Kate Middleton and Prince William Follow King Charles's Lead

Prince William and King Charles wear military uniform as they stand on the Buckingham Palace balcony with Kate Middleton, who wears a white dress with navy accents — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Kate and Prince William are set to leave their "modest" home, Adelaide Cottage, in favor of the much larger Forest Lodge in Windsor. Sources have suggested that the Prince and Princess of Wales view Forest Lodge as their "forever home," and that they have little inclination to move into Buckingham Palace. Now, a former royal employee has suggested that Kate and William are actually following in King Charles's footsteps.

Speaking to GB News on behalf of Heart Bingo, former royal butler Grant Harrold explained, "The Royal Family are moving the 'hub' of monarchy to Windsor. That's my gut feeling." Harrold continued, "The King hasn't moved into Buckingham Palace, despite a lot of the work being completed."

Elaborating on Charles's decision to avoid Buckingham Palace, Harrold told the outlet, "He still lives at Clarence House and spends a lot of time at Highgrove and Windsor." He continued, "Windsor has become the essence of the monarchy, and it is the spiritual home. It's steeped in history for the Royal Family, so it does make sense to make it the base."

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The Royal Family stand on the Buckingham Palace balcony — "The Royal Family are moving the 'hub' of monarchy to Windsor."

However, royal commentator Hugo Vickers seemingly disagrees with Grant Harrold's suggestion, telling Page Six, "[Kate and William] will have to have a London base." Vickers continued, "The King has to be somewhere convenient to the center of government. They can't expect ministers to come to Windsor. I am sure William and Catherine will have to use Buckingham Palace as their London base and also for ceremonial duties."

Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince George, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte smiling on the balcony of Buckingham Palace — Kate and William are moving to Forest Lodge, their "forever home."

Royal biographer and expert Robert Lacey previously told The Telegraph of Buckingham Palace. "I don't think it was ever loved." He continued, "If you read what kings have said in their diaries, it was always seen as an office. I think, actually, as an office it has been very successful. As a ceremonial figurehead for the Royal Family, as the place that visitors identify with, it's been a great success."

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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.