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Kate Middleton and Prince William are moving later this year to Forest Lodge in Windsor, which is said to be their forever home
The eight-bedroom residence was built in the 1770s and underwent renovation work in 2001
Photos taken in 2001 show its fireplaces, Venetian windows and detailed ceiling decorations
Kate Middleton and Prince William have a new place to call home.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 43, are moving to Forest Lodge in Windsor later this year with their three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Forest Lodge is said to be the family’s forever home, where they plan to stay even when William accedes to the throne.
The eight-bedroom residence is located not far from Adelaide Cottage, where they settled in 2022. However, it is considerably bigger than their current four-bedroom home. Despite this, Prince William and Princess Kate will continue not to have any live-in staff after their move to Forest Lodge, PEOPLE understands. The children’s nanny, Maria Turrion Borrallo, who has been with the family since George was a baby, and the housekeepers will likely stay on other smaller properties on the estate.
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Forest Lodge pictured in 2018
Originally built in the 1770s, the Georgian-era mansion, once known as Holly Grove, was purchased by the Crown Estate in 1829. The house became the residence of the Deputy Ranger of Windsor Great Park until the 1930s, and there were rumors in the mid-1970s that Princess Anne and her then-husband, Mark Phillips, might occupy the property, though they never moved in.
In 2001, Forest Lodge underwent $2 million worth of renovations and was put on the rental market for $20,000 per month. Photos taken during the restoration work at that time provide a glimpse inside the residence, including its fireplaces, Venetian windows and detailed ceiling decorations.
The residence also reportedly has a tennis court, perfect for the famously sporty family who also have a court at their country estate in Norfolk, Anmer Hall.
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Forest Lodge pictured in 2001
When Prince William and Princess Kate moved their home base from Apartment 1a at Kensington Palace in London to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor three years ago, they wanted to test the new location to see if it worked for their family. Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, started at nearby Lambrook School, and the location allows the Prince and Princess of Wales to balance parenting with their royal duties.
Speaking at the Irish Guards’ St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 17, Princess Kate told soldiers, “We are in Windsor at the moment. We were in London but moved there for more green space. It’s close enough to London, not too far away.”
Years before, the Princess of Wales said that she was happiest when outside with her family in the countryside.
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Forest Lodge and the surrounding area pictured in 2018
In addition, the move to Windsor put the family closer to Princess Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael, who live about 30 minutes away and are hands-on grandparents to George, Charlotte and Louis.
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Forest Lodge pictured in 2001
However, shortly after their move to Adelaide Cottage, they mourned Queen Elizabeth’s death in September 2022. King Charles acceded to the throne, making Prince William the new heir.
They faced more hardship in 2024 when both Princess Kate and the King were diagnosed with cancer. While King Charles, 76, continues to receive treatment, the Princess of Wales announced that she was in remission in January.
Their move to Forest Lodge, said to be taking place before Christmas, provides an opportunity for a fresh start.
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Forest Lodge pictured in 2001
Prince William and Princess Kate will pay rent for the property to the Crown Estate and are also funding renovations. As heir to the throne, William receives around $30 million a year from the Duchy of Cornwall estate.
The royal couple’s move to Forest Lodge prompted two nearby households to leave in preparation. PEOPLE understands that there have been no eviction notices, and the tenants have since moved to similar or better housing within the Great Park, with everyone remaining in Crown Estate properties.
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Forest Lodge photographed in 2001
What remains to be seen is if Forest Lodge has a resident ghost. If so, it wouldn’t be the first royal home to be haunted — and even William and Kate’s Anmer Hall home is said to have spirits.
Paranormal historian Richard Felix said on an episode of Hello! A Right Royal Podcast, “When the Prince of Wales and Princess of Wales moved into Anmer Hall, it’s more or less on the Sandringham Estate, there was a ghost there of a Catholic priest that lived there and was hanged, drawn and quartered for high treason, and for some reason, has returned to his home.”
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Forest Lodge in 2001
“Although he was executed in York, they’ve actually heard his voice. And they have seen the ghost of what they say is a priest, wandering around Anmer Hall,” he continued. “Before the Waleses moved in, they were warned about the ghost and the comment was, I presume it was from Prince William, he said, ‘No old hall would be complete without a ghost, would it?’ ”
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