The Prince and Princess of Wales could soon be upscaling in their Windsor living arrangements, moving from a cottage on the castle grounds to the castle itself, according to a new biography.
British royal correspondent Katie Nicholl has written in her upcoming book, The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown, that William and Kate’s next big move will be into the Windsor Castle home of his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died at the age of 96 on September 8.
Reportedly, the royal couple and their three children, Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4, recently moved into Adelaide Cottage, a small home in the shadow of the castle.
Though the move has not been confirmed by the Waleses’ office, they have been regularly spotted on the estate since their children started at the nearby Lambrook School.
In an excerpt from The New Royals, published by Vanity Fair, Nicholl writes that William and Kate have prioritized creating a normal home atmosphere for raising their children.
“William and Kate, who has an in-depth knowledge of childhood through her early years work, have insisted on creating as normal an environment as they can,” Nicholl said.
She continued: “They recently downsized, moving from Kensington Palace into the much smaller and more discreet Adelaide Cottage in Windsor Home Park and moving their three children into the private Lambrook School in Berkshire this month. Their next move, I am told, will be into Windsor Castle.”
Speculation over the relocation of the family from their London base of Kensington Palace to the Windsor area circulated earlier this year, as Louis approached his fourth birthday and transition from preschool to prep school.Speculation over the relocation of the family from their London base of Kensington Palace to the Windsor area circulated earlier this year, as Louis approached his fourth birthday and transition from preschool to prep school.
The move seemed to be confirmed in August, when the palace announced that the three children would start at Lambrook, which costs $23,000 a year, in September.On September 7, George, Charlotte and Louis were accompanied by their parents to a “settling-in afternoon” at Lambrook, where the family was officially photographed meeting head teacher Jonathan Perry.
News that the family was moving to a new property was not met without some criticism, given that they already have the permanent use of two other places: Kensington Palace and Anmer Hall in Norfolk.
Britain is experiencing a cost-of-living crisis, with rising energy bills and inflation hitting a 40-year high of 10.1 percent in July.Graham Smith, CEO of the anti-monarchy group Republic, said of the move, “This fourth home is in addition to the multi-story mansion William and Kate have in Kensington Palace, the 10-bedroom home in Sandringham and the large house they use when in Scotland.
“While the country faces an ever-growing cost-of-living crisis it is shocking to see William and Kate acquire a fourth home, at great expense to the taxpayer,” Smith said.
Newsweek contacted Kensington Palace for comment.
Who Lives at Windsor Castle?
Windsor Caste is the principal royal residence and as such provides accommodation for the monarch as well as a large household staff.
