Prince William and Kate Middleton are closing the doors to Kensington Palace one last time.
After months of swirling rumours surrounding an impending move, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are packing up their bags and heading to Windsor full-time, per The Sunday Times.
According to the publication, the couple have settled on a house in Berkshire, the very same county where the Queen resides for the majority of the year at Windsor Castle. The area is also home to Bucklebury, which is where the Duchess’ mother and father reside.
According to PEOPLE, Kate and William’s decision to move ultimately came down to the changing needs of their three children, Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four.
The move means that both George and Charlotte will withdraw from their central London school, Thomas’ Battersea at the end of the current school term, and it’s been reported that Kate has been looking at different schools in the Berkshire area for all three of her children to attend.
Royal sources have suggested the family will move into Adelaide Cottage, which is located on the Windsor estate.
What is Adelaide Cottage’s history?
Adelaide Cottage is perhaps best known for its ties to its former lodger, Group Captain Peter Townsend, whom fans of The Crown will remember as the man Princess Margaret previously wanted to marry. Townsend lived there for a few years in the late 1940s and early 1950s, shortly before his controversial romance with the Princess went public.
The historic home was built in 1831 and is located on the eastern side of the Windsor Castle grounds. It’s in close vicinity to St George’s Chapel, where numerous royal services have been held including the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, as well as Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank.
The house was named Adelaide Cottage by its commissioner, King William IV, who built it in honour of his wife, Queen Adelaide.
According to royal historian Marelene Koeing, Adelaide Cottage is slightly smaller than that of Frogmore Cottage, which was the Windsor home allocated to Harry and Meghan when they welcomed their first child, Archie, in 2019.
Frogmore, which has been labelled as a mansion, is believed to have nine bedrooms, a tennis court, a swimming pool and an additional guest house in its sprawling Windsor grounds.
While little more is known about Adelaide Cottage’s interior, and despite it’s supposed modesty in comparison to Frogmore Cottage, we imagine it’s not that much smaller and will provide ample space for the Cambridges to live.
“Finding a way to make Adelaide Cottage work seems to be the best and only option,” a royal insider told The Sun back in May.
“There are issues with all the other houses, so Adelaide will be the favourite.”
Kate and William also own a Norfolk country home, Anmer Hall, which they often frequent in the holidays.
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