The Prince and Princess of Wales made a surprise move in 2022 when they left their Kensington Palace family home behind in favour of retreating to a beautiful countryside cottage in the heart of Windsor.
Kate and William, along with their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louise, opted for Adelaide Cottage in Berkshire as their new family home – and the reasons why have now been revealed by the future Queen herself.
On Monday, the royal attended the St Patrick's Day Parade at Wellington Barracks on Monday 17 March, her first as Colonel of the Irish Guards, where she reportedly shared insight about the move.
© GettyWhy Kate and William swapped London-living for Windsor retreat
People Magazine states that Kate revealed during her royal engagement: "We are in Windsor at the moment," adding: "We were in London but moved there for more green space. It's close enough to London, not too far away."
At the time of the move, it was reported that the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge chose to move to the ultra-private property to be closer to Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September 2022, as the late monarch spent much of her time at Windsor Castle.
It was also noted at the time that the relocation to Windsor would mean their children could be educated outside of London.
© ShutterstockThese reasons were likely additional factors, but as an avid lover of the outdoors, Kate citing "greenery" as a primary reason is understandable.
With green space being high on the agenda for their move, the family lucked out with Windsor.
Adelaide Cottage is nestled away in a secluded corner of Windsor Great Park which, in total, spans over 2,000 hectares.
The royal land is so vast it runs through a large part of Berkshire and across the Surrey border. It has been a part of the Crown Estate for centuries.
© Getty ImagesWhile Windsor Great Park – and the main castle – are open to the public for much of the year, the family are still afforded plenty of privacy.
The grounds are mostly public, but the spaces immediately surrounding Adelaide and Royal Lodge, the home of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, have restricted access.
As Kate noted, Windsor is very commutable to London. So as long as traffic allows, it can take less than an hour by car to get into the capital.
This is no doubt handy for the Wales family as it means they're still close to London which is where King Charles, of course, keeps his main residence.
William and Kate also continue to use Kensington Palace as their office while working in London.
© GC ImagesThe Prince and Princess of Wales' bolthole in Windsor isn't their only countryside retreat. They also still hold a residency at Anmer Hall in Norfolk.
The ten-bedroom royal property was a wedding present from the late Queen and Kate and William used it as their first marital home.
The family often spend summer holidays and Christmas there, thanks to its proximity to Sandringham.
