Kate Middleton and Prince William before the state banquet at Windsor Castle in July 2025. Credit : Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace
The Prince and Princess of Wales hope to move into their new residence, Forest Lodge, before Christmas.
Kate Middleton and Prince William believe they have found their forever home, a place to build new happy memories, PEOPLE understands.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 43, are set to move to Forest Lodge, an eight-bedroom upgrade on their current four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage, before Christmas. Like their previous property, Forest Lodge is in Windsor Great Park, the 4,800-acre parkland near the famous Windsor Castle.
The move will also be a chance for a new start after the most challenging of periods for the couple, PEOPLE understands. Royal insiders say they have been happy at Adelaide Cottage, where they and their three children have been able to put down roots. They had moved there from Kensington Palace in London in September 2022, in time for the children to start at the nearby Lambrook School.
But within days, the family had to endure the sadness of losing Prince William’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth. In early 2024, soon after they had settled into new roles as Prince and Princess of Wales, it emerged that first King Charles, 76, and then Kate were diagnosed with cancer.
For Princess Kate, the diagnosis came after some serious abdominal surgery, which took place in January 2024. Cancer was then detected, and she and William had to cope with the ensuing months of chemotherapy as well as preparing their children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, for the worrying news.
When she made an announcement of her diagnosis to the world, via a video address in March 2024, Princess Kate acknowledged they had taken their time to explain everything to the children “in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok.” Amid it all, King Charles was continuing with his own treatment for an undisclosed cancer.
Speaking in Cape Town, South Africa, last November, Prince William called it a “brutal year.” He said, “It’s been dreadful. It’s probably been the hardest year in my life.”
He added, “Trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult,” William said. And talking about Kate and his father Charles, he added, “But I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done. But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.”
The family has been happy at Adelaide Cottage, those close to them say. But the new move enables them to not only cement their life in Windsor for the long term, but also to leave some of those unhappy associations behind them.
When they initially moved to Adelaide Cottage, PEOPLE understands the couple hoped it would be a good base to see if they liked living in Windsor and could make it work as a base as senior members of the royal family, with the duties and commitments they have to balance with their family life.
Living in Windsor has enabled the couple to create as normal a life as possible for their children, and they both try to be present for school drop-off and pick-ups when possible. Moreover, at Adelaide Cottage, they do not have live-in staff, and the children’s longstanding nanny, Maria Turrion Borrallo, and housekeepers likely stay on other smaller properties on the estate.
William and Kate also expect to keep living at Forest Lodge when they are king and queen. They are looking forward to creating unforgettable, happy memories at the property, those who know them say.
