Similar to his father’s love of Highgrove, it would now appear that Prince William has found his own ‘forever home’.

Nestled in a beautiful corner of Windsor Great Park, the Prince and Princess of Wales are set to move into Forest Lodge later this year.

William and Kate are reportedly so enchanted by the house that today, the Daily Mail’s Royal Editor, Rebecca English revealed that when William ascends to the throne the family will not be moving into Buckingham Palace.

This would mean that William could be the first monarch since medieval times not to live in a castle or a palace.

The 300-year-old Grade II listed mansion will join William and Kate’s growing property portfolio.

Since 2022, The Waleses have been living in the four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage nearby to Windsor Castle and the eight-bedroom Forest Lodge has been described by locals as a definite ‘step up’.

The three-storey home boasts elaborate plaster cornices and ceiling decoration, exquisite marble fireplaces and a half-barrel-vaulted ceiling. It also has six bathrooms, a long gallery and a tennis court, which will doubtless suit the sporty Princess of Wales.

Since it was acquired by the Crown in 1829, a number of equerries, private secretaries and other royal staff have lived there but never a member of the family least of all the heir to the throne.

Apartment 1A, Kensington Palace

William and Kate’s future home – despite its large size – does not compare to Kate and Wills ‘official residence’ at Kensington Palace.

Famous guests at the apartment 1A include Barack and Michelle Obama who dined with the Waleses in their home.

While their residency – where the Prince and Princess of Wales typically conduct official business – is described as an apartment it is far from your typical west London flat.

Apartment 1A is split across four floors and includes multiple reception rooms, staff bedrooms and even a gym.

It required quite extensive refurbishment before the couple moved in a few years after their 2011 wedding. And while the palatial home boasts suitably impressive furnishings, it also features homely touches like lots of framed family photographs.

The interior design of the home was curated by Ben Pentreath who has also designed houses for celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, William and Kate conducted official business remotely from the palace which provided a unique and intimate look into their private quarters.

This included family photos and Kate’s collection of Penguin Clothbound Classic books.

The family moved out of the palace in 2022 reportedly to give George, Charlotte and Louis are more normal upbringing.

Anmer Hall

Kate and William also own Anmer Hall in Norfolk – close to Sandringham Palace – where the royals typically holiday.

The 18th century Georgian property is likely to hold a sentimental place in their hearts, with the house having been a wedding present from the late Queen Elizabeth II.

And it was no small gift, with the hall boasting ten bedrooms, a swimming pool and a tennis court.

Not much is known about the inside of the property however it did undertake a £1.5m renovation in 2014 which saw the installation of a new roof, new windows and a £300,000 garden room. Ben Pentreath again helped design the interior.

The couple also make use of Anmer Hall during the pandemic, treating royal fans to a peak inside which revealed a tastefully designed home with neutral coloured walls decorated with landscape paintings.

Forest Lodge

 Kate and William’s new home in Berkshire marks a break in tradition for the Waleses due to them opting to live in a home no other royal has before.

But the lodge is far from your typical family home with its chandelier-lit ballroom, tennis court, Venetian windows and extensive grounds.

Forest Lodge is a considerable upgrade from the cosy four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage where the prince and princess and their young family have lived for the last three years.

The house was renovated in 2001 but it is understood that the Royal Lodge will also undergo some minor redecorating including new doors and windows, removal of some internal walls, ceiling repairs and new floors.

This is  reportedly being paid for personally by William and Kate.

The Mail On Sunday reported yesterday that earlier this summer two separate families who lived in cottages next to the country mansion were asked to vacate their properties.

The cottages, converted from Forest Lodge’s stables, are understood to have been rented out by the Crown Estate, and the tenants, are said to have been ‘surprised’ at being asked to leave.

It is understood that no eviction notices were served and the tenants have moved to similar or better housing elsewhere in the 4,800-acre Great Park.

One well-connected source said: ‘They were told to move out. I guess they were given somewhere else, but they were told they had to move.

‘They were not expecting it. Those houses are very close to the lodge, so they’re not going to want any Tom, Dick or Harry living in those houses if there are going to be royals there.’

Upon his ascension to the Throne, William will also inherit a number of other royal residencies including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, as well as other private royal estates such as Sandringham in Norfolk and Balmoral in the Scottish Highlands.

But unlike King Charles III, who still uses his Gloucestershire home in High Grove but has conducts most of his business at official royal residencies, Daily Mail has been told that it is William’s ‘intention’ to remain at the Forest Lodge when he becomes King.

This would mean the residences face an uncertain future – as palaces without a king.

The spotlight is now being shone on the Royal Family’s huge portfolio of properties, and the ever-dwindling number of tenants to occupy them.

Indeed, there are likely to be growing questions over the viability of William and Kate’s use of Kensington Palace – not least because the Kensington apartment was refurbished in 2014 at a cost of £4.5 million to the public purse and is now used barely a handful of times a year.

While Windsor Castle, which was once earmarked for William and Catherine by the late Queen, the prospect of a full or even part-time royal resident after Charles also looks unlikely.

But that is less concerning to many than the future of Buckingham Palace, the sovereign’s official London residence, not least because £369 million of public funds is currently being invested in a top-to-toe refurbishment – including a complete redecoration of the late Queen’s suite of rooms.

At present, no members of the Royal Family reside at the Palace due to this mammoth ten-year re-servicing programme, which is required to bring the crumbling royal residence up to scratch.

There is no doubt the works were overdue and badly needed. The Palace’s pre-war electrics were verging on dangerous for such an historic building.

One of the biggest attractions of Buckingham Palace, whether you are visiting it as a head of state, one of the 50,000 guests who attend garden parties, receptions and functions held there each year or even just as a paying punter in the summer months, is that it is the living, breathing heart of the institution.

Palace aides have always carefully insisted that Charles ‘intends’ to take up residence in ‘Monarchy HQ’, as Buckingham Palace is dubbed.

However, others think that is unlikely now he and the Queen are well established in the more private and homely surrounds of neighbouring Clarence House.

It’s worth noting that the building works are not due to be concluded until 2027, when King Charles will be 78 and William 45.

A well-placed source told the Mail that William will be taking an even more ‘pragmatic’ approach to Buckingham Palace in the future, stressing that Forest Lodge will be his family’s only ‘long-term’ home.

Similar to his father, William will also be looking to radically change how the palaces are used.

The Prince is keen to open Buckingham Palace to a greater number of tourists each year than at present. This would generate funds for its future upkeep while lessening pressure on the public purse.

The Prince of Wales also wants to see the amount of official entertaining that goes on at the Palace expanded, possibly even using it for government and charitable events.

While Sandringham and Balmoral are very much private royal estates with no public funding, it seems that they, too, could undergo a subtle change of status, and be opened to visitors on more days than in the past.