Kate Middleton Is Moving Closer to Best Royal Family Friend

Princess Kate wearing a pink hat with a bow smiling — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Kate is set to move to Forest Lodge in Windsor with Prince William and their three children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. As well as giving the family more space, the move will apparently bring Kate Middleton closer to a royal relative with whom she's exceptionally close.

Royal biographer Sean Smith spoke to GB News about the Princess of Wales's new home, and what it meant for her friendship with her "royal sister," Duchess Sophie. "They remain the best of friends," Smith explained. "They have always been two middle-class girls from the country battling their way through the etiquette and traditions of the Royal Family."

Smith continued, "They do not live in each other's pockets. Kate has three young children to occupy her attention, but [their] new home, Forest Lodge, is little more than a 10-minute drive from Bagshot Park, so Sophie is near to help and support when she can."

Duchess Sophie, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince William and Princess Kate at the coronation — "Sophie is near to help and support when she can."

Elaborating on why Princess Kate and Duchess Sophie are so close, Smith told the outlet, "We first became properly aware of their friendship when they traveled together down the course at Royal Ascot in June 2017 in an open-topped carriage." He continued, "Sophie was attempting to change places when she fell on top of Kate, reducing both women to a shriek of giggles—it was a truly happy moment."

Duchess Sophie, Prince Edward, Princess Kate, Prince William and their kids walking outside Buckingham Palace for VE Day 80 — "They have always been two middle-class girls from the country battling their way through the etiquette and traditions of the Royal Family."

Smith continued, "She was there to support Kate on the balcony of the Foreign Office in Whitehall in November 2024, a couple of months after the princess announced she had finished chemotherapy treatment." According to Smith, "Sophie placed a comforting hand on [Kate's] back—it was a truly memorable moment."

Once Princess Kate has moved to Forest Lodge, her proximity to Duchess Sophie will likely be incredibly positive.

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.