The huge royal home Prince William and Princess Kate turned down to live at humble cottage

King Charles’ royal home portfolio stretches far and wide – from Balmoral Castle in Scotland down to Highgrove House in Tetbury, Gloucestershire. One of his grace-and-favour homes is Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, where his son Prince William and his family reside but did you know there’s a lesser-known royal home on the same estate where they could have lived?

There’s a Grade II listed country house on Shrubs Hill in Windsor Great Park called Fort Belvedere. The Crown Estate property has been home to many royals over the years including King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, but now it lies empty.

Renovations during Edward’s era saw a swimming pool, a tennis court and stables added within its grounds.

Aerial shots of the property show it is vast in size and features a folly. There’s also a moat that runs around it and a long path to the entrance. 

The house overlooks Virginia Water, which is a man-made lake, constructed under the orders of the Duke of Cumberland. 

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At the time of Prince William’s relocation with his wife Princess Kate and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis rumours swirled that this royal abode could be on the cards, but then Adelaide Cottage became the chosen residence. 

Although the Wales family haven’t spoken out about their decision, the fact they chose the much humbler home ties into the fact that they want to try and give their kids a more ‘normal’ upbringing. 

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The Windsor estate stretches over 15,800 acres and the fort and the cottage are a few miles apart. As well as the property being smaller, Adelaide Cottage is also in closer proximity to Windsor Castle. When the family moved, Queen Elizabeth II was still alive, so spending more time with her there would have also been on the agenda. 

Low key royal life

© Samir Hussein/WireImage

Although William and Kate do not have live-in staff at their four-bed property, they do still have housekeepers etc that come and go. But the rules around them may surprise you! It is believed that the royals don’t even want their staff in uniform, instead encouraging them to dress informally around the kids. 

According to Royal writer, Valentine Low, author of Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, an employee told him that casualwear is requested and formalwear frowned upon, as reported by The Sun.

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“The kids run around the office, and he does not want it to be stuffy. If we have important meetings or are going to Buckingham Palace, then, of course, we [dress up],” the source said.