Prince William and Princess Kate are set to eventually become King and Queen, but when it comes to life behind closed doors, they remain remarkably grounded. The pair take a very active role with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, and have strived to provide them with as ordinary an upbringing as they can, despite their remarkable status.
The family has been residing in the unpretentious four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage within Windsor Park’s grounds since August 2022. However, Kensington Palace has now announced they are prepared for a relocation, and will be transferring to the eight-bedroom Forest Lodge, situated a short distance from their current residence.
Whilst the property is considerably larger than Adelaide Cottage, William and Kate will be maintaining the same modest domestic lifestyle – and will not be employing any residential staff as they concentrate on making sure their home life is as private and ‘normal’ as possible, reports the Mirror.
In his book New King, New Court, Royal author Robert Hardman detailed the couple’s decision to decline residential staff, noting: “The couple did not seek to boost the staff numbers at Adelaide Cottage, not least because there would be little room to do so. Reports that the Prince was hiring a valet were knocked back. The Kensington Palace team does include a ‘yeoman’, a multi-tasking attendant who looks after everything from luggage to uniforms, but there is no ‘gentleman’s gentleman’ on the staff. And certainly no butler. It’s very much them at home with the kids.'”
A source previously told the Daily Mail of William and Kate’s family life: “I think it would surprise people to see how ordinary things are at home. The children help with laying the table, clearing their plates when they’ve finished eating and helping with tidying up. There’s no preferential treatment.”
William is determined to ensure George and his siblings experience a conventional childhood, surrounded by proper emotional guidance. In an interview in 2016, Prince William said: “As far as we are concerned within our family unit, we are a normal family. I love my children in the same way any father does and I hope George loves me the same way any son does his father. We are very normal in that sense.”
Much of William and Kate’s approach to parenting draws from the way Kate grew up, Royal expert Duncan Larcombe told OK. He said: “That small family unit of three kids, the same as with Kate and her siblings. They don’t live lavishly, but they do live very comfortably.”
Indeed, according to Royal expert Katie Nicholl, maintaining the children’s down-to-earth nature means getting them involved with domestic duties and, without any live-in personnel, all three youngsters are “expected to muck in”.
Nicholl said: “They absolutely do menial tasks. They are far more ordinary than many might imagine – the kids even have to do chores in return for their pocket money. It’s about them wanting to have a normal, happy, ordinary family home and lifestyle which, at Adelaide Cottage, they are really achieving.”
Whilst they don’t have residential staff, the family do employ a small team that visits to provide assistance, including their long-standing nanny Teresa Turrion Borrallo, a gardener, and housekeeper.
There are also guidelines about what the staff should wear whilst they are working. According to Valentine Low, author of Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, a member of staff told him that informal clothing is favoured whilst smart attire is actually discouraged, as reported by The Sun.
The source said: “The kids run around the office, and he [William] 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 family’s new residence, believed to be valued at approximately £16 million, dates back 328 years, and the couple are said to have already submitted planning applications to refurbish the Grade II listed property, which was previously let out for £15,000 a month back in 2001. According to the BBC, the Prince and Princess are financing the relocation privately and will pay market rent on the property.
A Kensington Palace source has revealed to the Mirror that whilst William and Kate “love” their current residence at Adelaide Cottage in numerous ways, it has gradually become rather cramped over time. The source said: “William and Kate love the cottage but it’s just too small for them. There are four bedrooms which just about fit them all in but there are other things that need to be considered. Staff and other elements need to be factored in.”
The source added: “It is also meant to be a working residence and there isn’t room to facilitate an office or hold more than a few guests at a time.” The source mentioned that for quite some time the pair has “desperately” desired “a larger property for their family in the Windsor area” – so they are likely to be thrilled at the possibility of relocating to their new home.
Forest Lodge Estate allegedly features three stables and two semi-detached guest houses that were transformed from former garages, along with additional cottages, new garages, a substantial pond and sprawling gardens, plus a tennis court.
Kate and William also own Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace – which unusually saw the couple sleep on the ground floor, rather than upstairs where bedrooms are typically located – alongside their Norfolk home Anmer Hall, where they frequently spend school holidays.
Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest and greatest updates from across London.
