Prince William, Princess Kate and their three children start a new beginning and move into their “forever home”

The Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children have moved into their “forever home,” Forest Lodge, an eight-bedroom Grade II-listed mansion in Windsor Great ParkHELLO! can confirm that. The move came during Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis' half-term, which ends this weekend, after the family reportedly set a goal of moving in by November 5, 2025.

In 2001, Forest Lodge underwent £1.5 million ($2 million) in restoration work to retain the period details, including the original stonework, elaborate plaster cornices and ceiling decorations, marble fireplaces, Venetian windows and a half-barrel vaulted hallway ceiling. The future king reportedly paid for the property and all necessary renovations himself.

Planning applications submitted to the council in June for Forest Lodge document a proposal for minor external applications and a request for consent for minor internal and external changes. The family of five and their beloved dog Orla previously lived at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor's Home Park.

“The Prince and Princess of Wales obviously love living in Windsor, the children will be staying at nearby Lambrook School and they will still be close to Windsor Castle for royal events and engagements.” HELLO!'online royal correspondent Danielle Stacey shared when the news first broke. “The expansion to Forest Lodge gives the family more space and is already seen as their ‘forever home’, rather than the children growing up within the walls of a palace.”

The move is seen as a new beginning for the heir and his family as the Princess of Wales continues to recover from cancer. However, William will be absent for the first week of their new home as he takes a solo trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for his annual Earthshot Prize Awards.

For now, her new home has also brought her closer to William's disgraced uncle Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, who still lives at his Windsor Great Park estate, the Royal Lodge, which is more than a mile as the crow flies from William and Kate's new home. However, Andrew will leave the Royal Lodge in the new year for a new home at the king's private Sandringham estate in Norfolk after Charles stripped him of the titles of Prince and Duke of York in the wake of the long-running Epstein scandal.

The Prince and Princess of Wales left London entirely in 2022 to pursue a quieter life for their three children as they grow older and learn to assume their royal roles. Forest Lodge is owned by the Crown Estateso William and Kate have to pay rent to live there. It is understood that under their agreement the Royals will pay the “market” rental rate for the property.

After restoration in 2001, it was put on the rental market for £15,000 ($20,000) per month. Twenty-four years later the value would almost certainly have increased. The house is estimated to be worth around 16 million pounds ($20 million).

In September, a exclusion zone was put in place around Forest Lodge ahead of the family's move, leaving residents frustrated at the permanent closure of nearby Cranbourne Gate and Cranbourne car park. Those who lived within half a mile could previously apply to keep the keys to the gate for a fee of £110 a year.

Entering a protected site designated under the Serious Organized Crime and Police Act (SOCPA) 2005 is a criminal offence.