Kate and William's 'forever home' means two families must move
Two families will need to leave their properties so William and Kate will be able to live in an eight-bedroom "forever home," according to reports.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children are due to move into the Grade II-listed 300-year-old Forest Lodge later this year. The £16,000 mansion in a corner of Windsor Great Park was described as the family's "forever home" and where William will continue to live when he becomes King.
Earlier in the summer, two families who lived in cottages close to the mansion were asked to leave their properties. The cottages were converted from the Forest Lodge's stables are believed to have been rented out by the Crown Estate.
The tenants were said to have been "surprised" at having been asked to leave, reports the Mail On Sunday. It was understood that no eviction noticed had been served and the tenants moved to similar housing in the massive 4,800-acre Great Park.
"They were told to move out," one unnamed source told the outlet. "I guess they were given somewhere else, but they were told they had to move.
"They were not expecting it. Those houses are very close to the lodge, so they're not going to want any Tom, Dick or Harry living in those houses if there are going to be royals there."
The mansion features a ballroom, complete with chandeliers, a tennis court, extensive grounds as well as Venetian windows. It is a large upgrade compared to the four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage where the young family lived for the past three years.
The property is about four miles from their old home, which the family lived in during one of the more challenging periods for them. Royal Family matriarch and beloved Queen Elizabeth II died just weeks after they moved in.
Last year, both King Charles and Kate bravely announced they were undergoing treatment for cancer. Royal insiders told the outlet the family want a "fresh start" at Forest Lodge and view it as a way to leave behind some of their more painful memories.
One source told the Mail on Sunday: "This house is much larger than Adelaide Cottage. There is a dining room and drawing room which require substantial pieces of furniture."
There are some royal insiders who have been more sceptical to call the mansion the family's "forever home." Another unnamed source said: "How can this be their forever home? It's not grand enough for a king."
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