'A selfish act': Prince William and Kate's increased security around their new home angers locals

The Prince and Princess of Wales have angered locals near their new home, Forest Lodge, by forcing the closure of several sections of public land for security reasons.

Residents living in Windsor have accused Prince William and Catherine of "a selfish act", saying that "enclosing public land for the benefit of one couple is outrageous".

Ahead of the family's move in late November, Windsor Great Park announced an exclusion zone of about 60 hectares of land previously accessible to the public.

A 2.3 mile (approx. 3.7km) perimeter exclusion zone is now in place to protect the family's privacy.

Locals reported seeing CCTV cameras, dug-out trenches and new hedging as part of the upgraded security near the Wales' home.

In late September, access to Windsor Great Park via Cranbourne car park and Cranbourne Gate was permanently closed to the public.

Part of the site was designated as an exclusion area under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, park management said at the time.

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Trespassing on protected sites, which include crown land and land belonging to the King in a private capacity, is an offence.

Parking is still available at Rangers Gate car park, a short walk away.

But some locals are unhappy about the changes to their daily routine, particularly dog walkers who will now have to put their pets on a lead in some areas.

One resident, Tina, told The Mirror: "More than half of Windsor Great Park is private. The public areas for walking are extremely precious.

"It's clearly a selfish act, allowing a huge amount of public land to be closed...I doubt they gave a second thought to the implications for others.

"Enclosing public land for the benefit of one couple is outrageous."

Forest Lodge, an eight-bedroom Grade II-listed building valued at around £16 million (approx. $33m), is nearly 330 years old and is on land owned by the Crown Estate.

Prince William and Kate are believed to be paying at least £15,000 (approx. $31k) a month in rent, in line with market value.

They are said to have chosen the property as their forever home after a difficult few years at the nearby Adelaide Cottage.

In the time since their move to Adelaide Cottage in September, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II died and both the princess and King Charles were diagnosed with cancer.

Residents living within half a mile (0.8km) of Cranbourne Gate had previously been able to hold keys to the gate for a fee of £110 per year.

They chose Forest Lodge for the privacy it offers, allowing Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to have a normal childhood as possible.

Not everyone is unhappy about the Wales' moving in.

Dog walker Tom Bunn previously told The Sun: "I completely understand the safety of William, Kate and their family is paramount so we should make sure they can live happily here."

But Tina said the family should have more consideration for residents.

"You've got a dog and you've got hundreds of acres of woods that you've been allowed to use for years, and now you can't," Tina said.

"I want Kate and William to open up their eyes and realise the consequences of this move, and I hope that when William becomes King and has multiple properties at his disposal, he vacates the house and allows the public to get their land back – it's not some hard up family who have nowhere else to go."

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