Will, Kate and kids finally move in after Andrew exiled from Royal Lodge

By Victoria Ward and Hannah Furness

The Prince and Princess of Wales have moved into their new "forever" home, making them temporarily closer neighbours with the disgraced Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

The Telegraph can reveal the couple and their three children relocated from Adelaide Cottage over half term and are now settling into their new abode, Forest Lodge, where they plan to remain after William becomes King.

For a short time, they will be close neighbours of the former Duke of York, whose Royal Lodge mansion is just a two-mile (three kilometre) hop across Windsor Great Park.

READ MORE: Common mistake Aussies make when buying for men

Prince William did not attend the meetings last week as Buckingham Palace finally moved to strip his uncle of his titles and force him out of his grand home on the Crown Estate.

But his closest aides were kept abreast of developments and William "fully supported" the King's decision.

The heir to the throne had long made clear that he felt a harder line should be taken on Andrew and that he did not want the debacle dragging over into his own reign.

The Waleses were also said to be concerned about the Windsor estate being tainted by association with the former prince.

READ MORE: The 'magical' tradition Jules and Guy Sebastian are passing down to their kids

READ MORE: From Mick Jagger's 'painful' family history to a Hollywood heartthrob's gap year - Stars with a surprising connection to Australia

READ MORE: It's a decision every bride has to make, but this Sydney woman admits she's copped some flack for it.

Having decided to make Forest Lodge their long-term family home, it suits the couple to be geographically distanced from Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who will move out in January.

The red-bricked Georgian mansion, once described as a "very substantial house in one of the loveliest settings in the country", is a notable step up from their former home, the more modest, four-bedroomed Adelaide Cottage.

It boasts eight bedrooms and six bathrooms, a long gallery, a separate staff flat, a tennis court and a large pond. The house is protected by a ha-ha, a sunken fence commonly installed in landscaped gardens in the 18th century to give the illusion of an unbroken view while providing boundaries for grazing livestock.

View gallery

All the defining photos of the British royal family in 2025

The move was announced in August and the Prince and Princess initially planned to relocate by Christmas.

But building work was completed earlier than expected and the family's belongings were gradually transferred to the newly renovated property, which is protected by a large security cordon.

The move heralds a fresh start for the whole family, having endured a "brutal" three years since moving to Adelaide Cottage, with the death of Elizabeth II followed by the cancer diagnoses of both the Princess and the King.

Last November, Prince William admitted with remarkable candour that 2024 had been "dreadful" and "probably the hardest year in my life".

Shortly after relocating from Kensington Palace, the Prince was also forced to deal with a slew of deeply private revelations from his brother, the Duke of Sussex, in Spare, his memoir, and Harry & Meghan, the six-part Netflix series.

After everything they had been through, the Prince and Princess decided they simply needed to "get out" of Adelaide Cottage and start again, The Telegraph was told.

"Moving gives them an opportunity for a fresh start and a new chapter; an opportunity to leave some of the more unhappy memories behind," a source said.

"This is a move for the long-term. It is the family's intention to stay in their new home after reign change."

The freehold is owned by The Crown Estate and the Waleses will pay market rent.

© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2025

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.