Kate Middleton and William tipped to move to Windsor – inside Fort Belvedere in Berkshire
Kate and William 'may move to Windsor' says Sacerdoti
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On Sunday, it was confirmed that the Queen is permanently moving to Windsor Castle and will no longer reside at Buckingham Palace. With the confirmation that the Queen is making Windsor Castle her permanent home, there are new reports that Prince William and Kate Middleton may be moving out to that part of the country. In particular, they are tipped to move to Fort Belvedere in Berkshire.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been rumoured to move to Windsor for a while now, as Kate’s family live in Berkshire, as well as many other members of the Royal Family.
But what is it like inside Fort Belvedere?
Fort Belvedere is a 59-acre estate within the grounds of Windsor Great Park.
The property is part of the Crown Estate and has housed a number of royals over the centuries including, most recently, King Edward VIII.
The property was also formerly a tea house for Queen Victoria but was eventually gifted to King Edward (also known as the Duke of Windsor) by his father King George V.
Prince Edward lived at the property from 1929 until his abdication as King Edward III in 1936.
During his tenure at Fort Belvedere, the estate was significantly renovated with the inclusion of an outdoor swimming pool, tennis court, stables, central heating, a steam room and the addition of en-suites added to most bedrooms.
The renovations totalled £1.4million and amounted to 40 rooms within the house.
Eventually, in 1953 the son of Mary, the Princess Royal and Henry Lascelles, Gerald Lascelles moved into the house.
At this point the house had deteriorated significantly after nearly two decades unoccupied.
Mr Lascelles updated the home, reducing the number of rooms to an eight-bedroom house, including quarters for three or four staff.
In 1976, after Gerald Lascelles’ divorce, the remaining 78 years of the lease went up for sale.
The listing noted the house was made up of a “Hexagonal central hall, fine drawing room, dining room, library, compact domestic quarters, six bedrooms, five bathrooms, arranged mainly in suites” along with three cottages including the swimming pool and tennis court.
Today the property features extensive gardens including 120 feet borders at the base of the battlements, formal gardens, a rose garden, a walled garden, a kitchen garden, a large greenhouse, a grooms cottage, a garden cottage, stables, garages, two tennis courts, 460 feet-long allée, two long sweeping driveways, two lakes, paddocks, numerous lawns and a turning circle.
It is currently home to Canadian billionaire Galen Weston, who has leased the property since 1976.
The historic residence is located seven miles away from Windsor Castle, and close to other British royal homes.
This includes Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex’s estate, and also Frogmore Cottage where Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank are currently living.
Therefore, if the Cambridges move to Fort Belvedere, they will be very close to other members of the Royal Family, as well as the Queen who will be in Windsor Castle.
Carole and Michael Middleton also reside in Bucklebury Manor out in Berkshire.
Kate and William’s three children Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, six and Prince Louis, three, would most likely love to have their grandparents and their great-grandmother nearby as they are growing up.
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