When the Prince and Princess of Wales first moved into their humble family home on the Windsor estate, they first had their eyes on another royal residence – but Prince Andrew put a stop to their plans
When Prince William and Princess Kate – along with their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – moved into Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor Estate in 2022, the charming family home was seemingly not their first choice when picking a royal residence.
According to royal sources, the Prince and Princess of Wales had their sights set on the Royal Lodge – which has been occupied by Prince Andrew since 2003. After hearing of William and Kate’s desire to move into the 30-room Windsor mansion, Andrew reportedly refused, leaving the royal couple to “compromise” when their first pick became impossible to secure.
READ MORE: Real reason Princess Eugenie ‘stayed away’ from York family summit amid Andrew scandalREAD MORE: Fears over Sarah Ferguson next ‘explosive move’ after renouncing Duchess title
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday , a royal source said: “Them going into Adelaide Cottage was never the plan. But they were forced to because Prince Andrew wouldn’t shift.”
The family settled in the four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage for three years, with their imminent move to Forest Lodge now just weeks away. In an ironic turn of events, with talks reportedly underway that will see Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson finally vacate the Royal Lodge, Fergie has her eyes set on Adelaide Cottage as her next home.
According to The Sun , Fergie believes she deserves a royal home to see out her years, after still feeling “short-changed” after her divorce settlement was not as lucrative as the late Princess Diana’s. Meanwhile, Prince Andrew is said to have asked to be relocated to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s former Windsor home, Frogmore Cottage.
Talks are still reportedly underway between Prince Andrew and the King’s aides on his plans to leave the Royal Lodge, after it recently emerged he has paid “peppercorn rent” since moving in over 20 years ago.
Despite holding a “cast iron” lease that prevents eviction, Palace insiders believe he will ultimately have to move out because of the scale of the backlash he has received since a spate of new allegations against the Prince and his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein came to light. Andrew has long denied the allegations against him.
While there has been no concrete plans as of yet for Andrew and Fergie to move out, royal insiders have claimed that William and Kate have a date in mind that they would like them to move, before the Waleses move into their forever home nearby.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are said to be preparing to move into Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park before Bonfire Night – but William reportedly wants his disgraced uncle gone from his mansion by the time they arrive.
“Catherine shudders at the thought of living so close to Royal Lodge while Prince Andrew is still in it,” a source told The Sun. “William wants him gone before they start to move in next week. It’s not about what Andrew doesn’t want to do anymore. It’s about what he’s going to be told to do.”
Both Royal Lodge and Forest Lodge – which are located within minutes of each other – sit in secluded parts of Windsor Great Park, surrounded by fields and woodland where Andrew is frequently seen horse-riding.