This month, Kensington Palace confirmed reports that the Prince and Princess of Wales will move from their current home, Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, by the end of the year.
Specifically, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, will move to Forest Lodge, an eight-bedroom home in Windsor, before Christmas, according to People, which confirmed initial reports from The Sun.
“Windsor has become their home," a source close to the Wales family told The Sun of the family's decision to move to another, larger residence in Windsor. "However, over the last few years while they have lived at Adelaide Cottage there have been some really difficult times."
The Sun's source added that Will, Kate, and their children see the move as "an opportunity for a fresh start and a new chapter" as well as "an opportunity to leave some of the more unhappy memories behind."
The other thing the Wales family sees the move as, according to the source, is permanent.
“This is a move for the long-term," the source added. "They see it as their forever home.”
Speaking to Us Weekly following Kensington Palace's confirmation of the Wales family's upcoming move, another royal source pointed out that the permanence of the move is what makes it so significant—and why it offers insight into what Will and Kate's approach to royal life will be like when William becomes King.
“The new house marks a new era for the family,” the Us Weekly source said. “The decision to move into this new home is a significant one that signals independence, though it is not entirely surprising.”
Like so much of what they do, the move highlights Will and Kate's commitment to putting their children first in all decisions.
According to the Us Weekly insider, it's important to remember the context: Prince George, who is 12, will be going “off to boarding school" soon, and Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who are 10 and 6, respectively, are expected to eventually follow suit. The move, the insider explained, “will allow” Will and Kate to put down roots for the family while staying close to their kids as they begin to attend nearby boarding schools.
This aligns perfectly with Will and Kate's history of prioritizing their family and their duties as parents over their duties as working royals. As the Us Weekly source explained, the couple “are very strict about their boundaries” related to protecting “their mental health and family life."
“They have witnessed how the role of monarch can consume one’s entire being,” the source added. “While they take their responsibilities very seriously, they are not afraid to say no when necessary.”
The news that the Waleses plan to make Forest Lodge their family's "forever home" also hints that, even after William eventually becomes King, Will and Kate have no intention of following tradition and moving their home base to Buckingham Palace in London. The Us Weekly source says that this may not be as big a deal within the royal family's inner circle as it might seem to be to outsiders, though.
“To outsiders, it may seem like a big move for the royals to not live in Buckingham Palace, but to insiders, it is not surprising,” the source explained. “King Charles has not lived there for a long time either and prefers to spend time outside of London.”
