William, Kate and children believed to have moved into new Windsor home
The family has moved out of Kensington Palace
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Your support makes all the difference.The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children are believed to have moved into their new Windsor home.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are joining the co-educational private Lambrook School near Ascot in Berkshire after the family set up home in Adelaide Cottage in Windsor’s Home Park.
William and Kate are seeking a life in the country away from the goldfish bowl of their official residence Kensington Palace in London in a bid to put their children first and give them more freedom.
However, the royal family drew criticism for the gifting of the four-bedroom Grade II-listed home, which belongs to the Crown Estate, while Britons struggle during the ongoing cost of living crisis.
The Queen gave the Cambridges permission to lease the property and use it as their base, with the couple paying market value rent using their own private funds.
William and Kate had set their heart on outdoorsy prep school Lambrook, with its 52 acres of grounds, for their youngsters where fees will cost Prince William and Kate Middleton in excess of £50,000 a year.
It was built for Queen Adelaide in 1831 and is nestled just a 10-minute walk from Windsor Castle in the private Home Park.
Kensington Palace confirmed last month that the family would be moving to Adelaide Cottage before the school term begins.
A royal source said: “This is very much a decision that two parents have made to give their children the ‘most normal’ start possible.
“KP can be a little bit of a fishbowl.
“They wanted to be able to give George, Charlotte and Louis a bit more freedom than they have living in central London.
“It’s very much a decision that’s been led by the kids.”
The Cambridges will retain Kensington Palace’s Apartment 1A as their official residence and working base, as well as to house their office staff, and their 10-bedroom Norfolk country mansion Anmer Hall, which was a gift from the Queen.
The downsizing to Adelaide Cottage, which is not considered vast, means William and Kate’s full-time nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo will live elsewhere for the first time, as will other staff including the housekeeper and the chef.
But Republic, which campaigns for an elected head of state, branded the move as “disgraceful”. Chief executive Graham Smith said: “While ordinary households are struggling with their energy bills and facing crippling inflation, why are we giving yet another home to William and Kate?
“This is disgraceful.”
He added: “All these palatial homes require round-the-clock protection, heating and staffing.”
In addition, royal commentator and former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt said the decision highlighted how the royal family was not subject to the same economic difficulties as the rest of the nation.
The royal source said the duke and duchess were very conscious of how their move stands in contrast to the cost-of-living crisis impacting the nation.
Asked whether the couple was mindful of the economic difficulties facing many who would not be able to afford such opportunities, the source said: “They absolutely are.
“It’s something they have thought long and hard about and this is a decision they have not taken lightly.
“It would have been extremely difficult for them to continue on as senior working royals if they were based in Norfolk.
“What they have basically done allows them to put the kids first, but also to continue on doing what they do all day, every day.”
Elsewhere, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to touch down in the UK for the first time since the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations in June and will reportedly stay at their Windsor home, Frogmore Cottage, which is located just a 15-minute walk away from the Cambridges’ new abode.
However, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are not thought to have any plans to meet with William and Kate during their short visit, which will also see them traveling to Germany before returning to the UK.