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Privacy NoticeThe Prince and Princess of Wales moved their family of five into the four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage in Windsor in September 2022. It is nestled in the heart of the Crown Estate’s private 655-acre royal park and was built in 1831 as a retreat for William IV’s wife Queen Adelaide. It was also known to be a favourite home of Queen Victoria as she frequently enjoyed taking her breakfast there. Now Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond exclusively told OK! that living in Kensington Palace, the family’s former home, must be like “living in an extremely posh apartment block” so she imagines Kate was “delighted” with the move to Adelaide Cottage. She believes the move was a “mutual decision” and a huge advantage would have been being closer to the late Queen Elizabeth II during her final months.
The Prince and Princess of Wales moved into the Windsor Estate’s Adelaide Cottage in 2022 – it was a mutual decision and Kate saw it as vital to be near the late Queen
(Image: Getty Images)
While it was already reported that William wanted to move so he could be closer to his grandmother after the death of her husband Prince Philip, the decision was seemingly very much supported by Kate. Jennie revealed: “Kensington Palace is a funny old place. Obviously it’s pretty grand, but living there must be rather like living in an extremely posh apartment block. You’re never far from your neighbours and there’s not really that much privacy. “So I imagine that Catherine was delighted with the suggestion that she and William should move to Adelaide cottage. It has given the children an idea of “normal“ family living. Of course it has been beautifully renovated and is posh by anyone else’s standards. But by royal standards it is modest, self-contained – with no room for living staff – and extremely private.” She added that all of these features would have been a “huge plus” for both Kate and William but also the closeness to the late Queen would have “drawn them”.
Four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage in Windsor is nestled in the heart of the Crown Estate’s private 655-acre royal park and was built in 1831 as a retreat for William IV’s wife Queen Adelaide
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
Jennie added: “The fact that it would also draw them much closer to the late Queen was a huge advantage and very important to William. But I’m sure it also gave Catherine and the children more opportunities to be with her….and that undoubtedly brought a great deal of joy to Queen Elizabeth in her last years.” Prince William shared a close bond with his grandmother and when his family moved to Adelaide Cottage, they were then only a 30-minute walk or ten-minute drive from the late Queen at Windsor Castle. Kate is also believed to have formed a strong bond with the late monarch after becoming a mother. Jennie continued: “I’m not sure that we could say that Catherine has moulded herself on the late Queen. I think she has always been a woman who wants to do things in her own way….fewer charities, focused causes, informal sporty clothes etc. But she certainly learned a great deal from her about the formalities of royal life…and how to rise above local (domestic) difficulties!”
Prince William shared a close bond with his grandmother and when his family moved to Adelaide Cottage, they were then only a 30-minute walk or ten-minute drive from the late Queen at Windsor Castle
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
Nestled in the heart of the Crown Estate’s private 655-acre royal park, Adelaide Cottage was built in 1831 as a retreat for King William IV’s wife, Queen Adelaide. The location of the home is also very convenient for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis as they are students at nearby Lambrook School. The four-bedroom home is modest in comparison to other neighbouring royal properties – and it comes with a fascinating and scandalous past. The cottage has also been the home to many royal dignitaries and courtiers; most recently Simon Rhodes, the son of the late Queen’s first cousin Margaret Rhodes who served as a Lady in Waiting to The Queen Mother. Rhodes moved his family to the UK from Zimbabwe after they had to flee the continuing violence in the country.
Prince William and Kate were very close with the late Queen
(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
One of the most famous former residents of the cottage was Princess Margaret’s love interest, Group Captain Peter Townsend. A former RAF pilot and later an equerry to King George VI, Townsend embarked on a famous love affair with Princess Margaret who was 16 years his junior. Among many famous residents, Adelaide Cottage was also known to be a favourite home of Queen Victoria as she frequently enjoyed taking her breakfast there. Adelaide Cottage underwent major renovations in 2015 and has some seriously elaborate decorations. According to reports, the master bedroom at the cottage reportedly has a ceiling covered with gilded dolphins and a rope decoration. Following Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018, there were suggestions that the cottage would be their new Windsor home. It was said that the couple liked how private the cottage was and how close it was to London. Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnKate MiddletonPrince WilliamQueen Elizabeth IIWilliam and KatePrince GeorgePrincess CharlottePrince LouisLambrook SchoolAdelaide CottageWindsor
