William and Kate brought forward their relocation date to allow them to move into their ‘forever home’ well ahead of schedule – but there’s one awkward clash
It’s an exciting time for Prince William, Princess Kate, and their children. The family relocated into their ‘forever home’, Forest Lodge, over the half-term break – managing to meet their moving deadline of Bonfire Night.
And it signals a fresh start for the Waleses, who have officially said their final farewells to ‘cursed’ Adelaide Cottage. But they will still have to contend with an awkward neighbour for the time being – William’s disgraced uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Last week, King Charles confirmed he was taking away every royal title and styling from his younger brother. And Andrew, the late Queen’s second son, is now also set to move to a smaller home on the King’s private Sandringham estate in Norfolk in the new year, having finally agreed to give up Royal Lodge – completing his internal exile from the royal family.
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It means that, at least for the immediate future, Andrew will remain at the Lodge, around 1.4miles away from William and Kate’s new home – although their paths are unlikely to ever cross. William is said to have been instrumental in Andrew’s exile from royal life and is said to have come to ‘loathe’ his father’s younger brother.
It follows reports that William and Kate had originally planned to live in Adelaide Cottage for several more years, but they decided to move after their time at the four-bed home became beset by personal upset.
Initially, the Wales family had relocated from Kensington Palace to their Berkshire property to allow them to be closer to the late Queen. But tragically, within weeks of them moving in, she passed away.
Then there came another onslaught from the Sussexes; their Netflix series premiered three months to the day after the Queen’s death while the royals were still in mourning, swiftly followed up by Harry’s tell-all memoir, Spare, released the following January.
The situation worsened even further last year when both Kate and King Charles were diagnosed with cancer. While the Princess is now in remission after enduring a course of preventative chemotherapy, William described the experience as ‘brutal’.
And it has been mentally “scarring” not just for William and Kate, but also for their children. “Every part of Adelaide Cottage, sadly, had an unpleasant memory associated with it,” an source told the Daily Mail.
“It’s a lovely house and they started with such high hopes, but in the end they have experienced some of their most challenging times there as a family… Little wonder that William feels like it was cursed.”
Kensington Palace has already said that the couple intend to remain in Forest Lodge even after they accede to the throne, in a break with recent tradition. The Waleses’ have funded the move and refurbishment themselves and will be paying market rent to the Crown Estate.
William and Kate are believed to have brought forward their plans to move in; they had initially planned to be in Forest Lodge by Christmas, but builders have been working round the clock to complete the move way ahead of schedule.
And according to the Daily Mail, William and Kate recently laid on a ‘thank you’ party for the builders and staff who worked ‘tirelessly’ to get them into their new house early.
The couple reportedly put on drinks and nibbles at The York Club, a private pub near Forest Lodge, on Friday. The venue is a members-only club for residents and employees of the Crown Estate which manages much of the property on the Windsor estate, including their own.
