Windsor Locals Are Still Seething Over Prince William and Kate Middleton’s ‘Selfish Act’
Locals say sweeping security measures around Forest Lodge have cut off public land, disrupted daily life, and left them feeling sidelined.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Kate Middleton, relocated in November to Forest Lodge, a $2.16 million USD mansion set within the grounds of Windsor Great Park. Nestled among oak-studded fields and favoured walking routes, the property offered space, seclusion, and stability for the couple and their three children. But for nearby residents, the move has come with a sense of loss. Months after the relocation, neighbours say they are still seething over sweeping access restrictions that have reshaped their daily routines.
At the centre of the dispute is a newly imposed 2.3-mile personal exclusion zone around Forest Lodge. Classified as a “Serious Organised Crime and Police Act exclusion area,” it carries the threat of trespassers. While security officials insist the measures are essential, locals argue the impact reaches far beyond a modest perimeter. Around 150 acres of land that was previously accessible, used by dog walkers, families, and long-time residents, has now been closed off in the name of protection.
What has particularly rankled is the way the changes were communicated. Residents say they felt “ambushed” by the decision, waking up to find familiar routes suddenly out of bounds. “They say you can use other gates, but you can’t because there’s nowhere to park,” one dog walker told the Mail. Another said, “We’ve lived here for 20 years, it’s lovely in there. We appreciate they need privacy, but it’s a real shame. We are absolutely gutted.”
Others 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.” Tina, who owns a home on the opposite side of Forest Lodge, voiced her anger earlier this month to The Mirror. “It’s clearly a selfish act, allowing a huge amount of public land to be closed, expecting other families to be evicted and increasing public costs so they have sufficient security living in an area which didn’t have police protection before,” she said. “I doubt they gave a second thought to the implications for others.” She further added, “Enclosing public land for the benefit of one couple is outrageous. It’s like closing Regent’s Park in London and saying it doesn’t matter because you can still go to Hyde Park.”
While Kensington Palace has declined to comment, it has been reported that the Waleses are funding the move privately and paying market rent on Forest Lodge. Any work on the property is not being drawn from the Sovereign Grant. Still, for neighbours who previously paid an annual fee to access restricted areas of Windsor Great Park, the new exclusion zone has rendered that privilege largely meaningless. “It would have been decent of them to send a bottle of wine or something to apologise,” one resident also added.
Beyond leisure, the human cost has been keenly felt. 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.”
