Take a look at Adelaide Cottage, Prince William and Kate Middleton's idyllic family home in the Berkshire countryside

Adelaide Cottage isn’t quite as imposing as the iconic Buckingham Palace or as historic as Windsor Castle, but it’s an important royal residence nevertheless.

Despite being built centuries ago Adelaide Cottage has been the focus of renewed fascination in recent years since it became the family home of the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The property is one of several royal homes where the Waleses spend time, with others including Anmer Hall and Kensington Palace. 

However, unlike many of the royal palaces and residences, Adelaide Cottage is very much private and no photographs of the property as it is now exist. However, whilst we might not know exactly what it looks like, there are still plenty of things we know about Adelaide Cottage. As many fans continue to wonder where exactly it is and who owns it - not to mention how big it is - we have all the details you need to know about Prince William and Kate’s beloved Berkshire home.  

Where is Adelaide Cottage, Windsor? 

Adelaide Cottage is in the town of Windsor in the county of Berkshire and it’s located on the eastern side of the Windsor Castle grounds. It’s in Windsor Home Park - a private royal park that’s looked after by the Crown Estate - and it’s very close to St George’s Chapel. As well as reportedly being a very convenient 10 minute walk away from the main Castle, Adelaide Cottage is only around an hour outside of London too. This makes it incredibly handy for Prince William and Kate if they need to return to the capital for engagements or events. 

Who owns Adelaide Cottage? 

It’s understood that Adelaide Cottage is a grace-and-favour property, meaning that it likely belongs to King Charles because of his position as monarch and used to belong to Queen Elizabeth for the same reason. Ultimately, though, Adelaide Cottage isn’t privately owned like some properties in the royal portfolio, like Sandringham House in Norfolk. The monarch is believed to have the power to lease Adelaide Cottage to other people, either as part of an employment package or due to gratitude for services to them. Because of this, although the Prince and Princess of Wales live at the cottage, they are not its owners.

Who lives at Adelaide Cottage now?

Adelaide Cottage is home to the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children - as well as the family’s adorable pet spaniel, Orla. The Wales family previously split their time between Kensington Palace in London and Anmer Hall in Norfolk before making the move to Berkshire in 2022. Adelaide Cottage is perfectly located for visits to royal relatives, as well as being close to the Middletons. Carole and Michael Middleton live in Bucklebury in Berkshire and Pippa and James Middleton are also understood to live in the county too.

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This royal home is also near to Prince George, Charlotte and Louis’s school, Lambrook, with plenty of outside space for the children to enjoy. A source previously claimed to The Times that the family reportedly felt a bit “confined” in London and apparently have a plan to remain in Windsor for many years enjoying the freedom being there brings them.

"The reality is they are quite confined in what they can do in London. The kids can’t go into the park and kick a football with friends. Their plan is to be there for the next ten to 15 years and then move to Anmer, which is so special to them,” they alleged.

How big is Adelaide Cottage?

Adelaide Cottage is far smaller than Prince William and Kate’s Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace as it’s believed to only have four bedrooms compared to the twenty that the Palace reportedly has. The cottage is also said to have no room for live-in staff, making it a truly private family home. Even so, the Grade II listed property still provides plenty of room for the Wales family and its location on the Windsor Estate means they have a vast amount of outside space to explore instead of a more traditional garden.

When was Adelaide Cottage built?

Just like so many other royal residences that intrigue fans, Adelaide Cottage has a rich history. It was built in 1831 and was commissioned by King William IV for his wife Queen Adelaide, whom the four-bedroom cottage was named after. Since the days when they would enjoy relaxing day trips there, Queen Victoria also reportedly often visited this peaceful cottage which was apparently once called Adelaide Lodge. 

According to the Royal Collection Trust, it was built by architect and garden designer Jeffry Wyatville and incorporated building material from the nearby Royal Lodge too. 

Today the property is said to be a Grade II-listed building which means that it’s considered to have great historical or architectural significance and is accordingly protected by the law. Though Adelaide Cottage supposedly underwent major renovations back in 2015, with Town&Country reporting that the residence is said to boast some rather elaborate decorative elements inside. 

These reportedly include gilded dolphins and rope decoration on the ceiling of the master bedroom, which is said to have been recycled from an 19th century royal yacht. Adelaide Cottage is even believed to have a marble Graeco-Egyptian fireplace adding another sumptuous and historic aspect to the décor. 

Who used to live at Adelaide Cottage?

Adelaide Cottage has had its fair share of prominent residents since it was first built and although it wasn't a permanent home for them, it also remained a popular choice for visits from King William and Queen Adelaide. So much so, that the late Queen supposedly had her beloved pet spaniel, Dash, buried in its grounds.

Perhaps the most notable Adelaide Cottage residents in recent years before Prince William and Kate moved in was Group Captain Peter Townsend, who will likely be a familiar name to not only royal fans but avid watchers of Netflix's The Crown. As equerry to Queen Elizabeth's father, King George VI, Peter reportedly lived there with his wife from 1944.

The couple divorced in 1952 and the world was left astounded when the news broke that Peter and Princess Margaret were in a romantic relationship with one another. The couple never went on to marry and he later moved out of this beautiful property after his divorce.

Years later in 2018 rumors began to circulate that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were going to make Adelaide Cottage their home. However, at the time someone else with a strong royal connection was supposedly already living there. Simon Rhodes, the son of the late Margaret Rhodes, Queen Elizabeth’s first cousin and a Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen Mother, is said to have previously resided at the cottage.

Despite the speculation, Prince Harry and Meghan never went on to make Adelaide Cottage either their part-time or full-time UK residence. Instead, Frogmore Cottage (which is also on the Windsor Estate) was their official UK base until 2023.

Can you visit Adelaide Cottage? 

Sadly for fans eager to get a glimpse inside Adelaide Cottage, the property is not one of the royal homes that is open to the public. Many of the royal residences can be visited, including Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and Balmoral Castle, though Adelaide Cottage is the Waleses’ private family home. The residences that are open to the public are either owned by King Charles (as in the case of Balmoral) or by the Crown Estate but are primarily used by the monarch rather than his family members.