Prince William and Kate’s dream ‘forever home’ nearly belonged to another royal

The Prince and Princess of Wales are preparing to make Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park their new family home later this year, but the grand 18th-century residence almost had very different royal occupants.

Back in the mid-1970s, the property was “strongly tipped” as a potential home for Princess Anne and her ex-husband, Captain Mark Phillips, following their 1973 wedding. 

A Daily Telegraph report from December 1975 revealed that the couple had considered Forest Lodge as a possible marital residence.

Instead, Anne and Mark settled into Oak Grove House, a Georgian five-bedroom home at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, before the late Queen Elizabeth II gifted her daughter Gatcombe Park in 1976. 

The Gloucestershire estate has remained Princess Anne’s cherished home ever since.

Princess Anne may keep a base at St James’s Palace in London, but it’s the Prince and Princess of Wales who are preparing for a major move in Windsor. 

Later this year, William and Kate will swap their four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage for Forest Lodge, an eight-bedroom residence within Windsor Great Park that insiders have already dubbed the couple’s “forever home.”

The spacious property, whose freehold is held by the King, represents a significant upgrade for the Wales family. 

According to The Sun, William and Kate are covering the cost of both the purchase and the renovations themselves, ensuring no additional burden falls on the taxpayer.

Planning documents filed with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead confirm that approval for a series of minor internal and external alterations was granted earlier this month.

Forest Lodge is no stranger to transformation. Back in 2001, it underwent an extensive £1.5 million restoration before being placed on the rental market for £15,000 a month. 

Now, it’s set to become the long-term base for the future King and Queen and their three young children.