Kensington Palace Is a "Glorious Prison" for William & Kate

prince william kate middleton inside kensington palace

(Image credit: Courtesy of Kensington Palace)

published 10 August 2022

For most of their 11-year marriage, Prince William and Kate Middleton have had their home base in a luxurious Kensington Palace apartment in London.

Although they have spent a lot of time with George, Charlotte and Louis in their country home of Anmer Hall in Norfolk, they have long been reported to want more time in the countryside.

Because Norfolk is too far to commute to London from for official engagements, they have found a compromise: They are moving to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, where they will be closer to the Queen and to the Duchess of Cambridge's family. There, they will have easy access to their children's reported new day school, and will be just an hour's drive away from the British capital.

According to royal expert Ingrid Seward, the space they will enjoy in Windsor is a most welcome change as well.

"I think Wills and Kate need space to bring up their children," Seward told The Sun.

"Kensington Palace is a glorious prison for kids—they want to be able to play football without being watched from behind the gates."

I'm not sure I would quite describe a royal palace as a "prison," but I get Seward's point: No kid deserves to be watched at all times when they're just trying to play around and generally be a kid. No wonder Prince George is reportedly so excited about the move.

"I think Windsor will be perfect for them, as they will have lots of freedom and they can all be at school together," Seward concluded. Well, here's to their happy new chapter, then!

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.