Prince William, Princess Kate's 'forever home' plans clash with royal duties

Prince William and Kate Middleton may have found their “forever home,” but it won’t quite be forever after all.

Forest Lodge, a $21 million property within the secure grounds of Windsor Castle, will serve as the Prince and Princess of Wales’ long-term residence after they move there with their kids George, Charlotte, and Louis later this year. The eight-bedroom estate offers far more space than their current four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage.

But when William becomes king, royal duties will pull them back to Buckingham Palace, Page Six reports.

“Remember, when [Queen Elizabeth] was at Windsor when [then Prime Minister] Theresa May was stepping down in July 2019, she had to go back and forth to accept May’s resignation and then greet the new PM, Boris Johnson,” royal author Hugo Vickers told the outlet.

Vickers, a friend of the royal family, further explained, “The king has to be somewhere convenient to the centre of government. They can’t expect ministers to come to Windsor. I am sure William and Catherine will have to use Buckingham Palace as their London base and also for ceremonial duties.”

For now, the couple will move into Forest Lodge later this year after renovations. Sources told The Sun they’re paying for the work and rent themselves — with no taxpayer funding — for a fresh start after what William has called the “hardest” year of his life.