Prince William’s Security Around Forest Lodge Home Is of ‘Highest Priority,’ Says Expert
Former royal protection chief Dai Davies says the Windsor exclusion zone is about risk, not royal privacy.
Prince William and Kate Middleton moved into Forest Lodge, settling into what has been described as their 'forever home' with their three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Set within the grounds of Windsor Great Park, the eight-bedroom property offers the kind of privacy the family has increasingly sought. But it has also come with a six-mile security perimeter and an exclusion zone covering at least 150 acres, measures that have drawn sharp reactions from residents.
Former head of royal protection Dai Davies, however, has made it clear that sentimentality or convenience had little to do with the decision. Writing for The Mail, Davies dismissed the idea that privacy was the driving force behind the security clampdown. “Any suggestion that the family’s need for privacy played a significant part in the decision is, in my view, so wide of the mark as to be laughable,” he wrote.
Instead, Davies pointed out a different reality. With Prince William now first in line to the throne, and his children second, third, and fourth in succession, the family occupies one of the most sensitive security positions in the country. "By establishing an exclusion zone around William’s family home, police hope to maximise the time available for reaction to any potential threat. More distance means more time. And time is a life-saver," Davies further explained. The perimeter around Forest Lodge is established under Section 128 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.
“It’s understandable that ramblers, dog walkers and some neighbours are peeved that the land in Windsor Great Park that was previously open to all is now fenced off,” Davies acknowledged. “But their right to roam is not more important than the Royal Family’s need for protection from terrorists and others intent on doing them harm.”
“This is a question of priorities,” he wrote. “And the safety of the heir to the throne is the highest priority imaginable.”The Waleses’ move to Forest Lodge followed two years at Adelaide Cottage, after relocating from London in 2022. That transition was widely seen as an effort to give their children a more settled upbringing away from the capital’s constant churn. Forest Lodge, larger and more secluded, represents the next stage of that evolution.
For William, the stakes are personal as much as institutional. He has spoken openly about the toll public exposure took on his own childhood, particularly in the years following Princess Diana’s death. That experience has shaped his approach to family life, with security framed not as privilege, but as prevention. However, critics have argued that the scale of the exclusion zone feels excessive, particularly given its impact on long-standing access to parts of Windsor Great Park.
Neighbors have described the security operation as disproportionate. “It’s a blow, but they aren’t going to change their minds,” one local said, calling the expanded measures “excessive.” Two families living in nearby cottages have reportedly been relocated, and the children’s environmental centre has paused operations. The Crown Estate confirmed: “While we are working together to minimise the impact on users of the park as far as possible, we will be pausing our onsite activities while we work closely with the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) to identify potential alternative sites.” Ultimately, Davies issued a blunt reality check to those complaining about lost access: "Anyone who looks at the security cordon in Windsor Great Park and thinks this is an issue about public rights of way simply has no understanding of the world today."
