Prince WilliamandKate Middletonare poised to make a major move.
The royal couple are planning to relocate from their London home at Kensington Palace to a new residence some 30 miles west in Berkshire, the county that houses the Queen’s primary residence, Windsor Castle.
George and Charlotte will leave their London prep school,Thomas’s Battersea, at the end of the current term, PEOPLE confirms, and will enroll in a school in the Windsor area. It has been widely reported that the family will occupy Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor estate, but that is unconfirmed. The palace had no comment.
Although the children’s schooling was the primary reason to make the change, there are other benefits: Berkshire is also home toBucklebury, where Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, raised Kate and her two siblings and where they still live.
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Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles on the Buckingham Palace balcony on June 5.Samir Hussein/WireImage
Along with the short 40-minute car ride between Windsor and Bucklebury, William, who turns 40 on June 21, and Kate, 40, will of course be just minutes away from William’s grandmotherQueen Elizabeth, 96. TheSunday Timesreports that in time, William and Kate may ultimately occupy “the big house,” a.k.a. Windsor Castle. It is thought that William’s father,Prince Charles, 73, does not plan to spend as much time there as the Queen does now.
Prince William, Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte and Prince George in Wales on June 4.PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo
“The reality is they are quite confined in what they can do in London,” a friend told the newspaper. “The kids can’t go into the park and kick a football with friends. Their plan is to be there for the next 10 to 15 years and then move to Anmer, which is so special to them.”
Anmer Hall, the couple’s country refuge in Norfolk, “is their happy place,” a friend of William’s told the newspaper. They will continue to use Kensington Palace as their London base.
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Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge at the Order of the Garter ceremony at Windsor Castle on June 13.Chris Jackson/Getty Images
On Monday, William and Kate stepped out at Windsor Castle for theannual Order of the Garterceremony, whereKate made her royal debutin 2008 when she and William were dating.
source: people.com
