Prince William and Princess Kate are ready to begin the next chapter of their lives in their new home — but their fresh start has come with big challenges, a source tells Examiner.
William and Kate, both 43, “have been involved in every little detail as they prepare their dream home and it’s been a lot to handle,” a source says of the pair, who have announced plans to relocate their family — including Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7 — from Adelaide Cottage to nearby Forest Lodge, this fall.
Not only does the eight-bedroom Georgian mansion, which is on the grounds of Windsor Great Park, need renovation, but two families who were living in cottages near the home were reportedly asked to move to other properties on the estate earlier this summer, per People.
William and Kate “helped find new housing for those people,” the source tells Examiner, “and as you can imagine, it’s eaten up a lot of time — and there’s still so much more to do before they can move in.”
The pair have been fitting in the extra work while keeping up with their busy royal schedules. “They’re still doing all their scheduled engagements but there’s a sense from some senior royals that they’re a bit too distracted,” says the source.
With King Charles III undergoing continued cancer treatment, adds the source, they’ve been expected to step up even more. “It can be overwhelming at times.”
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Another complication is Forest Lodge itself. Locals have expressed concerns that their new abode, which is located closer to a main public road, won’t be as private as Adelaide Cottage, according to GB News.
“On top of all that, the history of the house is quite dark, which has got to be weighing on them,” says the source.
Per the DailyMail, Spencer Mackay, who owned the 300-year-old home in the early 1800s, made his fortune from South American coffee and rum plantations, fueled by slave labor.
Forest Lodge was also the site of Edward VIII’s equerry Sir John Aird’s death by suicide in 1973, reports the outlet.
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Still, the Waleses are eager to move forward from their own dark times, says the source, noting that Kate’s cancer battle was waged during their time at Adelaide Cottage.
They’re confident that Forest Lodge will become their “dream home,” says the source. “It certainly hasn’t been smooth sailing, but they’re forging ahead and saying all the hard work will be worth it in the end.”
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