Kate and William are reportedly considering move to Fort Belvedere, does anyone live there now, who are they?
In 2022, the Prince and Princess of Wales moved with their family to Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor estate.
Prince William was joined by his daughter Princess Charlotte to see the Lionesses become the champions of Europe and shared a message on X following their victory. The message read: “What a game@Lionesses, you are the champions of Europe and we couldn’t be prouder of the whole team. Enjoy this moment.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales also shared a further message from Kensington Palace which read: “An incredible night for @Lionesses and @England in Basel. Congratulations to Sarina, the team and all the support staff. Champions!”
As Prince William Princess Charlotte returns to the UK to rejoin Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince George and Prince Louis, there is speculation that the family might be considering moving from their current home, Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor estate.
The Mail on Sunday reported that royal sources have told them that Royal sources have told them “that the prince and princess are considering upsizing to a grander residence.”
The report went on to say that “One option, according to sources, could be Fort Belvedere, a magnificent gothic-revival mansion nestled in a hidden corner of Windsor Great Park.”
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Fort Belvedere, it is a grade II-listed property that includes a swimming pool and tennis court within its 59 acres of grounds. It is also believed to have been the favourite home of Edward VIII before he became monarch and abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson.
A source told the Mail on Sunday that “They feel they have outgrown Adelaide Cottage and need somewhere more substantial.This is the perfect new home for them. It has a swimming pool and tennis court, and Charlotte loves playing tennis.”
In April 2024, The Express reported that the Prince and Princess of Wales had plans to upgrade Adelaide Cottage and an insider told them that "Nobody knows that there is quite a spacious red-brick annexe building that's not being used next door to Adelaide Cottage.
“It's currently inhabitable and needs extensive renovation works if it were to be used. Discussions have been ongoing for a while about using the property as part of the overall cottage grounds, but it's just about finding the right time to kick the project off."
The source also made reference to Prince William’s concerns about the costs and public scrutiny and said: “William is very conscious of the public scrutiny over the Royal Family's spending habits, so he is looking at the best way to cover any renovation costs. It's a project that's very much been put on the back burner for now due to the family's unfortunate position, but it will be looked at again when the time is right."
Who lives in Fort Belvedere now?
After Edward VIII left Fort Belvedere, it remained vacant for two decades, and Queen Elizabeth's cousin Gerald Lascelles moved into the property in 1956. In the 1980s it was leased to Canadian retail billionaire Galen Weston and his wife Hilary. Galen Weston passed away in 2021, but his family reportedly continue to live in the property, which is owned by the Crown estate.