A Royal Expert Says Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Plans for a Downsized Monarchy Could Have a Huge Hidden Cost

Earlier this month, Kensington Palace confirmed reports that the Prince and Princess of Wales plan to move their family from their current four-bedroom home, Adelaide Cottage, to the much-larger, eight-bedroom Forest Lodge later this year.

The move will keep Prince William and Kate Middleton and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, in Windsor and sources close to the couple say they plan to make Forest Lodge their "forever home"—hinting that the Wales family won't make Buckingham Palace their primary residence, even after William becomes King.

“It’s all in keeping with William not wanting to be a drain on the public purse and living as ordinary a life as he can, even when he is King,” a royal insider told Vanity Fair of William's reasons for not wanting to move to Buckingham Palace when he's King.

The Sun reports that it's "understood that [Prince William and Kate Middleton] are paying for the move and rent at no extra cost to the taxpayer," but a royal expert recently told the outlet that, while the Waleses' decision to stay in Windsor long-term could achieve the goals insiders say William has in mind, it could also have an unforeseen impact on the royal family going forward.

During a recent appearance on The Sun's Royal Exclusive show, royal commentator and journalist Robert Jobson said that Will should be "careful" of what he wishes for.

"People do turn out when they see, particularly people like Sophie Wessex and the new Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward," Jobson explained. "They turn out in droves. They like that connection. And if you lose that connection, the monarchy actually loses something that it's about."

Jobson cautioned that moves like staying permanently in Windsor could lead William to "become less connected to the people."

"I think you've got to be careful what you wish for," he said, adding that while Will is currently changing "things the way he wants to," the royal fans will just have to "wait and see" what the long-term impact on the royal family will be.

During the conversation, The Sun's royal editor, Matt Wilkson, defended William's decision, pointing out that the royal is "very much focusing on his young family"—and that's something King Charles doesn't have to think about when making decisions as monarch.

"He enjoys the school run, and he wants to bring his children up in the countryside," Wilkson said of William's priorities. "I know the late Queen Elizabeth II [...], she worked extremely hard when she was bringing up her children, but that's what William perhaps is choosing not to do. But it's a different era as well."

Jobson wasn't swayed, however, and reiterated that William's choices could be harmful to the strength of the monarchy in the future.

"It's not a question of choice—it's a question of duty," the royal expert argued. "I think that William has got to be quite careful whilst doing this balancing act."

While Jobson acknowledged that the Wales family has recently gone through "a difficult time" in the wake of Kate's cancer diagnosis and treatment, he still said that, ultimately, "the role of the monarch is one where duty has to come first."

"I don't think there's any way around that unless you want to have a part-time monarch or a president," he added. "The reality is that is the job. It's a job for life and it's a job that's pretty relentless."