PRINCE William moves his family into a four bed house on the Windsor estate.
Adelaide Cottage does not require additional taxpayer funded security or costly refurbishment.
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William and Kate are hoping to move in this summer as the house doesn’t need any costly refurbishments, unlike the £2.4million Prince Harry and Meghan have spent on nearby Frogmore Cottage.
This means that their children George (8), Charlotte (7) and four-year-old Louis can start school together on site in the autumn.
The Sun also understand there will be no staff at home as all aid workers commute to Windsor.
In the meantime, Anmer Hall in Norfolk is to remain as a family country retreat and they will use their apartments at Kensington Palace as staff offices.
A source said: “Kate and William were desperate for a modest home to start their new life in Windsor.
“Adelaide Cottage fits the bill because it’s a four bedroom house and they don’t need more as they don’t have staff living in the house.
“They insisted they didn’t want anything too flashy, in need of refurbishment, or extra security so as not to burden the taxpayer.
“The added bonus is that they can send George, Charlotte and Louis to school together locally. The three children will enjoy running and playing in the gardens which is the kind of life they enjoy so much at Anmer Hall.
‘They had no other pretensions than a comfortable family home close to schools and the Queen.
“They pay the rent from their private account. All they have to do is confiscate some of their prized furniture and possessions. The whole family is looking forward to moving in this summer and starting a new chapter in their lives together in Windsor.”
QUEEN’S MOBILITY PROBLEMS
William, 39, and Kate, 40, were desperate to live closer to the Queen, 96, who struggles with mobility issues.
The Cambridges have already spent happy weekends playing with their dog, Orla, in the grounds of nearby Frogmore House.
And royal experts say Her Majesty will be delighted to have her with her permanently.
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Ingrid Seward, Editor-in-Chief of Majesty Magazine, said: “It is wonderful for both his family and the Queen that they will live so close together. William was always close to his grandmother and when he was a boy at Eton he drank tea with the Queen weekly.
“The Queen needs more people like William around her. She is very often alone apart from the staff and will therefore be pleased that William, Kate and their three great-grandchildren are ten minutes away.
“If she wants to go to church or needs help one morning, she has the whole family there.
“The family were very limited in what they could do at Kensington Palace during the week. In Windsor they have plenty of space for the kids to play and walk their dog.
“You will thrive in the privacy of Windsor and be close to schools. This cottage is very different from Harry and Meghan, who spent a fortune on Frogmore Cottage, and shows that William and Kate like to live frugally.”
‘Frugal Living’
Harry, 37, and Meghan, 40, came under fire after spending £2.4million in taxpayer money on nearby Frogmore Cottage before giving up royal duty on living in California.
The couple hired Soho House designer Vicky Charles to customize the home to their liking.
The work included underfloor heating, a copper bath, a garden grill and vegan paint.
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They spent barely six months there before handing over the keys to Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank in October 2020.
But they decided to extend their lease for another 12 months in April to get a foothold in Windsor. They threw a party there with friends when they came back for the Queen’s Jubilee.
The Adelaide Cottage, on the other hand, was only modernized in 2015.
It is said to have preserved golden dolphins and ceiling rope decorations in the master bedroom, recycled from a 19th-century royal yacht.
It features a Greco-Egyptian marble fireplace, but for the most part it’s relatively modest and reserved.
A spokesman for Kensington Palace declined to comment.
PERFORMED BY THE SCANDAL
THE Cambridges new home was built in 1831 for Queen Adelaide, wife of King William IV.
The couple never produced an heir – when William died in 1837, the throne passed to his niece, Victoria.
Victoria often visited the cottage for tea and cakes.
A century later the estate became the sanctuary of Group Captain Peter Townsend, who was having an affair with Margaret, the current Queen’s sister.
The couple often rode horses at Windsor Great Park but were not allowed to marry because he was divorced.
Adelaide Cottage was designed by Sir Jeffry Wyatville and incorporated building materials from the nearby Royal Lodge, where Andy and Sarah Ferguson now reside.
Descriptions of the Cambridges’ new home in 1831 describe it as ‘chastely elegant’ and say ‘its location offers a delightful shade at any time of the day’.
George, Charlotte and Louis will enjoy the manicured gardens which are said to have changed little in 200 years.
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