Inside Prince William and Princess of Wales(Kate Middleton's) 'Forever Home,' Forest Lodge.

 

Inside Prince William and Princess of Wales(Kate Middleton's) 'Forever Home,' Forest Lodge.

The Prince and Princess of Wales pay over $400,000 annually in rent on the eight-bedroom home and its surrounding estate.

Prince William and Kate Middleton are seeking a fresh start with their family.

The royal couple previously moved from Kensington Palace in London into Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, England, in the summer of 2022. However, a little more than three years later, they moved once again to Forest Lodge in Windsor.

The past several years have been difficult for the family, with the family enduring the 2022 death of Queen Elizabeth and the simultaneous cancer diagnoses of King Charles and Kate. Now, the Prince and Princess of Wales are looking to create new memories with their three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — in their new home.

"Adelaide Cottage was a place of pain, suffering and sadness. After such rough times, it's perfectly understandable they would want a new place," Sally Bedell Smith, the royal biographer behind the Royals Extra Substack, told PEOPLE in December 2025.

Here's everything to know about Prince William and Kate Middleton's “forever home,” Forest Lodge.

Forest Lodge is located in Windsor Great Park.

Forest Lodge resides in the same 4,800-acre park as Kate and William's prior residence, Adelaide Cottage.

The two estates are just four miles apart within the grounds of Windsor Great Park. The property was originally called Holly Grove when it was built in the 1770s, and it functioned as the official residence of Windsor Great Park's deputy ranger after it was purchased by the Crown Estate in 1829.

Kate and William moved to Forest Lodge in 2025.

The family lived in the four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage from fall 2022 until they announced plans to move to Forest Lodge. They signed a 20-year lease on the property in July 2025, and a month later, a Kensington Palace spokesperson confirmed to PEOPLE, "The Wales family will move house later this year."

William, Kate and their children ultimately relocated to Forest Lodge in November of that year. They had originally planned to move around Christmas 2025, but builders and staff made it possible for them to make the transition earlier than initially anticipated. Kate and William thanked them with a celebration party in October 2025 at a pub near the lodge.

The move took place during the kids' half-term break from Lambrook School.

Forest Lodge has eight bedrooms.

The Georgian-style Forest Lodge features eight bedrooms, a ballroom, a pond and a tennis court, among other amenities.

The lodge is substantially larger than Adelaide Cottage, with double the private quarters alone. The 16th-century home also features six chimneys and nine bay windows, adding to its historic elegance.

In 2001, the home underwent $2 million worth of renovations. In early 2025, the couple were granted permission to make minor internal and external alterations, including removal of a window and changes to a fireplace, per the BBC.

Forest Lodge is worth an estimated $21 million.

According to The Independent, the estimated open market value of Forest Lodge is around £16 million, or $21 million USD.

William and Kate have opted to pay market rent on the property rather than using public funds to cover their housing. Their rent is $411,435 annually, per a report in The Times — over $120,000 more than the previous tenant.

The couple do not have — or plan to take on — any live-in staff, PEOPLE understands.

Kate and William will live at Forest Lodge as king and queen.

The couple plan to raise George, Charlotte and Louis to adulthood at Forest Lodge and continue living at the Windsor Great Park property when the Prince of Wales accedes to the throne.

Though the decision is a departure from tradition — historically, British monarchs have resided at Buckingham Palace — William is following in his father's footsteps. Since he acceded to the throne, King Charles has chosen to reside at Clarence House, as the palace is currently undergoing a six-figure renovation.

Tags: Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince Louis, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Meghan, Lilibet

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