The Prince and Princess of Wales are balancing the back-to-school season for their three children with their impending house move as they prepare to up sticks from Adelaide Cottage and move into Forest Lodge on the Windsor Home Park estate. But before the royal family of five makes the upheaval, William and Kate, both 43, are setting about making it safe for family life, and according to a new report in the Sunday Mirror, are installing a new set of privacy measures.
According to the newspaper's deputy royal editor, the couple is having new trees and hedgerows planted, as well as having new fences built to shield them from public view. Some of their renovations are to make the 10-bedroom house more secure, while others are related to the interior of the home. Painters and decorators have been spotted at the property, giving several of the rooms a spruce up. They are said to be funding the renovations themselves and will reportedly pay market rent once they move in.
© Getty ImagesThough William and Kate haven't publicly shared a move-in date, they are believed to be waving Adelaide Cottage goodbye before the end of the year. In June, redacted planning applications were lodged with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council, and show permission was granted in July for internal and external renovations on Forest Lodge. It's not the first time that the 300-year-old Grade II listed property has had a glow-up, as it underwent £1.5 million in restoration works in 2001.
© Getty ImagesSomething they will reportedly carry over from their current home to Forest Lodge will be opting to avoid having live-in staff. Though the couple has a nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, a Norland-trained nanny hailing from Spain, they have refused live-in staff to create a more relaxed environment for their three children to grow up in, despite the size of their new pad, which is being dubbed their 'forever home'.
© Shutterstock,GettyDanielle Stacey, HELLO!'s Online Royal Correspondent, said previously: "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."
