the Great Park.
All of the residents remain in Crown Estate properties.
One well-connected source said: ‘They were told to move out. I guess they were given somewhere else, but they were told they had to move.
‘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.’
Work has already started on minor renovation at the Grade II-listed property, according to reports.
Redacted planning applications lodged with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead show permission for minor internal and external alterations was granted earlier this month.
The council’s decision notice refers to the removal of a window and works to a fireplace.
In 2001, Forest Lodge underwent £1.5 million restoration works and was put on the rental market for £15,000 a month.
Images inside the home taken at the time showed the property boasted original stonework, elaborate plaster cornices and ceiling decoration, and a half-barrel vaulted hallway ceiling.
The Waleses’ move will be a short one from their current main home, and the children attend nearby Lambrook School.
They also have homes at Anmer Hall in Norfolk and Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace in London.
As heir to the throne, William inherited the Duchy of Cornwall estate, a portfolio of land, property and investments valued at more than £1 billion, when his father became King.
According to The Sun, Forest Lodge would be worth about £16 million on the open market.
The freehold is owned by the King.
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