Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton will relocate their family from central London to more rural dwellings in Windsor, and all three of their children will attend the same private school near their new home, palace officials say.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have confirmed they and their family will move from Kensington Palace in west London to Adelaide Cottage, about a 10-minute walk from Windsor Castle.
It is the first official confirmation of the family’s move after whispers emerged earlier this year. Reports suggested the couple wanted to give their children greater freedom – away from the watchful eyes of London.
It also brings them much closer to William’s grandmother, the Queen. She has made Windsor Castle her primary home since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Queen’s official residence is Buckingham Palace in London but some British media reports have said the monarch, 96, may now permanently reside in Windsor.
It also brimgs the Cambridges closer to the duchess’ parents. Michael and Carole Middleton live in Buckleberry, about 40 minutes’ drive from Adelaide Cottage.
Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four, will all start at the private Lambrook School in nearby Ascot in September.
George and Charlotte had been attending a school in south London and Louis is just starting his formal full-time schooling.
Adelaide Cottage, built in 1831 for Queen Adelaide, the wife of King William IV, is a four-bedroom home of relatively modest size for the royals.
“Adelaide Cottage fits the bill because it is a four-bedroom home and they do not need any more as they have no live-in staff,” a source said earlier this year.
“The three children will enjoy running around and playing in the gardens, which is the kind of life they enjoy so much when at Anmer Hall.”
Anmer Hall is the couple’s 10-bedroom country mansion in Norfolk. They also have a holiday cottage in Scotland.
The Cambridges will retain their apartment in Kensington Palace as their official working base. Their office will remain run out of Kensington.
-with AAP
