Royal Expert Reports Prince William and Princess Kate’s Home Forest Lodge Is Full Of “Muddy Boots,” “Kids and Dogs”

Prince William and Princess Kate are always striving for as normal a childhood as possible for their children, so it makes sense that they would have “muddy boots outside” and “surfaces covered in flour.” Royal biographer and broadcaster Katie Nicholl shared her insights into the Prince and Princess of Wales’s new family “forever home,” Forest Lodge.

The move to their larger family home in Windsor “marks the beginning of a new chapter in their life,” Nicholl told The Mirror. The Prince and Princess of Wales moved their family from Kensington Palace in London to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, searching for more green space and privacy. Now, they’ve upgraded from their cottage to the much larger Forest Lodge, which they plan to live in for the long haul. “It feels like the perfect fit for them,” Nicholl said, sharing that “the Palace seem to be making it clear that this is where they’re going to base themselves for the coming years."

“It’s conveniently close to Windsor, and close enough to London for when they need to be there for work,” Nicholl explained. Windsor has a much greater appeal compared to London for their family life. “It’s also closer to Kate’s parents, who we know are such an important part of their lives.” Prince William and Princess Kate wanted a home “that offers a more intimate family setting than giant, ostentatious palaces.”

Their new family home is the perfect place for children to grow up and just be kids, rather than the future of the monarchy. “We can just imagine that Forest Lodge will be a home with muddy boots outside, dogs and kids running in and out of the garden, something lovely cooking on the stove,” Nicholl said. As Princess Kate has shared before, they often cook dinners together—like homemade pizza and cheesy pasta—so Katie Nicholl noted that there are “probably kitchen surfaces covered in flour from one of the baking sessions they love.”