Prince William and Kate Middleton Make Big Changes at Former Home — and It Could All Be Because of Andrew
Prince William and Kate Middleton still retain their former base even though they have shifted to their "forever home," Forest Lodge.
Although Prince William and Kate Middleton settled into Forest Lodge last year, they continue to maintain their London base, which is apartment 1A in Kensington Palace. Even though they aren't living in that house anymore, the couple are making one big change there that might be reflective of the recent disturbing events in royal residences. The Crown Estate is updating the “outdated” security near Apartment 1A, according to the Daily Mail.
According to reports, the Crown Estate is asking for permission to install temporary vehicle barriers outside Kensington Palace and is also hoping to introduce longer-term measures for “hostile vehicle mitigation.” The upgrades may have come in the wake of the serious security lapses that have recently been reported on other palace grounds, such as guards falling asleep at Windsor and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor almost being attacked by a masked man in the Sandringham premises.
Apart from the security measures, William and Kate seem to have undertaken some restoration work at the place. They have kept the house as a base for their visits to London. The property has undergone several changes in recent months, including some repair work on the iconic golden gates outside the palace.
While Apartment 1A was not William and Middleton’s first home after their fairytale wedding, the house holds special memories for the couple, as it was there that their firstborn, Prince George, spent the early years of his life. The then-Cambridge family had shifted into Apartment 1A in 2013, when the young prince was hardly a few months old. Although the house carries the name ‘apartment’, it is rather deceiving given the layout of the space. The house features a total of 20 rooms, including three main bedrooms, five reception rooms, and separate staff quarters. The young family moved to Anmer Hall in Norfolk in 2015, where they continued to live till 2017.
In 2022, the family of three shifted outside of London to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor. Finally, after several different moves over the years, the Prince and Princess of Wales shifted to their now and “forever home,” Forest Lodge in Windsor. Their new base is reportedly only a few miles away from Adelaide Cottage. William reportedly pays a rent of around $4,13,918 USD on Forest Lodge, even though other royal family members are said to pay a peppercorn rent on their properties.
Before moving to Apartment 1A, the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge lived in Nott Cott on Kensington Palace grounds. After their shift, they reportedly passed the keys of the house to Prince Harry, who continued living there, even after his wedding to Meghan Markle. The Sussexes moved to Frogmore Cottage in 2019 before the birth of their son, Prince Archie.
