Last week, we discussed the sudden renewed energy for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s likely move to Windsor. Last summer, we heard several different versions of the story. The story? William and Kate feel overlooked and claustrophobic in Kensington Palace, and they’re hellbent on moving to the country, to be closer to the Queen and closer to the Middletons in Berkshire. They were eyeing up properties on the Great Windsor Estate, including Royal Lodge (which is leased by Prince Andrew). The new energy is for Fort Belvedere, a Gothic-style castle which looks haunted AF. Well… there are more stories about the likely move:
Prince William and Kate Middleton ‘will move to Berkshire and start a quiet life in the country’ because they recognise at ‘this stage in their life suburbia makes perfect sense’, a source has claimed. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who currently split their time between their London home Kensington Palace and their weekend home Amner Hall in Norfolk plan to relocate to Windsor, according to the Telegraph, as they see it as ‘the perfect place’ to raise , Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, six, and Prince Louis, three.
Sources say they have their eyes on Fort Belvedere, a Grade II listed house with a tower towards the southern end of Windsor Great Park, where King Edward VIII – the Queen’s uncle – signed his abdication papers in 1936. The fort is owned by the Crown Estate and leased to the billionaire Weston family, close friends of the royals.
The relocation, which would bring the family closer to both the Queen and Kate’s parents in Bucklebury, is the most significant sign yet that the couple are preparing to take on a far more senior role at the heart of the Royal Family. However, the planned move is said to have left those close to Kate, 40, and William, 39, ‘aghast’ – the Telegraph reported – because many don’t consider Berkshire to be ‘proper countryside’.
‘People can be very snotty about that area west of London, but that mainly comes out of ignorance,’ an Eton contemporary of Prince William told the paper. The couple are said to also believe they can make the commute from Windsor to west London in just 25 minutes if they have a police escort.
The Telegraph also speculates on future schools for the Cambridge children, saying that Lambrook, described as, “a nurturing co-education prep school near Ascot,” is the current favorite and that when it comes to secondary schools Kate wants her children to go to Marlborough College where she went to school, rather than Eton where William and Harry went.
[From The Daily Mail and The Daily Beast]
A few things. One, William must have been slapped down pretty hard about Royal Lodge, and I suspect the Queen let William know that her favorite son would not be moving out of his big mansion. Two, I would imagine there will be a BIG fight brewing about the kids’ schools, because I genuinely don’t think they can avoid sending George and Louis to Eton, no matter what Kate wants. Three, the idea that Will and Kate’s social group would look down their noses at them for living in Windsor is kind of amazing and telling. It feels like William and Kate are prepared to cut some ties with the Norfolk set, the Turnip Toffs and assorted Norfolk-based rose bushes. My guess is that someone has a new mistress and she’s based out of West London?? Hm. Anyway, it definitely sounds like the royals are about to kick out the Weston family and the move will happen soon. So chaotic, so lazy. Anything to avoid work and accountability.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Instar.
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