Prince William and Kate Middleton have moved their family to Forest Lodge, an £16 million ($21 million) Georgian mansion within Windsor Great Park, describing it as their forever home.
However, the relocation triggered unprecedented backlash after security measures permanently closed 150 acres of parkland locals accessed for decades, and the timing made the change sting even more.
The Cottage Full Of Hard Memories
Prince William and Kate lived at Adelaide Cottage since autumn 2022, a modest 4-bedroom residence within Windsor Great Park.
Over the past 3 years, the cottage accumulated painful memories, and a royal source revealed, “Every part of Adelaide Cottage had an unpleasant memory associated with it,” but leaving would bring its own consequences.
The Move Came Faster Than Expected
The Wales family accelerated their relocation timeline, moving into Forest Lodge during the October half-term school break rather than waiting until Christmas as planned.
The early shift suggested urgency before the children returned to Lambrook, and Prince William even hosted a thank-you party for staff, yet nearby residents soon noticed other preparations.
A Mansion With History And Space
Forest Lodge is a Grade II-listed Georgian mansion built in the 1770s and enlarged in the early 1900s, with 8 bedrooms, a ballroom, and a tennis court.
It includes marble fireplaces, Venetian windows, and a barrel-vaulted hall ceiling, and planning permission covered more renovations, but its setting inside public parkland raised new sensitivities.
The Price Tag That Turned Heads
Forest Lodge is valued at about £16 million ($21 million), around 59 times the average UK property.
The estate sits within Windsor Great Park’s 4,800 acres, owned by the Crown Estate, and the family pays market rent and keeps no live-in staff, but a big question lingered: how would security work here?
A “Forever Home” With A Bold Signal
Palace sources say Prince William and Kate intend to remain at Forest Lodge permanently, even after William becomes King.
With Buckingham Palace in a £369 million renovation and expected to be mainly administrative after 2027, a royal insider told the BBC, “This is for the long term and it’s their intention to stay in Forest Lodge once he becomes king,” and that permanence shaped everything around them.
Celebration Night Before The Pushback
On October 31, Prince William and Kate held a celebration at The York to thank builders and staff for completing the early move-in.
Champagne flowed, toasts were raised, and workers were praised for hitting the accelerated timeline, but the community reaction would soon turn fierce once official notices landed in inboxes.
Money Was Not The Limiting Factor
The Duchy of Cornwall generated £22.9 million ($30.9 million) in distributable surplus during the 2024-2025 financial year, covering expenses for the family of 5.
That financial independence supported major work at Forest Lodge beyond the 2001 £1.5 million ($2 million) restoration, yet the real flashpoint would be where the new boundaries were drawn.
The Exclusion Zone Few Saw Coming
In mid-September, the Crown Estate notified residents that a security exclusion zone around Forest Lodge would begin September 29, with little time to absorb it.
A 2.3-mile perimeter, described by some as 6 miles, would be enforced under Section 128 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, and the consequences for trespass surprised longtime walkers.
Gates Shut And Routines Shatter Overnight
Cranbourne Gate, a primary access point for decades, closed permanently on September 29, along with Sandpit Gate, Woodend Gate, and South Forest Gate.
The familiar car park became unreachable, and residents who paid £110 annually for expanded access felt blindsided, especially after one shared, “Everyone I came across was devastated,” but the deeper loss was cultural, not just practical.
“42 Years” Of Routes Suddenly Gone
One resident said, “I have ridden and hiked that route for 42 years!” while another mourned, “We are absolutely gutted.”
Bridleways linking interior trails to surrounding communities were severed, and a woman described learning in September that long-loved fields were off-limits, raising the question of who decides when tradition ends.
The Education Loss Few Expected
The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust paused all lessons and visits at the Windsor Great Park Environmental Centre because of the cordon.
The Crown Estate said it was “working closely” with the Trust “to identify potential alternative sites,” but critics asked, “Why is 150 acres needed?” and the backlash spread far beyond dog walkers.
A Betrayal Felt By Supporters, Too
“I was excited when I heard they were moving there, but I always wondered how they would manage the security. They haven’t given us any warning or notice. It feels like a betrayal,” one resident said.
That line captured the whiplash from welcome to resentment, and it also set up a clash between emotional fairness and operational security that would soon be argued in public.
“Time Is a Life-Saver,” Expert Warns
Dai Davies, former head of Royal Protection Command, defended the measures as operationally necessary.
“By establishing an exclusion zone around William’s family home, police hope to maximise the time available for reaction to any potential threat. More distance means more time. And time is a life-saver,” he wrote, adding royals face “credible threats” more than ever, but would the public accept that framing?
“Their Right To Roam Isn’t More Important”
“It’s understandable that ramblers, dog walkers and some neighbours are peeved… But their right to roam is not more important than the Royal Family’s need for protection from terrorists and others intent on doing them harm,” Davies wrote.
He added, “The whole country has a duty to keep them safe,” casting closures as sacrifice, yet many locals felt the sacrifice was imposed without consent.
The Safe Room Detail Changes The Picture
Davies suggested Forest Lodge likely includes “rooms designed to withstand assault from outside,” a standard protection feature for high-risk targets.
“Such safe rooms are useful only if the protection squad has sufficient time to get everybody inside,” he explained, arguing distance creates reaction time as threats worsen, but security logic does not erase everyday disruption.
A School Decision Hanging Over Everything
Prince George, now 12, will start secondary school in September 2026, intensifying talk about Eton College or Marlborough College.
Some reports point to Eton, about 3 miles from Forest Lodge, helping preserve routines, and the timing suggests the family’s base and security planning were built around what comes next for the future king.
This Fight Echoes Older Royal Flashpoints
When William and Kate moved to Adelaide Cottage in 2022, “additional security measures drew concern from nearby residents,” and Prince Harry and Meghan’s Frogmore Cottage years also fueled disputes.
Buckingham Palace has long seen arguments over traffic and protests, so Forest Lodge fits a repeating pattern, but repetition does not guarantee a peaceful outcome this time.
Windsor Waits, Adjusts, And Resents
As 2026 begins, some residents drive farther to alternative gates, while others skip the parkland entirely.
The Crown Estate repeated it was “working closely” with the Wildlife Trust on alternatives, but no compensation appeared for useless annual passes, and one resident said, “Enclosing public land for the benefit of one couple is outrageous,” yet even critics admit the threat calculus is real.
The Model That Could Shape A Reign
Forest Lodge signals how a modern monarchy might live during William’s eventual reign: smaller, more private, and heavily secured.
By choosing permanence outside Buckingham Palace and accepting closures around public parkland, William and Kate have tested public legitimacy against protective distance, and the unresolved tension may define the earliest decisions of his kingship.
Sources
Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, UK Government legislation, 2005
Duchy of Cornwall Annual Report and Accounts 2024-2025. Duchy of Cornwall, 2025
“This is for the long term and it’s their intention to stay in Forest Lodge once he becomes king.” BBC, 2025
“By establishing an exclusion zone around William’s family home, police hope to maximise the time available for reaction to any potential threat. More distance means more time. And time is a life-saver.” Daily Mail, November 15, 2025