Prince William and Kate Middleton have allegedly been eyeing at the historic home of Queen Elizabeth on the Windsor Estate in Berkshire.
Queen Elizabeth II owns a luxury home on the Windsor Estate in Berkshire that she never ever lived into. It has been previously said that the Cambridges has been looking it up as the couple seriously considers moving closer to Her Majesty.
The Royals has a very complex portfolio of properties across the UK, from Sandringham House to Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace to Balmoral Castle. Recently, the Monarch has been spending much of her time at Windsor, having spent the Christmas and New Year period at Windsor Castle.
While there was rarely a permanent resident for many years, in 1929 the Fort Belvedere found its most famous occupant and became the backdrop of one of the most famous moments in British history.
When Prince Edward succeeded his father in January 1936 he was quickly faced with the reality that he couldn’t be the king and marry Wallis Simpson as she was a twice-divorced American.
The king announced that he would abdicate and his brother would rule as King George VI in his place. He held several meetings with Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin during the crisis but eventually signed his written abdication notices at the fort.
Fort Belvedere, originally known as Shrubs Hill Tower, is a Grade II listed country house on Shrubs Hill in Windsor Great Park, in Surrey, England. It was built between 1750 and 1755 for Prince William Augustus. The royals claim that it was constructed in the architectural style of the Gothic Revival.
Queen Victoria later used the home as a tea house and allowed it to open to the public in the 1860s. Then in Prince Edward’s time, he further renovated the property when he moved in in 1929, adding bathrooms, showers, central heating, and a steam room.
In a royal shake-up last year, it was reported that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge could be considered to move closer to Windsor for them to live closer to the Monarch.
Reports say that Fort Belvedere is one option for the family, as the Monarchy prepares for major changes in the future, moving the family closer is a good idea.
While many suspected that the family would move into the main castle, others proposed that Fort Belvedere would become their home at the moment. Prince William and Kate split their time between their London home at Kensington Palace and the country home, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk.
The home located at the Sandringham Estate was a wedding present from Her Majesty. Prince William and Kate Middleton decided to make it their permanent home following refurbishment work.
Prince William was working as a helicopter pilot for East Anglian Air Ambulance, and the couple was keen for their children to have a normal upbringing as possible, away from members of the public.
A source claimed that the Anmer Hall made sense while Prince William was a helicopter pilot in East Anglia and it was useful for Christmases at Sandringham, but it doesn’t really work anymore. The source says: “It’s a little too far away for weekends, but Windsor is a perfect compromise.”
The source also said: “There are other advantages if the Cambridges choose to move, including Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, being nearby in Bucklebury, Berkshire. Kate’s sister Pippa, her husband James Matthews, also live in the village with their two children.
Other royals to live in or close to Windsor are Prince Edward and his wife Sophie Wessex. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s UK home of Frogmore Cottage is also on the Windsor estate.