The Prince and Princess of Wales have officially moved into their new home, Forest Lodge, with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, as confirmed on 1 November. It turns out that the Wales family managed to complete their move earlier than their initial plan to do so at Christmas, with reports stating that they had first set themselves the goal of moving in by Wednesday, 5 November. Fortunately, it also meant that they were able to start settling in during the kids' half-term break. As part of HELLO!'s Lifestyle team, I've been following the Wales family's move to Forest Lodge for months, but it was Prince William's new video that truly confirms how private their 'forever home' will be. With three young children, privacy has become a priority for the family, who have also implemented a no-fly zone around their new home.
On Tuesday, the Prince of Wales shared a special message to school children across the country, through the Royal British Legion social media channels, as a part of their annual Remembrance Assembly, which combined music, poetry, art and voices from across the Armed Forces community to connect students to the Remembrance heritage. However, he made a strategic move to ensure that his new home remained private – see the video above…
© Getty ImagesPrince William chose to shoot the video from the gilded rooms in Windsor Castle, which is not far from his old family home in Adelaide Cottage; he previously filmed his surprise BAFTA TV appearance from the same room.
Prince William's Armistice message
In the video, the Prince of Wales shared a touching, personal message for Armistice Day, saying: "Armistice Day is an important time for us to stop and reflect – it is a reminder that remembrance is for everyone. When we remember, we connect with service in a personal way. We learn from the courage of others, and we carry their stories forward, so they are not forgotten.
"It’s not just about the past – it’s about shaping who we become in the future. Remembrance teaches us empathy, resilience and responsibility. And when we wear a red poppy or take a moment of silence, we are saying, ‘Thank you. We have not forgotten, and we will not forget’."
© Getty ImagesHe continued: "Coming together for remembrance is a vital way to honour those whose service keeps us safe. Even today, as we continue to face a number of conflicts across the world, we honour those who have gone before us, and those who are serving now. Their memories matter, their lives matter, and they remind us to be respectful, kind, brave and thoughtful every day."
Prince William and Princess Kate's 'forever home'
Earlier this month, the family moved into Forest Lodge, a Grade-II listed eight-bedroom mansion in Windsor Great Park. In 2001, it underwent £1.5 million worth of renovations to retain the period details, with reports suggesting that the future King paid for the refurbishments, which took place ahead of their move, out of pocket. In June, they submitted planning applications to the local council proposing minor external applications, also seeking consent for minor internal and external alterations.
HELLO!'s Online Royal Correspondent, Danielle Stacey, said, when the news of the family's move first broke: "The Prince and Princess of Wales clearly love living in Windsor, the children are settled at Lambrook School nearby, and they will still be close to Windsor Castle for royal functions and engagement. Upsizing to Forest Lodge allows the family more space and has already been viewed as their 'forever home', rather than having the children growing up within the walls of a palace."
