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Prince William and Princess Kate relocated their family from London to Windsor in 2022, but here’s why they won’t be passing on their current residence, Adelaide Cottage, to their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The reason the property will not be passed down directly to the three kids is because William and Kate do not own the home themselves – it belongs to the Crown Estate. The four-bedroom cottage is a grace-and-favour home, which they are able to use as a perk of their royal duties.
Royal Lodge and Bagshot Park used to be grace-and-favour homes, but they are now leased out to Prince Andrew and Prince Edward retrospectively.
Technically, one day Prince George could be entrusted with the responsibility of the Duchy of Cornwall, which currently sits with his father Prince William – and this would give him a very impressive property portfolio.
The extensive property and land portfolio reaches across 23 counties in England, Wales and the Isles of Scilly. The impressive collection currently makes William the biggest private landowner in Britain.
Interestingly, Highgrove House in Gloucestershire is part of the Duchy so technically Prince William is currently his own father’s landlord as King Charles uses it as his country residence.
© GettyWhy did the Wales family move into Adelaide Cottage?
When William and Kate uprooted their family from Apartment 1A inside Kensington Palace and moved to the countryside it was technically a downside from their impressive city abode. So why did they make the move?
The family’s big move was an effort to get the children away from the goldfish bowl of London, and give them more of a ‘normal’ upbringing in Windsor.
The late Queen’s former press secretary and communications officer Ailsa Anderson, spoke on HELLO!’s A Right Royal Podcast about the royals seeking normality for their kids, especially heir to the throne, George.
© Getty Images“Both of his parents want to protect him and give him as much privacy and downtime as they can, and, in my view, make his upbringing as normal as possible. Both parents do the school run, and they try to keep things as normal as possible,” she reported.
Princess Kate grew up in the countryside herself, so it seems only fitting that she wants to recreate her own childhood memories.
Their pink Grade II listed cottage is rarely photographed, which means their privacy wishes are currently being met.
Will Prince William and Kate move out of Adelaide Cottage?
There are no imminent plans for the family to move, and considering the kids are now settled into a nearby school, it seems logical that they will stay put for the near future. However, they have other properties to choose from, including their countryside bolthole in Norfolk, Anmer Hall.
The ten-bedroom home was given to the couple as a wedding gift from the then-Queen in 2011.
Before they moved in, the Georgian property underwent £1.5 million worth of exciting refurbishments, and over the years we’ve had a few glimpses inside the gorgeous home.
© Max Mumby/Indigo, GettyWhen Kate revealed that she had completed the course of preventative chemotherapy, she released a heartfelt family video which was shot partially inside the country house.
The Wales family were seen playing cards at the dining table with Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, in a very low-key, cute moment.
Unexpected Norfolk royal connections
© GettyYou can’t have Norfolk and royals in the same sentence without mentioning Sandringham Estate. The royal home, one of their two privately owned properties, has become well-known as a Christmas destination for the royal family. The estate, which has been in the royal family since the late nineteenth century, was built by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. Christmas was previously associated with Windsor Castle since the royal family celebrated Christmas there from the 12th to the 20th century.
It was King Albert, Queen Elizabeth II’s father, who made Sandringham their family’s destination for the festive season, a tradition that Queen Elizabeth adopted and King Charles is expected to continue. The 20,000-acre countryside estate lies six miles away from the closest town, King’s Lynn, assuring more privacy than the famous Buckingham Palace can ever ask for.
© GettyDid you know that King Charles once had a troublesome pillow fight in a Norfolk pub? Before you start imagining a 75-year-old with a pillow in one hand and a pint of lager in another, it’s important to note the event happened in 1959 when King Charles was just 11 years old. Prince Philip took his oldest son and two of Charles’ friends with him as he took part in a coot shooting event. The royals intended to stay in Whiteslea Lodge for a couple of nights but when the building was flooded, they resorted to the plan B, Pleasureboat Inn.
The Inn was owned by Gwen Amis whose nephew, Graham Turner, ended up spending quality time with the future king. Although the specifics of their activities during Prince Philip’s absence have faded with time, Mr Turner recalls the likelihood of them spending time together, possibly watching television. The infamous pillow fight unfolded on one of the evenings King Charles stayed at the Inn and it became quite heated. Prince Philip instructed the landlady to put the boys in their place which she bravely accomplished. In a letter to Mrs Amis on her 90th birthday, in 2000, the year before she died, King Charles revealed he had never forgotten the pillow fight incident. “The pillow fight is also a vivid memory but you will be glad to hear that I have become a little less violent in my behaviour as middle age creeps on.”
© GettyDo you often treat yourself to a takeaway after a night out? In Norfolk, you might stumble across a takeaway approved by the late Queen! Queen Elizabeth II once ordered a local kebab takeaway after a bet she had with Prince Harry. The late Queen’s grandson had a cheeky birthday wish and asked the queen to try a kebab. As a loving grandmother, she obliged, despite being known as ‘not a foodie’ and normally sticking to the same meals every week.
In 2016, a source from within the royal circle shared with the Suffolk Gazette, “Harry had enjoyed a few glasses of wine, and when the Queen asked him if there were anything particular he would like for his birthday, he blurted out, “You have to eat a doner kebab.’” When you are in Norfolk, you too can enjoy a kebab worthy of the Queen for as little as £7.
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