Prince William and Princess Kate are upsizing from Adelaide Cottage to Forest Lodge later this year, along with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The new house is still located within Windsor Great Park, but it's a significant move as the property is double the size, boasting eight bedrooms. Despite the move, the Prince and Princess of Wales are keen to keep one strict rule in place – there will be no live-in staff at the new place either.
Ingrid Seward, royal biographer and editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, spoke to HELLO!'s Royal and Features Contributor, Tracy Schaverien, about the reasoning behind the decision. "William and Kate have never wanted live-in staff; I think that’s the modern way," Ingrid said. "Since William was a little boy, he’s seen all the staff at the late Queen’s homes, and he never wanted that. It’s not something Kate grew up with either."
When the family resided at Apartment 1A inside Kensington Palace, they had an array of staff at hand for their every need, but when they moved to Adelaide Cottage in 2022, they made the conscious decision to have no employees living at the property. They will still benefit from cleaners, chefs and nannies, but they wouldn't be interrupting 'normal' family life by living there.
Where will Kate and William's staff live?
"They had a housekeeper and a nanny at Kensington Palace, but at Windsor, they have all these little cottages around the big house, which is nicer for the staff, too," explains Ingrid. This will mean the staff are nearby to access the property easily, but the family will be able to have their own privacy day-to-day.
The employees they do have are even encouraged to wear casual clothes, so it's not too stuffy around the house. According to royal writer Valentine Low, author of Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, an employee told him that casualwear is requested and formalwear is frowned upon, as reported by The Sun. "The kids run around the office, and he does not want it to be stuffy. If we have important meetings or are going to Buckingham Palace, then, of course, we [dress up]," the source said.
As well as opening up about their big move, Ingrid looked ahead to the future and said: "William was never going to move into Buckingham Palace." For the family, Forest Lodge is seen as their forever home and it appears that there is no intention to relocate down the line into the iconic London palace. "He has never had any fondness for it, and he probably hasn't spent much time there," she added.
It has previously been revealed that even Queen Elizabeth II never wanted to move into Buckingham Palace and hoped to remain living at Clarence House upon her accession to the throne. She was also very keen to spend as much time as possible at more private residences like Balmoral Castle.