Three years after the Prince and Princess of Wales left busy London for Berkshire, it’s been suggested that they could be planning to leave Adelaide Cottage for pastures new.
A "well-connected" source has alleged to The Mail on Sunday that the couple "feel they have outgrown" it and "need something more substantial", with nearby Fort Belvedere being a possible candidate. However, when it comes to whether or not the Waleses will actually up sticks and leave their cottage, I have my doubts.
In my view, a move will happen one day, but Prince William and Kate will likely wait for a few years at least before uprooting their family - for an understandable reason.
The Mail on Sunday understands that "although the royal couple are considering their options" for a possible next home, "no move is imminent" and I have to agree with this assessment. Prince George turned 12 in July and in September he’ll be starting his last year of prep school.
Much has been made of the possible schools he could attend next, with Eton and Marlborough College (Prince William and Kate’s almer mata’s respectively) top of the list. If George goes to Eton he will be boarding - something he’s never done before.
Marlborough College is further away from home and although pupils don’t have to board, the trip back and forth everyday would be a lot. At a time of upheaval for Prince George no matter where he goes, the last thing his devoted mum and dad will likely want to do is introduce yet another huge life change by moving house.
It won’t just be a big change for him, either. If Prince George goes away to school, Princess Charlotte and Louis will be living at home without their brother for the first time. It might be easier to adjust to this if they are still at their familiar family home.
They might also want to enjoy a few more years there happily after such a challenging 2024 whilst Kate was undergoing cancer treatment. Lambrook School is also closer (marginally) to Adelaide Cottage than it is to Prince William and Kate’s other proposed residence, Fort Belvedere.
The source claimed to the MoS that this royal residence is the "perfect new home" for the family as it "has a swimming pool and tennis court, and Charlotte loves playing tennis". I don’t disagree that these features and the considerable space increase go in Fort Belvedere’s favour.
I could imagine Prince William and Kate weighing up their options for a few more years and then, once their children are all settled in their new phase of life, leaving Adelaide Cottage. After all, when the royal couple moved to Windsor in 2022 the late Queen Elizabeth was still alive.
When she passed away a few months later and Prince William rose to first in the royal line of succession, his responsibilities and role increased too - and so did Kate’s.
Living within commutable distance from London is a must for them and as their children grow up and William and Kate are doing more royal work, perhaps some from home, having some extra space would be useful. Although I think the move date is still a while away, I do think Fort Belvedere would work for them.
It’s still on the Windsor estate but is more private than Windsor Castle, just like Adelaide Cottage, so the surrounding area is known to George, Charlotte and Louis. The Fort has also been a royal home before, as it’s where Queen Elizabeth’s uncle King Edward VIII lived before and after abdicating the throne.
Ultimately, though, wherever they move to in the future, I believe their Norfolk home, Anmer Hall, will always have their hearts. Speaking on BBC’s Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers documentary, Prince William declared, "We love this area, it feels like home."
