The Prince and Princess of Wales have embarked on a "fresh start" at Forest Lodge, moving out of Adelaide Cottage, where they had a run of bad memories. The royal couple, along with their three children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – moved in ahead of Bonfire Night and are no doubt looking forward to their first Christmas there. The property has an impressive eight bedrooms, a serious upgrade on their (in-comparison) humble four-bed cottage. So, plenty of room for all the family, but that's not the major clue that tells us they are in it for the long haul…
Streetcheck.co.uk is an online site that gives information about any given postcode in the UK, revealing interesting facts like crime levels, housing statistics and employment information. When searching the King's son's new postcode, the section about housing divulges a very insightful piece of knowledge. It reads: "There have been no house sales reported to the Land Registry in this postcode since 1 January 1995."
© Getty ImagesSo, despite there being 185 different house types within that catchment area, including detached properties, terrace houses and flats, none have been sold since 1995. It's been 30 years since someone sold a house in that postcode! With five years of experience writing about celebrity and royal homes, I write about buying and selling houses all the time, so for this area to have zero moving and shaking for three decades is rather outstanding. It says a lot about the area – residents are keen to stay. Although Kate and William do not own the property, and they are leasing it from the Crown Estate, it still appears to be a long-term commitment.
© Getty ImagesThe postcode falls within the Windsor and Maidenhead district and their council website reads: "The Royal Borough is one of the best places to live in the country with an abundance of beautiful green space, safe streets, fantastic facilities, strong local businesses and employment opportunities, good infrastructure links, and strong communities."
However, the council do face issues as they have had to implement a strict housing strategy. It reads: " The average house price in The Royal Borough is approximately £476,000, which is over 15 times the average UK salary (£30,420). This has made getting into sustainable rented accommodation and onto the house ladder difficult for many of The Royal Borough’s residents." Part of their 2024-2026 plan is to "create homes for ownership by working with partners to create a ladder of housing opportunity, particularly for social housing tenants" and "assess the needs of Gypsy and Traveller communities within the Borough and seek appropriate sites to increase supply and support sustainable communities."
© GettyIn love with Windsor
The family seem besotted with Windsor, since they first moved there in 2022. Danielle Stacey, HELLO!'s Online Royal Correspondent, sheds light on why. She said: "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 engagements. 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."
